Bastrop County is located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. It is in

Central Texas Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas roughly bordered on the west by San Saba, to the southeast by Bryan- College Station, the south by San Marcos and to the north by Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part ...

and its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Bastrop. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,216. Bastrop County is included in the

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

–

Round Rock Round Rock is a city in Williamson County, Texas, Williamson and Travis County, Texas, United States, part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area. Its population is 119,468 according to the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The city stra ...

, Texas, metropolitan statistical area.

History

In 1834, the provincial legislature of

Coahuila y Tejas Coahuila y Tejas, officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila y Tejas (), was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution. It had two capitals: first Saltillo (1822–1825) f ...

– established by the Mexican

Constitution of 1824 A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

– met in

Saltillo Saltillo () is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and is also the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. Mexico City, Monterrey, and Saltillo are all connected by a major railroad and high ...

and established the Municipality and County of Mina, consisting of parts of present-day Mason, Kimble, Llano, Burnet, Williamson, Gillespie, Blanco, Comal, Hays, Travis, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Gonzales, Fayette, Washington, and Lavaca Counties. On December 14, 1837, the second

Congress of the Republic of Texas : ''For the current Texas legislative body, see Texas Legislature.'' The Congress of the Republic of Texas was the national legislature of the Republic of Texas established by the Constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836. It was a bicameral ...

adjusted geographical limits to create Fayette County, and remove Gonzales and Caldwell Counties from Mina's boundaries. On December 18, 1837, Sam Houston signed acts that (a) incorporated the town of Mina and (b) changed the name of the county and town of Mina to Bastrop to honor Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, an early Dutch settler who helped Stephen F. Austin obtain land grants in

. On May 24, 1838, the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...

added parts of Kimble and Comal Counties to contain parts of present-day Blanco, Burnet, Williamson, Travis, Hays, Comal, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Gonzales, and Fayette Counties. From January 25, 1840, to January 25, 1850, Bastrop county limits shifted nearly to its present dimensions, including small portions of Lee, Williamson, Caldwell, Gonzales, and Fayette Counties. In December 1942, Bastrop was the site of an alleged military murder, in which Sgt. Walter Springs was gunned down by a White military police officer following a dispute. Springs was shot in the back, but the case remains largely unsolved to this day. A memorial scholarship in his honor has been active at his ''alma mater'',

Regis University Regis University ( ) is a Private university, private List of Jesuit educational institutions, Jesuit university in Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1877 by the Jesuits, Society of Jesus, the university offers more than 120 degrees th ...

, for most of the period since 1952 and has the backing of former NBA All Star Chauncey Billups. In September 2011, Bastrop County suffered the most destructive wildfire in Texas history, which destroyed over 1,600 homes. In March 2022, the Refuge Ranch, a facility in rural Bastrop County for girls who had been victims of sexual trafficking, was ordered closed down after allegations that the girls had been subjected to further exploitation by ranch staffers.

Climate

In general this area has a

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

and humid maritime climate with consistently hot and dry summers, while the milder winter weather occasionally has short spans of cold temperatures. The growing season starts in early March and continues through late November, while annually this location receives 37.2 inches of average precipitation, and also on average experiences 49 days per year of at least 0.1 inches, primarily during May, June, September, and October. Within the Texas Gulf Coast basin where Bastrop County resides, severe to extreme droughts occur at least once every 10 years (within a century of record keeping). Additionally, flash flooding due to hurricanes or slow thunderstorms are of concern, with 10-11 inches of rain within a single day being at least 1% likely.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (0.8%) are covered by water. This area resides in the Gulf Coastal Plains which has sparse topographic relief; elevations gently slope between 400-600 feet. Vegetation is primarily

Post Oak ''Quercus stellata'', the post oak or iron oak, is a North American species of oak in the white oak section. It is a slow-growing oak that lives in dry areas on the edges of fields, tops of ridges, and also grows in poor soils, and is resistant ...

savannah and woodland, Blackland Prairie, and pine hardwood forest. The unique Lost Pines Forest features

Loblolly pine ''Pinus taeda'', commonly known as loblolly pine, is one of several pines native to the Southeastern United States, from East Texas to Florida, and north to southern New Jersey. The wood industry classifies the species as a southern yellow pi ...

