Liberty County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 91,628. The

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 ...

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

. It was founded in 1831, as a municipality in Mexico as Villa de la Santísima Trinidad de la Libertad by commissioner José Francisco Madero and organized as a county of 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 ...

in 1836. Its name was

anglicized Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

as Liberty based on the ideal of American

liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

. Liberty County is part of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (1.5%) are covered by water. The Trinity River flows through this county, dividing the county roughly in half. The river begins on the northern border of Liberty County, forming the San Jacinto - Polk County line through the Liberty County line. The east fork of the San Jacinto River flows through far northeast parts of the county, flowing through

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

. Tarkington Bayou begins in the Sam Houston National Forest in San Jacinto County, working its way south through northeast and east Liberty County and joining other feeders, before traveling into Harris County and emptying into Galveston Bay. The highest point in Liberty County is "Davis Hill", the roof of a

salt dome A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when salt (or other evaporite minerals) intrudes into overlying rocks in a process known as diapirism. Salt domes can have unique surface and subsurface structures, and they can be discovered us ...

in the northern part of the county.

Adjacent counties

* Polk County (north) * Hardin County (east) * Jefferson County (southeast) * Chambers County (south) * Harris County (southwest) * Montgomery County (west) * San Jacinto County (northwest)

National protected areas

* Big Thicket National Preserve (part) * Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge

Communities

Cities

* Ames *

* Daisetta *

Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

* Dayton Lakes * Devers * Hardin *

(county seat) * Mont Belvieu (mostly in Chambers County) * Nome * North Cleveland * Old River-Winfree (mostly in Chambers County) * Plum Grove

Town

* Kenefick

Census-designated place

* Big Thicket Lake Estates (partly in Polk County) * Hull

Unincorporated communities

* Colony Ridge * Dolen * Eastgate * Hightower * Hoop and Holler * Macedonia * Moss Bluff * Moss Hill * Rayburn * Raywood * Romayor * Rye * Stilson * Tarkington Prairie

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, 70,154 people, 23,242 households, and 17,756 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 26,359 housing units averaged . The racial makeup of the county was 78.90% White, 12.82% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 6.06% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. About 10.92% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 23,242 households, 38.10% had children under 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.60% were not families. About 20.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.23. In the county, the population was distributed as 27.60% under18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 31.60% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,361, and for a family was $43,744. Males had a median income of $37,957 versus $22,703 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 $15,539. About 11.10% of families and 14.30% 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 18.30% of those under age 18 and 15.00% of those age 65 or over. Of Liberty County's residents, 8.8% have a college degree, the lowest percentage of any U.S. county with a population exceeding 50,000.

Government and politics

Liberty County, formerly strongly Democratic like much of the rest of Texas before the mid-20th century, has trended sharply Republican in recent years. As is the case with most rural Texas counties, the Republican margin of victory has largely increased since

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

won the county in the 1990s. In the

2020 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...

, a little over 80% of the votes in this county were for

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

. In 2023 the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

described the county as "a Republican stronghold".

United States Congress

Texas Legislature

Texas Senate

* District 3: Robert Nichols ( R)- first elected in 2006

Texas House of Representatives

District 18: Ernest Bailes (R) - first elected in 2016

Liberty County elected officials

Economy

Around 1995, the economy of Liberty County was mainly focused on agriculture and oil. As of that year, the economy of Liberty County was struggling. At that time, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice had established four correctional facilities (

, Henley, Hightower, and Plane) in the county within a six-year span. As of 1995, the facilities employed 1,045 employees and contributed $22 million in the county's annual payroll. Since Cleveland is a privately operated facility, the county receives tax revenue from the prison's operation.Horswell, Cindy.
For hard-hit economy of Liberty County, crime officially pays
" ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...

''. Thursday June 29, 1995. A30. Retrieved on July 23, 2010.

Education

School districts include: * Cleveland ISD (portions of the district extends into other counties) * Dayton Independent School District (ISD) (portions of the district extends into another county) * Devers ISD * Hardin ISD * Hull-Daisetta ISD * Liberty ISD * Tarkington ISD Sections in Dayton, Devers, Hardin, Hull-Daisetta, and Liberty school districts are assigned to

Lee College Lee College is a public community college in Baytown, Texas. Lee College's main campus occupies near downtown Baytown and extension campuses throughout its service area. The school has an enrollment of over 7,773 total students as of Fall 2018 ...

. Sections in the Cleveland and Tarkington school districts are assigned to Lone Star College. The Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, operated by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, is located north of Liberty in an unincorporated area. Judge and Mrs. Price Daniel donated of land for the purpose of establishing a library on September 27, 1973. Construction began in the fall of 1975; by then, $700,000 had been raised through private donations. The library opened on May 14, 1977.

Infrastructure

Outside of the city limits, ambulance services are provided by contract through Allegiance EMS. Fire protection is provided mostly through volunteer fire departments, four of which in Liberty County are funded by emergency services districts.

