Wilson

Formed January 1, 1860 (153^rd county)

Wilson County (49,757), Floresville (7,211)

The cream brick Second Empire and Italianate courthouse was built in 1884 and is at 4^th and C streets.  United States Highway 181 is five blocks to the east of the site.  The architect was Alfred Giles.  An Addition has been added to the courthouse in 1986.  Floresville has been the location of both courthouses since the January 1, 1860 county organization.  The county was taken from sections of Bexar and Karnes counties as the 153^rd county.  Wilson County was named for James Charles Wilson who was a survivor of the Mier Expedition.  The county seat was named for a local rancher, Don Francisco Flores de Abryo.  Wilson County is the birthplace of 1 Texas Governor, John B. Connally, Jr. 

Wilson County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  Two District Court Judges serve Wilson, Atascosa, Frio, Karnes, and La Salle counties and One County Court Judge serves Wilson County.  The county is located in south central Texas just to the southeast of San Antonio, Texas.  The San Antonio River flows through the county from northwest to southeast.  The county center is 9.4 miles Northeast of Floresville nearer Sutherland Springs.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Guadalupe, Gonzales, Karnes, Atascosa, and Bexar counties. 

The area of the county is 807 square miles.  It is 194 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 69 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 61.7 persons per square mile making it 67 out of 254 in the state.  Wilson County has 23.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 87 crosses the northern part from Bexar County, northwest, to Gonzales County, northeast.  United States Highway 181 enters from Bexar County on the northwest and exits into Karnes County on the southeast.  The county is mainly a diamond but the northeast corner is cut out.  Floresville is west of center in the county.  Floresville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 14.5% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced FLOER-EZ-VIL.  This county is in the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.