Bell

Formed January 1, 1850 (81^st county)

Bell County (370,644), Belton (23,050), Killeen (153,143)                

The pillared, limestone Beaux Arts courthouse was built in 1884 and sits in the square at the intersection Texas State Highways 317 and 253.  The building dominates the landscape in this smaller neighboring city to Temple almost midway between Waco, Texas and Austin, Texas.  Belton has always had the county seat since the county’s formation on January 1, 1850.  Bell County was formed from Milam County as the 81^st county.  Two courthouses have preceded the current one in 1851 and 1858.  Jasper N. Preston & Sons are the architect for the courthouse, which has had remodelings in 1950 and 1999.  A Justice Center was built in 2006.  Bell County and Belton were named for Peter Hansborough Bell.  There is a different honoree for Austin County’s seat at Bellville.  Mr. Bell was a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto and the Mexican War, a Texas Ranger, governor, congressman, and a confederate colonel.  Bell County is the birthplace of 2 Texas Governors, James E. Ferguson, Jr., and Miriam A. W. Ferguson. 

Bell County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Bell and Lampasas counties and Four District Court Judges and Four County Court Judges serve Bell County.  The county is in central Texas where many rivers transit on their way to the gulf.  The county center is 6.2 miles Northwest of Belton nearer Nolanville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by McLennan, Falls, Milam, Williamson, Burnet, Lampasas, and Coryell counties. 

The area of the county is 1059 square miles.  It is 59 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 15 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 350.0 persons per square mile making it 20 out of 254 in the state.  Bell County has 84.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 enters from Falls County on the northeast and exits into Williamson County on the south.  United States Highway 190 comes from the northwest, Coryell County, and goes to the southeast, Milam County.  The county is flattened oval shape with Belton almost in the exact center.  Killeen is located on the western border of the county.  Belton is the county seat and Killeen is the largest city.  Belton is 6.2% of the county population while Killeen is 41.3% of the county population.  This county is in the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Copperas Cove