(Pinus taeda) which require the deep, moist, acidic, sandy soil of the Carrizo Sands formation. As for

geologic formations A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics (lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock expo ...

, the most recent around floodplains and lowlands of the

Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...

(as well as larger nearby streams) are

alluvium Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...

, fluviatile terrace deposits, and high gravel. Tertiary formations have

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

, mudstone, sand, and clay running in bands from northeast to southwest, which notably also provide the critically endangered Houston Toad necessary deep sandy soil habitat. Major aquifers include the Carrizo-Wilcox, Colorado River, and Lake Bastrop, and the water system divides along US Highway 290 to separate the Colorado River and 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 14th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater ...

basins.

Wildlife

The most notable animal within Bastrop County is the critically endangered amphibian Houston Toad. Houston_Toad

Otherwise the area features primarily Post Oak Savannah and pine oak woodland wildlife, with more than 200 documented species of birds as of 1996. Bastrop County is the southwestern-most area for the pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), pine warbler (Dendroica pinus), and includes the western range for the Kentucky warbler (Oporornis formosus), hooded warbler (Wilsonia citrina), and Swainson's warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii). Rare species in Bastrop County tracked by the

Texas Parks and Wildlife The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas. Its mission is to manage ...

are the Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii),

mountain plover The mountain plover (''Anarhynchus montanus'') is a medium-sized ground bird in the plover family ( Charadriidae). It is misnamed, as it lives on level land. Unlike most plovers, it is usually not found near bodies of water or even on wet soil; ...

(Charadrius montanus), cave myotis, Elliot's short-tailed shrew (Blarina hylophaga hylophaga), plains spotted skunk, spot-tailed earless lizard, and Texas gartersnake (T. sirtalis annectens). Common mammals found in this county are

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known Common name, commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, North, Central America, Central and South America. It is the ...

common raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon (also spelled racoon) to distinguish it from Procyonina, other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest ...

striped skunk The striped skunk (''Mephitis mephitis'') is a skunk of the genus ''Mephitis (genus), Mephitis'' that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern ...

, black-tailed jackrabbit,

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

and common

gray fox The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener (biology), congener, the diminutive island fox ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

, ringtail cat (Bassariscus astutus),

Virginia opossum The Virginia opossum (''Didelphis virginiana''), also known as the North American opossum, is a member of the opossum family found from southern Canada to northern Costa Rica, making it the northernmost marsupial in the world and the only marsup ...

(Didelphis virginiana),

fox squirrel The fox squirrel (''Sciurus niger''), also known as the eastern fox squirrel or Bryant's fox squirrel, is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. It is sometimes mistaken for the American red squirrel or eastern gray squirr ...

eastern cottontail The eastern cottontail (''Sylvilagus floridanus'') is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is the most common rabbit species in North America. Distribution The eastern cottontail can be found in meadows and shrub ...

nine-banded armadillo The nine-banded armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus''), also called the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a species of armadillo native to North America, North, Central America, Central, and South America, making ...

. Additionally some smaller mammals found here are the

eastern red bat The eastern red bat (''Lasiurus borealis'') is a species of microbat in the family Vespertilionidae. Eastern red bats are widespread across eastern North America, with additional records in Bermuda. Taxonomy and etymology It was described in 1 ...

(Lasiurus borealis), eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus), short tailed shrew (Blarina sp.), Attwater's pocket gopher (Geomy attwateri),

white-footed mouse The white-footed mouse (''Peromyscus leucopus'') is a rodent native to North America from southern Canada to the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is a species of the genus ''Peromyscus'', a closely related group of New World mice often ...

(Peromyscus leucopus),

northern pygmy mouse The northern pygmy mouse (''Baiomys taylori'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is known as ''ratón-pigmeo norteño'' in the Spanish-speaking areas of its range. It is found in Mexico and the United States. It is the smallest ...

