Formed January 8, 1836 (2nd county)
Bastrop County (74,171), Bastrop (7,218), Elgin (8,135)
The Renaissance Revival and Neo-Classical courthouse was built in 1883 but was significantly altered in 1923. It sits at the corner of Pine and Pecan streets, five blocks north of Texas State Highway 21. The original tan brick building’s architects were Jasper N. Preston & Sons and Frederick E. Ruffini. The county was organized on January 8, 1836 with two previous courthouses located in Bastrop, the only county seat. The building was again renovated in 1990, enlarged in 1974, and an Annex was built in 2003. Bastrop County was one of the original 23 counties (2nd county) but was first named Mina County. Bastrop County and city were named in honor of Felipe Enrique Neri Baron de Bastrop, the land commissioner for Austin’s colony.
Bastrop County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners. Two District Court Judges serve Bastrop, Burleson, Lee, and Washington counties and Two County Court Judges serve Bastrop County. The county is just east and south of Austin, Texas where grasslands and farmlands are mixed with oak and pine trees. The county center is 2.5 miles Northeast of Bastrop. The county is surrounded clockwise by Williamson, Lee, Fayette, Gonzales, Caldwell, and Travis counties.
The area of the county is 896 square miles. It is 173 out of 254 in the state. It ranks 49 out of 254 in population in the state. It has a density of 82.78 persons per square mile making it 49 out of 254 in the state. Bastrop County has 24.6% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 290 crosses the northern part of the county from east to west, Lee County to Travis County. The county is shaped like an oval with the sides flattened. The Colorado River is the southern border. Bastrop is slightly south of the county center. Elgin is located on the northwest border of the county and extends into Travis County. Bastrop is the county seat and Elgin is the largest city. Bastrop is 9.7% of the county population while Elgin is 9.7% of the county population. The county and county seat are pronounced BAS-TRUP. This county is in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Bastrop
Smithville
Elgin
Mustang Ridge
