Colorado County, Texas

History

The territory that is now Colorado County has been continually inhabited by humans for at least 12,000 years. The Coco branch of the Karaknawa are said to have hunted in the area, while Tonkawa crossed the area from the south.

The first record of a European coming through the area that is now Colorado County was January 20, 1687, when René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, camped along Skull Creek. The party located an Indian village and named it Hebemes. The fourth expedition of Alonso De León may have crossed into the area while looking for Fort St. Louis in 1689.

The area was settled by Anglo colonists who were part of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred starting in 1821. Some families settled near Beeson's Ford, a few miles south of Columbus' present day location. The area was active during the days of the Texas Revolution. Dilue Rose Harris wrote her memoir of the Runaway Scrape from within the boundaries of Colorado County.

The county was one of the original Republic of Texas counties when it formed in 1836. Following the American Civil War, the county had one of the larger populations of African-American freedmen in the state, and was granted a Freedmen's Bureau office in Columbus.

Many European settlers, particularly Germans, as well as Moravians and Bohemians from what became Czechoslovakia, began to settle in the county after the Civil War, although Germans had settled in the area as early as 1830.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 974 sqmi, of which 13 sqmi (1.4%) are covered by water.

Major highways

• [[Image:I-10 (TX).svg|20px]] Interstate 10
• [[Image:US 90.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 90
• [[Image:Alternate plate.svg|20px]]
• [[Image:Texas 71.svg|20px]] State Highway 71

Adjacent counties

• Austin County (northeast)
• Wharton County (southeast)
• Jackson County (south)
• Lavaca County (southwest)
• Fayette County (northwest)

National protected area

• Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–2010 2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 20,557. The median age was 45.6 years, with 21.7% of residents under the age of 18 and 24.2% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.4 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 64.1% White, 11.4% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian,

There were 8,138 households in the county, of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.4% were married-couple households, 18.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 9,992 housing units, of which 18.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.8% were owner-occupied and 22.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 20,390 people, 7,641 households, and 5,402 families were residing in the county. The population density was 21 /mi2. The 9,431 housing units averaged 10 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 72.79% White, 14.80% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 10.06% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. About 19.74% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 7,641 households, 31.1% had children under 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were not families. About 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56, and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county, the age distribution was 25.6% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and % who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,425, and for a family was $41,388. Males had a median income of $30,063 versus $20,014 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,910. About 12.3% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Columbus (county seat)
• Eagle Lake
• Weimar

Census-designated place

• Garwood
• Glidden
• Nada
• Rock Island
• Sheridan

Unincorporated communities

• Alleyton
• Altair
• Bernardo
• Borden
• Chesterville
• Eldridge
• Frelsburg
• Hillcrest
• Lone Oak
• Mentz
• Oakland
• Shaws Bend

Ghost towns

• Lakeside
• Matthews
• New Bielau
• Osage
• Pisek
• Provident City
• Ramsey

Politics

Like many southern counties, Colorado County was predominantly Democratic prior to the 1960s and predominantly Republican since then. The last Democrat to carry the state was Jimmy Carter in 1976; George W. Bush, Mitt Romney and Donald Trump all received more than 70 percent of the vote in the county.

Education

School districts include:

• Columbus Independent School District
• Hallettsville Independent School District
• Rice Consolidated Independent School District
• Weimar Independent School District

The Texas Legislature assigns areas in Columbus, Rice Consolidated, and Weimar ISDs to Wharton County Junior College. The legislation does not state where Hallettsville ISD areas are assigned.

References

References

1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Colorado County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
2. "Colorado County, Texas".
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. Mark Odintz. (June 12, 2010). "Colorado County". Texas State Historical Association.
5. "Colorado County". Texas State Historical Association.
6. ODINTZ, MARK. (June 12, 2010). "COLORADO COUNTY".
7. LANG, HERBERT H.. (June 15, 2010). "HARRIS, DILUE ROSE".
8. Crouch, Barry A., 1941-. (1992). "The Freedmen's Bureau and Black Texans". University of Texas Press.
9. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
10. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". [[US Census Bureau]].
11. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010". Texas Almanac.
12. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Colorado County, Texas".
13. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Colorado County, Texas".
14. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Colorado County, Texas".
15. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
16. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
17. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
18. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
19. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
20. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".
21. Geography Division. (December 22, 2020). "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Colorado County, TX". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
22. [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code Sec. 130.211. WHARTON COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.]. Retrieved on October 5, 2025.