Live Oak

Formed January 1, 1856 (110^th county)

Live Oak County (11,531), George West (2,445)                

The 1919 courthouse of Live Oak County features dark brown brick and white columns.  It sits on a square at Main (United States Highway 59) and Guadalupe streets.  United States Highway 281 passes three blocks to the west of the site.  Alfred Giles provided the Texas Renaissance designs for the courthouse.  The building was renovated in 1982 and enlarged in 1956.  The county is located in south central Texas between San Antonio, Texas and Corpus Christi, Texas.  The county was organized on January 1, 1856 with Oakville as the site for the first two courthouses.  George West became the seat in 1919.  Live Oak County was created from parts of Nueces and San Patricio counties as the 110^th county.  Live Oak is named for the prominent trees in the area.  George West was the founder of the community, which bears his name. 

The area of the county is 1079 square miles.  It is 61 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 158 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 10.69 persons per square mile making it 164 out of 254 in the state.  Live Oak County has 37.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 37 goes from Atascosa County to the north into San Patricio County to the southeast.  United States Highway 59 crosses diagonally from Bee County to the east and goes to McMullen County to the west.  United States Highway 281 comes in from Atascosa County, north, and exits out to Jim Wells County, south.  The county is shaped like a lower-case R with the Nueces River crossing through it. 

Live Oak County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  Three District Court Judges serve Live Oak, Aransas, Bee, McMullen, and San Patricio counties and One County Court Judge serves Live Oak County.  San Antonio, Texas is to the northwest and Corpus Christi, Texas is to the southeast.  The county center is 4.6 miles East of George West.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Karnes, Bee, San Patricio, Jim Wells, Duval, McMullen, and Atascosa counties.  George West is in the center of the county.  George West is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 21.2% of the county population.