(Baiomys taylori), hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus),

Brazilian free-tailed bat The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat (''Tadarida brasiliensis'') is a medium-sized bat native to North America, North, Central America, Central, and South America and the Caribbean, so named because its tail can be almost hal ...

(Tadarida brasiliensis), cave myotis (Myotis velifer), Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans), and the eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius). Other amphibians are the small-mouth salamander (Ambystoma texanum),

cricket frog Cricket frogs, genus ''Acris'', are small, North American frogs of the family Hylidae. They occur in northern Mexico (Coahuila), the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and in southern Ontario, Canada. They are more aquatic than other m ...

(Acris crepitans), green toad (B. debilis), Texas toad (B. speciosus),

Gulf Coast toad The Gulf Coast toad (''Incilius valliceps'') is a species of toad native to eastern and southeastern Mexico and Central America as far south as Costa Rica. Description The Gulf Coast toad is a medium-sized toad species, ranging from in leng ...

(B. valliceps valliceps), Woodhouse's toad (B. woodhousii), eastern narrowmouth toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis), Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad (G. olivacea). Some frogs include the Rio Grande leopard (Rana berlandieri), bullfrog (R, catesbeiana), green (R. clamitans), southern leopard (R. sphenocephala), and both Couch's and Hurter's spadefoots (Scaphiopus couchi and hurteri). Documented treefrogs include Cope's gray (Hyla chrysoscelis), green (Hyla cinerea), and gray (H. versicolor). Chorus Frog members found in Bastrop County are the spotted (Pseudacris clarki), Strecker's (P. streckeri), and striped (P. triseriata). The largest reptile in Bastrop County is the American alligator, while some turtles include spiny softshell,

common snapping turtle The common snapping turtle (''Chelydra serpentina'') is a species of large freshwater turtle in the Family (biology), family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far eas ...

, Texas map (Graptemys versa), yellow mud (Kinosternon flavescens flavescens), river cooter (P. texana),

eastern box turtle The eastern box turtle (''Terrapene carolina carolina'') is a subspecies within a group of hinge-shelled turtles normally called box turtles. ''T. c. carolina'' is native to the Eastern United States. The eastern box turtle is a subspec ...

, ornate box turtle, and

red-eared slider The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin (''Trachemys scripta elegans'') is a subspecies of the pond slider (''Trachemys scripta''), a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the Family (biology), family Emydidae. Native to the southern United States ...

. Lizards found in this county are the green anole,

Texas spotted whiptail The Texas spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis gularis'') is a species of long-tailed lizard, in the Family (biology), family Teiidae. The species is Endemism, endemic to the south central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Six subs ...

, six-lined racerunner (C. sexlineatus), eastern collared lizard, spot-tailed earless lizard,

Texas horned lizard The Texas horned lizard (''Phrynosoma cornutum'') is one of about 21 North American species of spikey-bodied reptiles called horned lizards, all belonging the genus '' Phrynosoma''. It occurs in south-central regions of the US and northeastern M ...

, Texas spiny lizard, fence lizard, ground skink, and tree lizard. Many snakes are present, including broad-banded copperhead, western cottonmouth, eastern glossy snake, eastern racer,

western diamondback rattlesnake The western diamondback rattlesnake or Texas diamond-backWright AH, Wright AA. (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes''. Comstock Publishing Associates. (7th printing, 1985). . (''Crotalus atrox'') is a rattlesnake species and member of the viper family, ...

corn snake The corn snake (''Pantherophis guttatus''), sometimes called red rat snake is a species of North American rat snake in the Family (biology), family Colubridae. The species subdues its small prey by constriction. It is found throughout the sout ...

, Texas rat snake, eastern hognose snake, prairie kingsnake, common kingsnake, western coachwhip (Masticophus flagellum testaceus), Texas coral snake, rough greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus), bullsnake, Texas long-nosed snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei), mountain patch-nosed snake (Salvadora grahamiae), Texas brownsnake (Storeria dekayi), flat-headed snake (Tantilla gracilis), Checkered garter snake, orange-striped ribbonsnake (T. proximus proximus), rough gartersnake (Virginia striatula), and

timber rattlesnake The timber rattlesnake (''Crotalus horridus''), also known Common name, commonly as the canebrake rattlesnake and the banded rattlesnake,Albert Hazen WWright AH, species:Anna Allen WWright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States a ...

