Cameron

Formed February 1, 1848 (68^th county)

Cameron County (406,220), Brownsville (175,023)

The masonry Texas Renaissance courthouse was built in 1912 in Brownsville.  Atlee B. Ayers designed this building.  The structure was renovated in 2006.  A Judicial Center was added in 1978 and a 1978 augmenting Courthouse is located in Harlingen.  The county was organized on February 1, 1848 from Nueces County as the 68^th county.  Santa Rita was the first county seat but was replaced with Brownsville late in 1848.  Cameron County was named for Scot Ewen Cameron of the Texas Revolution.  He also provided his name to the Milam County seat.  Brownsville was named for Major Jacob Brown who died defending the nearby fort during the early days of the Mexican War.  The namesake of this city is not related to the origins of Brown County, Brownwood, or Terry County’s seat of Brownfield. 

Cameron County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Cameron and Willacy counties and One District Court Judge and Six County Court Judges serve Cameron County.  The county is the furthest south in the state.  The Rio Grande is the entire southern border with Mexico on the other side.  The Gulf of Mexico is on the eastern side with Padre Island beach drawing many visitors.  The county center is 18.7 miles North of Brownsville nearer Laureles.  The county is surrounded clockwise by the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico and Hidalgo and Willacy counties. 

The area of the county is 1276 square miles.  It is 36 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 13 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 318.35 persons per square mile making it 17 out of 254 in the state.  Cameron County has 75.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 77 enters from Willacy County on the north and terminates at Brownsville.  United States Highway 83 comes from the west, joins United States Highway 77, and terminates in Brownsville.  The county is overall rectangular with bulges at the northeast corner and at Brownsville.  Brownsville is on the extreme south part of the county along the Rio Grande.  Brownsville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 43.1% of the county population.  This county is in the Brownsville-Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.