Jim Wells County is a county in Texas, United States, on the South Texas Plain between Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley. It had a population of 38,891 at the 2020 census and covers 865 square miles (2,240 km2) centred near 27°44′N 98°05′W.
Alice is the county seat, and its postal code is 78332. The county has three incorporated cities and towns plus roughly two dozen named unincorporated communities and around 90 small residential subdivisions known locally as colonias. It lies in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Jim Wells County
Jim Wells County has three incorporated places — Alice (the seat), Orange Grove, and Premont — and a wide scatter of unincorporated communities and colonias across its ranch country. The table below lists the incorporated cities and the county’s named unincorporated communities; entries marked “Unincorp.” have no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice | City · seat | 17,891 | 78332 |
| Premont | City | 2,455 | 78375 |
| Orange Grove | Town | 1,165 | 78372 |
| Ben Bolt | Unincorp. | — | 78342 |
| Sandia | Unincorp. | — | 78383 |
| Alfred | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Casa Blanca | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coyote Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| El Carro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ella | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Knolle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| La Gloria | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Muil | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Palito Blanco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pernitas Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rancho Alegre | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rancho de la Parita | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Seeligson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| South La Paloma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Springfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Torian | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
San Diego, the seat of neighboring Duval County, straddles the Jim Wells–Duval line; almost all of its population and its own ZIP code (78384) fall in Duval, so it is not counted as a Jim Wells place here. The county’s roughly 90 colonias — small unplatted or under-served residential subdivisions such as Agua Dulce Ranch, Owl Ranch, Westdale Estates, and Holshouser — cluster mainly around Alice and Orange Grove; they are not individually listed, as reliable population and ZIP figures are not published for them.
ZIP Codes
- 78332 — Alice (also serves most of the county)
- 78333 — Alice (P.O. box ZIP)
- 78375 — Premont
- 78372 — Orange Grove
- 78383 — Sandia
- 78342 — Ben Bolt
Smaller unincorporated communities without their own post office generally use the ZIP code of the nearest listed town.
Geography
Jim Wells County sits on the flat to gently rolling South Texas Plain, its brush country given over to ranching, cotton, and grain sorghum, with oil and gas fields worked across much of the county. The San Diego Creek and Los Olmos Creek drain the county toward Baffin Bay and the Gulf, and Lake Alice on the edge of the county seat is the largest local water body.
Jim Wells County borders Live Oak County to the north, San Patricio County to the northeast, Nueces County to the east, Kleberg County to the southeast, Brooks County to the south, and Duval County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 38,891 residents, with Alice (17,891) and Premont (2,455) the two largest communities. Median household income in Jim Wells County runs well below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the county’s ranching and oilfield-service economy. Population density is about 45 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Oil and gas production, agriculture, and services built around Alice as a regional trade hub anchor the county’s economy. Alice ISD and Premont ISD run the county’s public schools, and Coastal Bend College maintains an Alice campus. The county hosts the annual South Texas rodeo and stock show circuit centred on Alice, long known as the “Hub of South Texas” and the boyhood home of singer Johnny Rodriguez.
History
Jim Wells County was organized in 1911 out of parts of Nueces County, and named for James Babbage Wells Jr., a South Texas judge and Democratic Party leader who dominated regional politics for three decades before his death in 1923. The county is best known nationally for the 1948 “Box 13” ballot-box controversy in Alice, in which 202 late-added votes in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary tipped the result to Lyndon B. Johnson over Coke Stevenson.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 281 and Texas Highway 44 cross at Alice, with Interstate 69C under construction along the 281 corridor; State Highways 141 and 359 and several farm-to-market roads serve the rest of the county.
- Corpus Christi — 44 miles east
- Kingsville — 30 miles southeast
- San Diego (Duval County) — 12 miles west
- Robstown — 30 miles east
Corpus Christi International Airport, about 40 miles east, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jim Wells County, Texas?
It is in South Texas, between Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley, centred near 27°44′N 98°05′W.
What is the population of Jim Wells County?
38,891 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Jim Wells County?
865 square miles (2,240 km2) of land, plus 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of Jim Wells County?
Alice is the county seat.
How many towns are in Jim Wells County?
Three incorporated places — Alice, Premont, and Orange Grove — plus about two dozen named unincorporated communities and roughly 90 colonias.
What ZIP codes are in Jim Wells County?
78332 and 78333 (Alice), 78375 (Premont), 78372 (Orange Grove), 78383 (Sandia), and 78342 (Ben Bolt).
Why is Jim Wells County important in Texas political history?
It is the site of the 1948 “Box 13” ballot-box scandal that decided a U.S. Senate primary in Lyndon B. Johnson’s favor.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.