Austin

Formed January 8, 1836 (1^st county)

Austin County (28,417), Bellville (4,097), Sealy (6,019)

The Modern concrete and granite courthouse in the middle of the square was built in 1960.  Texas State Highways 36 and 159 circle around the courthouse at the square.  Wyatt C. Hedrick designed the building.  Three previous courthouses were also located in Bellville, the only county seat, the last dating from 1888.  The county was organized on January 8, 1836 as one of the original 23 counties (1^st county.)  Austin County was named for Stephen F. Austin, an original Texas colonizer and later Republic of Texas President.  Travis County seat and Texas State capital are also named for him.  Bellville was named for Thomas B. Bell, an early area settler.  Bell County and its county seat, Belton, have a different namesake. 

Austin County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Austin, Fayette, and Waller counties and Two County Court Judges serve Austin County.  The county is in the south and east part of the state just west and north of Houston, Texas.  The county center is 7 miles South-Southwest of Bellville nearer Cat Spring.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Washington, Waller, Fort Bend, Wharton, Colorado, and Fayette counties. 

The area of the county is 656 square miles.  It is 229 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 94 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 43.32 persons per square mile making it 79 out of 254 in the state.  Austin County has 45.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 10 crosses from Waller County on the east to Colorado County on the west.  The county is one of the backward “J” shapes of this area where many rivers wind toward the gulf.  The Brazos River is on the east border of the county.  Bellville is slightly north of the geographical county center.  Sealy is in the southeast quarter of the county.  Bellville is the county seat and Sealy is the largest city.  Bellville is 14.4% of the county population while Sealy is 21.2% of the county population.  The largest city is pronounced SEE-LEE.  This county is in the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown Metropolitan Statistical Area.