Blanco

Formed February 12, 1858 (151^st county)

Blanco County (11,376), Johnson City (1,658), Blanco (1,678)

The dome of the stone Classical Revival courthouse, built in 1916, can be spotted just north of United States Highway 290 at 101 East Pecan Street.  The building’s designer was Henry T. Phelps.  The building was enlarged in 1983.  The 1885 courthouse in Blanco, designed by F. E. Ruffini, still stands.  Two courthouses were built in the city of Blanco following the February 12, 1858 organizing of the county.  The county seat moved to Johnson City in 1916.  Blanco County was originally part of Burnet, Comal, Gillespie, and Hays counties and the 151^st county.  The county’s name is Spanish for “white.”  Johnson City gets its name from early settlers of the region.  Johnson County gets its name from a different source. 

Blanco County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  Two District Court Judges serve Blanco, Burnet, Llano, and San Saba counties and One County Court Judge serves Blanco County.  The county is in the hill country just west of Austin, Texas.  Lyndon Johnson, 36^th President of the United States, is buried in this county.  The county center is 4.3 miles Southeast of Johnson City.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Burnet, Travis, Hays, Comal, Kendall, Gillespie, and Llano counties. 

The area of the county is 711 square miles.  It is 212 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 158 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 16.0 persons per square mile making it 145 out of 254 in the state.  Blanco County has 30.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 281 comes from Burnet County on the north and goes to Comal County on the south.  United States Highway 290 enters from the east, Hays County, and exits to the west, Gillespie County.  The funnel shape of this county has Johnson City located a little north of center.  Blanco is in the southern quarter of the county.  Johnson City is the county seat and Blanco is the largest city.  Johnson City is 14.6% of the county population while Blanco is 14.8% of the county population.  The county and its largest city are pronounced BLAN-CO.