West Columbia is a city in Brazoria County in the U.S. state of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. The city is centered on the intersection of Texas Highways 35 & 36, southwest of downtown

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

. The population was 3,644 at the 2020 census. The 1st Congress of the Republic of Texas was convened in West Columbia on October 3, 1836. (It was then named simply Columbia.)

Geography

West Columbia is located in western Brazoria County at (29.141513, –95.647016), about west of the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater ...

. Texas State Highway 35 leads east to Angleton, the county seat, and southwest to Bay City. Texas Highway 36 leads north to Rosenberg and southeast to

Freeport Freeport, a variant of free port, may refer to: Places United States *Freeport, California *Freeport, Florida *Freeport, Illinois *Freeport, Indiana *Freeport, Iowa *Freeport, Kansas *Freeport, Maine, a New England town **Freeport (CDP), Maine, the ...

on the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United S ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, West Columbia has a total area of , of which , or 0.67%, is water.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,644 people, 1,398 households, and 984 families residing in the city. As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 4,255 people, 1,607 households, and 1,099 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 1,661.9 people per square mile (641.7/km). There were 1,755 housing units at an average density of 685.5 per square mile (264.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 70.15%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 19.51%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.40% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 7.83% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 18.05% of the population. There were 1,607 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.19. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,115, and the median income for a family was $38,090. Males had a median income of $37,981 versus $19,775 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,647. About 14.0% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

History

Columbia was established in 1826 by Josiah Hughes Bell when the town was laid out two miles west of Marion, later known as East Columbia. Columbia was briefly the capital of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from M ...

from September to December 1836. The town hosted the First Congress of the Republic of Texas when

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

became president on October 22, 1836. The House of Representatives and Senate each met in private homes. The First Congress voted to move the capital to

on November 30 because Columbia lacked living quarters for government officials. On December 27, 1836, Stephen F. Austin died at the home of George B. McKinstry in Columbia. The town, which became known as West Columbia, saw its commerce decline after the government moved away. A post office was set up in 1905. When oil was discovered in the West Columbia oil field in 1918, the town became a center for cotton, oil, rice and

sulphur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...

. By 1928, the town's population rose to 2,500, but the ill-effects of the Great Depression caused the number of residents to fall to about 1,000. In 1940 there were 1,573 persons living in West Columbia and 50 businesses. During the 1950s, the population increased to 2,100. By the 1960s big oil companies had a considerable presence near town and the area boasted the most cattle in the state. In 1960 West Columbia had 2,947 residents, in 1970 it had 3,335 and in 1990 it had 4,372. In the next two decades the population dipped slightly. Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site is near West Columbia. File:West Columbia TX SF Austin Deathplace.jpg, Stephen F. Austin death place on County 467 File:West Columbia TX Charlie Brown.jpg, Charlie Brown state historic marker on Brazos Ave. File:West Columbia TX War Memorial.jpg, Veterans War Memorial at the American Legion Post

Government and infrastructure

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...

West Columbia Post Office is located at 350 West Brazos Avenue. West Columbia is
General Law
municipality, like approximately 75% of Texas cities. As a "general law" city, West Columbia must operate according to specific state statutes prescribing powers and duties. City Council is composed of five Council members and a Mayor, elected at-large to two (2) year terms in

nonpartisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers sp ...

elections. The day-to-day operation of West Columbia falls to a full-time City Manager. File:West Columbia TX Post Office.jpg, US Post Office at 350 W. Brazos Ave. File:West Columbia TX Brazoria Pct 4.jpg, Brazoria Co. Precinct 4 building at 121 N. 10th St. File:West Columbia TX City Hall.jpg, West Columbia City Hall at 512 E. Brazos Ave.

Economy

Within West Columbia City limits, Columbia-Brazoria ISD, Wal-Mart, HEB, CVS, and Walgreens are major employers. The proximity to major cities allows many residents to commute to oil and gas industry work in nearby cities, and to

Education

The city is served by the Columbia-Brazoria Independent School District. Schools that serve the city include West Columbia Elementary School, Barrow Elementary School, Wild Peach Elementary School, West Brazos Junior High School, and Columbia High School. One elementary and the high school are in West Columbia. The junior high and Barrow Elementary are located in Brazoria. There is a charter school called West Columbia Charter School. The West Columbia Library is a part of the

Brazoria County Library System The Brazoria County Library System operates public libraries in Brazoria County, Texas, United States. The system has several libraries in many cities. Branches * Alvin Library - Alvin * Angleton Library - Angleton * Brazoria Library - Bra ...

. The

Texas Legislature The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful a ...

assigned the area in Columbia-Brazoria ISD (including West Columbia) to the

Brazosport College Brazosport College (BC) is a public community college in Lake Jackson, Texas. The college was opened in 1968 and offers primarily associate degrees and some bachelor's degrees. The campus features The Clarion, a regional musical performance ven ...

district.Texas Education Code Sec. 130.170. BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
/ref> File:West Columbia TX High School.jpg, Columbia High School at 520 S. 16th St. File:West Columbia TX Elem School.jpg, West Columbia Elementary School at 711 Gray St. File:W Columbia TX Library.jpg, West Columbia Public Library at 518 E. Brazos Ave.

Health services

West Columbia is served by Central EMS. There is not a hospital within the city limits. However, Sweeny Community Hospital, Brazosport Regional, Angleton-Danbury Medical Center and Matagorda Regional are all within a 30-mile radius.

References

External links

City of West Columbia official website

A photo album of West Columbia

Columbia Archives

{{authority control Cities in Brazoria County, Texas Cities in Texas Capitals of former nations

Greater Houston