. Watersnakes found here are the plain-bellied, southern, and diamondback (

Nerodia ''Nerodia'' is a genus of nonvenomous colubrid snakes commonly referred to as water snakes due to their aquatic behavior. The genus includes nine species, all native to North America. Five of the species have recognized subspecies. Descript ...

erythrogaster, fasciata, rhombifera). Major predatory fish in Bastrop County are the gar,

black bass Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''Psy ...

, and

flathead catfish The flathead catfish (''Pylodictis olivaris''), also called by several common names including mudcat or shovelhead cat, is a large species of North American freshwater catfish in the family Ictaluridae. It is the only species of the genus ''Py ...

, forage species are various shiners, minnows, gizzard shad, sunfish, and anglers additionally pursue

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus nigricans'') is a carnivorous, freshwater fish, freshwater, ray-finned fish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, native to the eastern United States, eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada an ...

, Guadalupe bass,

channel catfish The channel catfish (''Ictalurus punctatus''), known informally as the "channel cat", is a species of catfish native to North America. They are North America's most abundant catfish species, and the official state fish of Kansas, Missouri, Nebra ...

, and white crappie.

Adjacent counties

* Williamson County (north and northwest) * Lee County (northeast) * Fayette County (southeast) * Caldwell County (southwest) * Travis County (west)

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, 57,733 people, 20,097 households, and 14,771 families resided in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . The 22,254 housing units averagedf . The racial makeup of the county was 80.2% White, 8.8% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 7.7% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. About 24.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 20,097 households, 35.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were not families. About 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.23. As of the 2010 census, about 7.8

same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

per 1,000 households lived in the county. In the county, the population was distributed as 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males. The median income for a household in the county was $43,578, and for a family was $49,456. Males had a median income of $32,843 versus $25,536 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $18,146. About 8.4% of families and 11.6% 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 15.4% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The following school districts serve Bastrop County: * Bastrop Independent School District * Elgin Independent School District (partial) * Lexington Independent School District (partial) * McDade Independent School District * Smithville Independent School District (partial) Austin Community College is the designated community college for most of the county. Areas in Lexington ISD are in Blinn Junior College District.

Transportation

Central Texas Airport has been proposed about ten miles NW of the town of Bastrop, but has met with local opposition.New corporate center, airport announced
." ''

KXAN KXAN-TV (channel 36) is a television station in Austin, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Llano-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate KBVO (channel 14); Nexstar also provides certain services to ...

''. Tuesday October 19, 2010. Retrieved on November 5, 2010.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 290 * State Highway 21 * State Highway 71 * State Highway 95 * State Highway 304

Recreational facilities

* Bastrop State Park * Buescher State Park

Communities

Cities

* Bastrop (county seat) *

Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario * Elgin, Manit ...

(partly in Travis County) * Mustang Ridge (mostly in Travis County and a small part in Caldwell County) * Smithville

Census-designated places

* Camp Swift * Cedar Creek * Circle D-KC Estates * McDade * Paige * Red Rock * Rosanky * Wyldwood

Unincorporated communities

* Alum Creek * Bateman *

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Elysium Elysium (), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields (, ''Ēlýsion pedíon''), Elysian Plains or Elysian Realm, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philosophical sects and cult ...

* Hills Prairie * Jeddo *

Kovar Kovar (trademark of CRS Holdings, inc., Delaware) is a nickel–cobalt ferrous alloy compositionally identical to Fernico 1, designed to have substantially the same thermal expansion characteristics as borosilicate glass (≈ between , to ≈ ...

* Pettytown (partly in Caldwell County) * Rockne * Salem * Sayersville * String Prairie * Swiftex * Upton * Utley * Watterson

Ghost Towns

* Flower Hill * Grassyville * McDuff * Oak Hill * Phelan * Pin Oak

In popular culture

Several

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

s and notable

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

s have used locations in Bastrop County.