Walker County is a county in Texas, United States, home to Sam Houston State University and the headquarters of the entire Texas prison system. It had a population of 76,400 at the 2020 census and covers 802 square miles (2,080 km2) centred near 30°44′N 95°34′W.
Huntsville is the county seat, and its postal code is 77340. The county holds three cities — Huntsville, New Waverly and Riverside — plus a scatter of unincorporated rural communities. Walker County sits in the Central time zone and anchors the Huntsville micropolitan statistical area, part of the wider Greater Houston region.
Towns & Villages in Walker County
Walker County has three incorporated cities and roughly two dozen named unincorporated communities, most dating to the 1800s cotton and timber era. Communities marked Unincorp. have no municipal government and no population figure of their own; where a 2020 census count exists it is shown.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | City · seat | 45,941 | 77320 / 77340–77344 |
| New Waverly | City | — | 77358 |
| Riverside | City | — | 77367 |
| Dodge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crabbs Prairie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Phelps | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kittrell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Galilee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goshen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gospel Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harmony | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hawthorne | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Loma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moore Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mossy Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Morian | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Prairie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wesley Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bath | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arizona | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carolina | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elmina | Unincorp. | — | — |
One name from the old list, “San Jacinto,” was dropped from this table — it duplicates the name of the neighboring county and could not be independently confirmed as a distinct Walker County place; see notes.
ZIP Codes
- 77320 — Huntsville (downtown)
- 77340–77344, 77348–77349 — Huntsville (city and Sam Houston State University)
- 77358 — New Waverly
- 77367 — Riverside
The smaller unincorporated communities share ZIP codes with the nearest city and do not have their own postal designation.
Geography
Walker County covers 802 square miles, of which 784 square miles are land and 17 square miles (2.2 percent) are water, in the Piney Woods of east-central Texas. The terrain is rolling and heavily timbered pine and hardwood forest, drained by the West Fork San Jacinto River and Trinity River tributaries; Lake Conroe’s headwaters touch the county’s southern edge.
Walker County borders Madison County to the north, Houston County to the northeast, Trinity County to the east, San Jacinto County to the southeast, Montgomery County to the south, and Grimes County to the west.
Demographics
Walker County had 76,400 residents at the 2020 census. Huntsville, the seat, is by far the largest community at 45,941; New Waverly and Riverside are both small cities with a few hundred to low thousands of residents each. Median household income in Walker County runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the county’s large institutionalized population (state prison units) and its mix of university-town and rural-timber economies. Population density is roughly 97 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Walker County’s economy centers on two large institutional employers: the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which is headquartered in Huntsville and operates more state prison units here than in any other Texas county, and Sam Houston State University, a public university enrolling around 20,000 students. Huntsville Independent School District and Huntsville Memorial Hospital are also major employers. Outside Huntsville, the county’s rural communities remain tied to cattle ranching and timber, the historic backbone of the local economy.
History
Walker County was created in 1846 and originally named for Robert J. Walker, a U.S. senator from Mississippi who championed the annexation of Texas. After Walker publicly opposed secession, the Texas legislature rededicated the county’s name in 1863 to honor Samuel H. Walker, a Texas Ranger and U.S. Army officer killed in the Mexican–American War. Huntsville, founded around 1836 as a trading post, became the county seat and later home to Sam Houston, first president of the Republic of Texas, whose homestead and burial site are preserved there today. The first Texas state prison opened in Huntsville in 1849, beginning the county’s long association with the state’s correctional system.
Getting There
Interstate 45 runs north–south through the county and through Huntsville, connecting the county to Houston to the south and Dallas to the north. U.S. Highway 190 crosses east–west through Huntsville.
- Houston — about 70 miles south via I-45
- Conroe — about 35 miles south via I-45
- Bryan-College Station — about 45 miles west
- Trinity — about 30 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Walker County, Texas?
It is in east-central Texas, about 70 miles north of Houston, centred near 30°44′N 95°34′W.
What is the population of Walker County?
76,400 at the 2020 census.
How big is Walker County?
802 square miles (2,080 km2), of which 17 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Walker County?
Huntsville is the county seat.
How many towns are in Walker County?
Three incorporated cities — Huntsville, New Waverly and Riverside — plus about two dozen smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Walker County?
Huntsville uses 77320 and 77340–77344/77348–77349; New Waverly is 77358; Riverside is 77367.
Why does Walker County have so many prisons?
Huntsville became home to Texas’s first state prison in 1849 and later the headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which today operates more prison units in Walker County than in any other Texas county.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.