McLennan County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Edwards Plateau in the central part of the state, anchored by the Waco metropolitan area. It had a population of 260,579 at the 2020 census and covers 1,037 square miles (2,690 km2) of land plus 23 square miles (60 km2) of water, centred near 31°33′N 97°12′W.
Waco is the county seat, and its postal code is 76701. The county contains 16 fully or mostly incorporated cities, five more cities that spill across a county line, two census-designated places and several unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone and uses FIPS code 48309.
Towns & Villages in McLennan County
McLennan County’s settlement pattern runs from the state’s tenth-largest city, Waco, out to small farm towns along the Bosque and Brazos river bottoms. The table below lists incorporated cities (including five that share a name and boundary with a neighbouring county), the two CDPs and the unincorporated communities recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau. “CDP” = census-designated place (unincorporated but statistically tracked); “Unincorp.” = unincorporated community with no CDP boundary.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waco | City · seat | 138,486 | 76701–76798 |
| Bellmead | City | — | 76705 |
| Hewitt | City | — | 76643 |
| Robinson | City | — | 76706 |
| Woodway | City | — | 76712 |
| Lacy Lakeview | City | — | 76705 |
| Lorena | City | — | 76655 |
| West | City | — | 76691 |
| Riesel | City | — | 76682 |
| Moody | City | — | 76557 |
| Beverly Hills | City | — | 76711 |
| Crawford | City | — | 76638 |
| Leroy | City | — | — |
| Ross | City | — | — |
| Hallsburg | City | — | — |
| Gholson | City | — | — |
| Bruceville-Eddy | City (partly Falls Co.) | — | 76630 |
| Mart | City (partly Limestone Co.) | — | 76664 |
| McGregor | City (partly Coryell Co.) | — | 76657 |
| Golinda | City (mostly Falls Co.) | — | — |
| Valley Mills | City (mostly Bosque Co.) | — | 76689 |
| China Spring | CDP | — | 76633 |
| Willow Grove | CDP | — | — |
| Axtell | Unincorp. | — | 76624 |
| Elm Mott | Unincorp. | — | 76640 |
| Speegleville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ocee | Unincorp. | — | — |
Five of the cities above straddle a county line and are only partly (or mostly) inside McLennan County: Bruceville-Eddy and Golinda reach into Falls County, Mart into Limestone County, McGregor into Coryell County, and Valley Mills into Bosque County. Texas has no civil townships, so places here are tracked only as cities, CDPs, or unincorporated communities.
ZIP Codes
- 76701–76798 — Waco (the city’s own multi-ZIP block; not every number in that range is assigned)
- 76705 — Bellmead and Lacy Lakeview
- 76643 — Hewitt
- 76706 — Robinson
- 76712 — Woodway
- 76655 — Lorena
- 76691 — West
- 76682 — Riesel
- 76557 — Moody
- 76711 — Beverly Hills
- 76638 — Crawford
- 76630 — Bruceville-Eddy
- 76664 — Mart
- 76657 — McGregor
- 76689 — Valley Mills
- 76633 — China Spring
- 76624 — Axtell
- 76640 — Elm Mott
Smaller places such as Leroy, Ross, Hallsburg, Gholson, Golinda, Willow Grove, Speegleville and Ocee share a ZIP code with a neighbouring post office town and have no dedicated code of their own.
Geography
McLennan County sits on the Edwards Plateau escarpment where it meets the Blackland Prairie, giving the county both rolling limestone hill country in the west and flat farmland in the east. The Brazos and Bosque rivers meet at Waco, and Lake Waco, formed by a dam on the Bosque, supplies the area’s drinking water and recreation. The county borders six others: Hill County (Hill County, Texas) to the north, Limestone County (Limestone County) to the northeast, Falls County (Falls County) to the southeast, Bell County (Bell County, Texas) to the south, Coryell County (Coryell County) to the southwest, and Bosque County (Bosque County) to the west.
Demographics
McLennan County’s 2020 census population was 260,579, giving it a density of about 251 people per square mile. Waco, with 138,486 residents, is by far the largest city and holds well over half the county’s population; Hewitt and Robinson are the next-largest municipalities. Median household income in the county runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting Waco’s mix of university, government and lower-wage service employment alongside its wealthier suburbs.
Economy & Local Life
Waco’s economy centers on Baylor University, health care (Baylor Scott & White and Ascension Providence hospitals), and a growing tourism trade built around the HGTV-fueled Magnolia Market at the Silos. Manufacturing and distribution cluster along the I-35 corridor through Bellmead, Hewitt and Robinson, while the rural western and northern townships remain cattle and hay country. The Extraco Events Center hosts the Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo each autumn, one of the region’s largest annual events.
History
McLennan County was created from Milam County in 1850 and named for Neil McLennan, an early Scottish settler in the area. Waco grew around a Waco Indian village and later a Brazos River crossing on the Chisholm Trail; the county’s most unusual historical event was the 1896 “Crash at Crush,” a staged head-on collision of two locomotives near West staged as a publicity stunt, watched by more than 40,000 spectators and later commemorated in a Scott Joplin rag.
Getting There
Interstate 35 runs north–south through the county via Waco, and U.S. Routes 77 and 84 also cross it, along with several state highways.
- Waco — the county seat itself
- Temple — about 35 miles south via I-35
- Hillsboro — about 30 miles north via I-35
- Killeen — about 55 miles southwest
Waco Regional Airport offers commercial flights; Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, roughly 90 miles north, is the nearest major hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is McLennan County?
It is in Central Texas, on the Edwards Plateau, anchored by the city of Waco along the I-35 corridor between Dallas–Fort Worth and Austin.
What is the population of McLennan County?
260,579 residents as of the 2020 census.
How big is McLennan County?
1,037 square miles (2,690 km2) of land plus 23 square miles (60 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of McLennan County?
Waco is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in McLennan County?
Sixteen incorporated cities lie mostly within the county, plus five more that share a boundary with a neighbouring county, two census-designated places, and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in McLennan County?
Waco uses the 76701–76798 block; surrounding cities each have their own code, such as 76705 (Bellmead), 76643 (Hewitt) and 76706 (Robinson).
What is McLennan County named after?
Neil McLennan, a Scottish settler in the area when the county was formed in 1850.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.