Burleson County is a county in Texas, United States, part of the College Station–Bryan metropolitan area. It had a population of 17,642 at the 2020 census and covers 677 square miles (1,750 km2) of land and water, centred near 30°29′N 96°37′W.
Caldwell is the county seat, and its postal code is 77836. The county has three incorporated cities, six census-designated places, six unincorporated communities and several ghost towns — no incorporated towns and no civil townships (Texas counties do not use the township system). The county sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Burleson County
Burleson County has three incorporated cities — Caldwell, Snook and Somerville — plus six census-designated places (CDPs) and a scatter of unincorporated communities and near-vanished settlements first platted in the German and Czech farm-colony era of the late 1800s. CDP populations are not separately tabulated by the Census Bureau for this county.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell | City · seat | 3,993 | 77836 |
| Somerville | City | 1,312 | 77879 |
| Snook | City | 506 | 77878 |
| Beaver Creek | CDP | — | — |
| Cade Lakes | CDP | — | — |
| Clay | CDP | — | — |
| Deanville | CDP | — | 77852 |
| Lyons | CDP | — | 77863 |
| Tunis | CDP | — | — |
| Chriesman | Unincorp. | — | 77838 |
| Cooks Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Frenstat | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hix | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rita | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilcox | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Big Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center Line | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Davidson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harmony | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hogg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parker | Unincorp. | — | — |
| San Antonio Prairie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Birch | Unincorp. (historic) | — | — |
| Chances Store | Unincorp. (historic) | — | — |
| Goodwill | Unincorp. (historic) | — | — |
| Merle | Unincorp. (historic) | — | — |
| Scofield | Unincorp. (historic) | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 77836 — Caldwell (also serves Big Creek, Center Line, San Antonio Prairie and the county’s ghost towns)
- 77879 — Somerville
- 77878 — Snook
- 77863 — Lyons (also serves Cade Lakes)
- 77852 — Deanville
- 77838 — Chriesman
The remaining small communities — Cooks Point, Frenstat, Hix, Rita, Wilcox, Beaver Creek, Clay, Tunis, Davidson, Gus, Harmony, Hogg and Parker — share a mailing ZIP with the nearest post office town above rather than carrying their own code.
Geography
Burleson County lies in the post oak savannah of east-central Texas, a rolling landscape of sandy loam pasture, pine and hardwood woodlots, and cropland along the Brazos and Yegua Creek bottoms. The Brazos River forms part of the county’s northwestern edge, and Somerville Lake, impounded on Yegua Creek, sits in the county’s north. About 18 square miles of the county’s total area is water.
Burleson County borders Robertson County to the north, Brazos County to the northeast, Washington County to the southeast, Lee County to the southwest, and Milam County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 17,642 residents in Burleson County, a population that is nearly entirely rural — there is no urban-defined area within the county. Caldwell, the seat, is by far the largest community; Somerville is second. Median household income in the county runs below the Texas median of $75,780, consistent with the county’s agricultural and rural-commuter economic base. Population density is roughly 27 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Cattle ranching, hay and row-crop farming remain the backbone of the county’s economy, alongside oil and gas production from wells scattered across the county. Caldwell serves as the county’s retail and government center, and many residents commute to jobs in Bryan-College Station, the region’s major employment hub to the northeast. Somerville Lake and the surrounding Somerville Lake State Park draw fishing, boating and camping visitors, supporting a small seasonal tourism trade. The Burleson County Fair, held annually in Caldwell, is the county’s largest community event.
History
Burleson County was organized in 1846, carved from Milam County territory in the early years of Texas statehood, and named for Edward Burleson, a general and statesman of the Texas Revolution who later served as vice president of the Republic of Texas. The county’s rural communities were shaped by waves of Czech and German immigrant farmers in the late 19th century, whose churches and halls still anchor towns such as Snook and Frenstat. Somerville, on the county’s western edge, grew around the Southern Pacific Railroad and later expanded after the construction of Somerville Lake in the 1960s for flood control on Yegua Creek.
Getting There
State Highway 21 crosses the county through Caldwell on a historic east-west route once part of the Old San Antonio Road, and State Highway 36 runs north-south through Somerville. Loop 83 circles Caldwell itself.
- Bryan-College Station — 20 miles northeast
- Brenham — 25 miles southeast
- Cameron — 30 miles northwest
- Giddings — 25 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Easterwood Airport in College Station, serving the Texas A&M area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Burleson County, Texas?
It is in east-central Texas, part of the College Station–Bryan metropolitan area, between the Brazos and Yegua Creek valleys.
What is the population of Burleson County?
17,642 residents, per the 2020 census.
How big is Burleson County?
677 square miles (1,750 km2), of which about 18 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Burleson County?
Caldwell is the county seat.
How many towns are in Burleson County?
Three incorporated cities (Caldwell, Snook, Somerville), six census-designated places and a number of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Burleson County?
77836 (Caldwell), 77879 (Somerville), 77878 (Snook), 77863 (Lyons), 77852 (Deanville) and 77838 (Chriesman).
Who is Burleson County named for?
Edward Burleson, a Texas Revolution general and later vice president of the Republic of Texas.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.