Willacy

Formed January 1, 1911 (249^th county)

Willacy County (20,163), Raymondville (10,242)

The Classical Revival red brick structure, built in 1922, is at the intersection of Hidalgo and 3^rd streets.  The location is four blocks west of United States Highway 77 passing through the city.  Henry T. Phelps provided the building designs.  The courthouse in under renovation in 2022.  An Annex was built in 1988 and an Administration Building also augments.  Sarita was the original county seat from the January 1, 1911 organizing but it changed to Raymondville when Kenedy County was formed in 1921.  Willacy County was formed from parts of Cameron and Hidalgo counties as the 249^th county.  The county was named for John G. Willacy, Texas legislator.  Raymondville got its name from Edward Burleson Raymond, a local rancher. 

Willacy County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Willacy and Cameron counties and One County Court Judge serves Willacy County.  The county is in far south Texas north of Brownsville, Texas and south of Corpus Christi, Texas.  The Gulf of Mexico is the eastern border of the county.  The county center is 4.3 miles East of Raymondville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Kenedy County and the Gulf of Mexico and Cameron and Hidalgo counties. 

The area of the county is 597 square miles.  It is 230 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 118 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 33.8 persons per square mile making it 101 out of 254 in the state.  Willacy County has 64.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 77 crosses north to south, Kenedy County to Cameron County.  The county is shaped like a pan with two handles.  Raymondville is located in the western third of the county.  Raymondville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 50.8% of the county population.  The county is pronounced WILL-A-CEE.  This county is in the Raymondville Micropolitan Statistical Area.