Police services

The headquarters of the Liberty County Sheriff's Office, which serves unincorporated areas and supplements police forces of incorporated areas, is within the city of Liberty. Most incorporated areas operate their own police departments, including Cleveland, Daisetta, Dayton, Kenefick, and Liberty. Liberty County also has a constable for each of its six precincts and deputies assigned to each.

Fire services

Incorporated cities of Cleveland and Liberty operate their own fire departments staffed by a combination of paid and volunteer members. Both departments cover territory outside their respective city limits. Fire departments serving unincorporated areas: * Ames VFD 1 station * Cleveland VFD 2 stations (Covering areas inside the City of Cleveland and North Cleveland, and unincorporated Liberty County) * Cypress Lakes VFD 1 station * Dayton VFD 2 stations (covering areas inside the City of Dayton, and unincorporated Liberty County) * Devers VFD 1 station * Hardin VFD 1 station (covering areas inside the City of Hardin, and unincorporated Liberty County) * Highway 321 VFD 1 station * Hull-Daisetta VFD 1 station (covering areas inside the City of Daisetta, and unincorporated Liberty County) * Kenefick VFD 1 station (covering areas inside the City of Kenefick, and unincorporated Liberty County) * Liberty VFD 1 station (covering areas inside the City of Liberty, and unincorporated Liberty County) * Moss Bluff VFD 1 station * North Liberty County VFD 1 station * Plum Grove VFD 1 station (covering areas inside the City of Plum Grove, and unincorporated Liberty County) * Raywood VFD 1 Station * Tarkington VFD 2 stations * Westlake VFD 1 station * Woodpecker VFD 1 station

Emergency medical services

Emergency medical services are provided by Allegiance EMS, with the only exception being inside the City of Liberty, for which service is provided by the City of Liberty Fire and EMS Department.

Corrections

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates one women's prison and two women's state jails, all co-located in an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

. The L.V. Hightower Unit prison and the Dempsie Henley Unit and Lucille G. Plane Unit jails are north of

.Hightower Unit
." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.Henley Unit
." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.Plane Unit
." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010. The Cleveland Unit, a prison for men privately operated by the GEO Group, Inc. on behalf of the TDCJ, is in

.Cleveland Unit
." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010. Cleveland opened in September 1989. Hightower opened in March 1990. Henley and Plane opened in May 1995. Also, in 1992 Community Education Centers opened a private detention center under federal contract with the

United States Marshals Service The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The Marshals Service serves as the enforcement and security arm of the United States federal judi ...

for 372 beds, co-located at the old decommissioned Liberty County Jail. As of 1995, of all Texas counties, Liberty County had the fourth-largest number of state prisons and jails, after Walker, Brazoria, and Coryell Counties.

Transportation

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 59 ** Interstate 69 is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 59 in most places. * U.S. Highway 90 * State Highway 61 * State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway) * State Highway 105 * State Highway 146 * State Highway 321

Aviation

Two

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

airports are located in unincorporated sections of the county. * Liberty Municipal Airport is located east of Liberty. * Cleveland Municipal Airport is located east of Cleveland. The

Houston Airport System Houston Airport System (HAS) is a department of the Houston, City of Houston, Texas, United States that manages city airports. Its administrative offices are on the property of George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

stated that Liberty County is within the primary service area of

George Bush Intercontinental Airport George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport upon its opening in 1969, it was renamed in ho ...

, an international airport in Houston in Harris County.Master Plan Executive Summary
." ''George Bush Intercontinental Airport Master Plan''. Houston Airport System. December 2006. 2-1 (23/130). Retrieved on December 14, 2010.

Toll roads

The Liberty County Toll Road Authority does not operate any toll roads at present. In July 2007, Liberty County created the Liberty County Toll Road Authority to have a say in any and all future toll-road projects located within the county.

Crime

In 2023 Zack Harkness, a constable of Liberty County, stated that the

Aryan Brotherhood The Aryan Brotherhood (AB or The Brand) is a neo-Nazi prison gang and an organized crime syndicate that is based in the United States and has an estimated 15,000–20,000 members both inside and outside prisons. The Southern Poverty Law Center ...

is the most significant

gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Wiktionary:territory#Noun, territory in a ...

in Liberty County, more so than any of Hispanic and Latino origin.

Notable people

* William Fields (1810-1858), American politician * Edward Bradford Pickett (1823–1882), president of the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875 and state legislator * Bobby Seale, co-founder of the

Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newto ...

References

External links

Liberty County government's website

Liberty County in ''Handbook of Texas Online''
from The University of Texas at Austin
The Liberty Courier – Conservative Twist, Local news
Mainly focuses on politics in Liberty County Texas.
Cleveland Advocate
Cleveland Area Newspaper, covers north east Liberty County.
Liberty County, TXGenWeb
Focuses on genealogical research of Liberty County.
Liberty County Libertarian Party
{{Coord, 30.15, -94.81, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990 1831 establishments in Texas Populated places established in 1831 Greater Houston