Grimes

Formed March 1, 1846 (43^rd county)

Grimes County (29,292), Anderson (190), Navasota (7,654)

The Italianate look of the 1893 courthouse stands out in the small community in the center of Grimes County.  Texas State Highway 90 goes through the community and the courthouse is one block east of the highway on Main Street.  F. S. Glover provided the design of stone and tan brick for this facility.  The building was restored in 2002.  A Clerk’s Office Building augments the courthouse.  All of the county’s five courthouses have been in Anderson since the county organizing on March 1, 1846.  The county was originally part of Montgomery County and the 43^rd county.  Grimes County is named for Jesse Grimes, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.  Anderson got its name from Kenneth Lewis Anderson, Vice President of the Republic of Texas.  Anderson County is also named for him.  Mr. Anderson died at Fanthorp, which changed its name to Anderson to honor him.  The county is shaped like a tall glass slightly bent to the left at the bottom.  The Navasota River forms the western border until it empties into the Brazos River at the southwest corner of the county. 

Grimes County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Grimes, Leon, Madison, and Walker counties, One District Court Judge serves Grimes and Waller counties, and One County Court Judge serves Grimes County.  Grimes County is northwest of Houston, Texas in the fertile river area of east central Texas.  The county center is .8 miles Southeast of Anderson.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Madison, Walker, Montgomery, Waller, Washington, and Brazos counties. 

The area of the county is 794 square miles.  It is 198 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 95 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 36.9 persons per square mile making it 96 out of 254 in the state.  Grimes County has 31.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  Anderson is located slightly west of center in the county.  Navasota is in the southwest quarter of the county.  Anderson is the county seat and Navasota is the largest city.  Anderson is 0.7% of the county population while Navasota is 26.1% of the county population.  The largest city is pronounced NA-VA-SOE-TA.