Formed January 8, 1836 (17th county)
Washington County (66,718), Brenham (15,716)
The Modern limestone structure, built in 1939, is on the square at the intersection of Alamo and Park streets. Alamo Street is Texas State Highway 105 crossing through the heart of the city. The building’s designer was Travis Boesche. A 1907 bank was remodeled in 2010 to serve as an Annex. Six courthouses (1837, 1841, 1844, 1855, 1884, and 1939) have served Washington County since its January 8, 1836 founding. Washington-on-the-Brazos was the first county seat, then Mount Vernon in 1841, and finally in 1844 when Brenham assumed the role. The county is one of the original 23 Texas counties (17th county.) The county was named for George Washington, United States President. Brenham got its name from Dr. Richard Fox Brenham, a surgeon in the Army of the Republic of Texas.
Washington County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners. Two District Court Judges serve Washington, Bastrop, Burleson, and Lee counties and Two County Court Judges serve Washington County. The county is in the river area northwest of Houston, Texas, east of Austin, Texas, and southeast of Waco, Texas. The Brazos River is the eastern border of the county. The county center is 5 miles North-Northeast of Brenham. The county is surrounded clockwise by Brazos, Grimes, Waller, Austin, Fayette, Lee, and Burleson counties.
The area of the county is 621 square miles. It is 233 out of 254 in the state. It ranks 51 out of 254 in population in the state. It has a density of 107.44 persons per square mile making it 41 out of 254 in the state. Washington County has 24.0% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 290 enters from Waller County on the east and exits into the northern tip on Fayette County on the west. The county is shaped like a flower vase sitting on a 45-degree angle toward the northeast. Brenham is located in the southern half of the county. Brenham is the county seat and the largest city. It is 23.6% of the county population. The county seat is pronounced BREN-HUM. This county is in the Brenham Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Brenham
Burton
