Formed January 8, 1836 (6th county)
Goliad County (7,210), Goliad (1,908)
Four courthouses have served Goliad County from the City of Goliad. The latest version was constructed in 1894 of stone and brick. Alfred Giles provided the Second Empire design that originally included towers and a dome. A 1942 hurricane was the cause of their removal but they were restored in 2003. The county was organized on January 8, 1836 and Goliad has been the county seat since its inception. Goliad County was one of the original 23 Texas counties (6th county.) On the square at End and Commercial, the courthouse grounds are filled with oaks and other large trees. United States Highways 59 and 77 pass two blocks north and east, respectively. The origin of Goliad County and city’s name is believed to be an anagram for the Mexican patriot Hidalgo (minus the H). He is also the source name for Hidalgo County.
The area of the county is 859 square miles. It is 190 out of 254 in the state. It ranks 185 out of 254 in population in the state. It has a density of 8.39 persons per square mile making it 181 out of 254 in the state. Goliad County has 26.5% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 59 enters from the northeast, Victoria County, and exits to the southwest, Bee County. United States Highways Alternate 77 and 183 jointly comes from DeWitt County on the north and goes into Refugio County on the south. The county is shaped like a small r lying over. Many rivers cross through the county, the most famous being the San Antonio River that crosses from northwest to southeast. Goliad City is near the center of the county. Goliad is the county seat and the largest since it is the only incorporated city. It is 26.5% of the county population.
Goliad County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners. Three District Court Judges serve Goliad, Calhoun, DeWitt, Jackson, Refugio, and Victoria counties and One County Court Judge serves Goliad County. Goliad County is southeast of San Antonio, Texas and northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, on the coastal plains. The county center is 1.6 miles North of Goliad. The county is surrounded clockwise by De Witt, Victoria, Refugio, Bee, and Karnes counties. This county is in the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Goliad
