Runnels

Formed January 22, 1880 (141^st county)

Runnels County (9,899), Ballinger (3,624)                

The Second Empire courthouse in Ballinger was built in 1889 and sits at the corner of Hutchings (United States Highway 67) and Broadway (Texas State Highway 158). The yellow stone building looks very governmental on the main thoroughfare through the city.  The building was renovated and enlarged in 1941.  The first county seat was Runnels City with Ballinger succeeding it in 1889.  Two courthouses have been in the county since its January 22, 1880 founding.  Runnels County was cut from parts of Bexar and Travis counties as the 141^st county.  Eugene T. Heiner designed the current courthouse.  Runnels County is named for Hiram George Runnels a planter and legislator.  Ballinger gets its name from, judge and Confederate statesman, William Pitt Ballinger. 

Runnels County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Runnels, Concho, and Tom Green counties and One County Court Judge serves Runnels County.  The county is located in central Texas just south of Abilene, Texas and northeast of San Angelo, Texas.  The Colorado River crosses west to east through the county.  The county center is 10 miles North-Northwest of Ballinger.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Taylor, Coleman, Concho, Tom Green, Coke, and Nolan counties. 

The area of the county is 1054 square miles.  It is 61 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 163 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 9.4 persons per square mile making it 171 out of 254 in the state.  Runnels County has 69.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 67 enters from Coleman County, east, and exits to Tom Green County, southwest.  United States Highway 83 passes north to south through the county from Taylor County to Concho County.  United States Highway 277 cuts the northwest corner from Nolan County, northwest, to Coke County west.  The county is rectangular with Ballinger in the southern third of the county.  Ballinger is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 36.6% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced BAL-LIN-JER.