Washington County is a county in Texas, United States, about 70 miles northwest of Houston and 90 miles east of Austin. It had a population of 35,805 at the 2020 census, an estimated 38,288 by 2025, and covers 622 square miles (1,610 km2) centred near 30°13′N 96°25′W.
Brenham is the county seat and largest city; its postal code is 77833. The county holds 2 incorporated cities and roughly 16 unincorporated communities, and it runs on Central Time. Texas has no civil townships, so places here are grouped only as incorporated or unincorporated.
Towns & Villages in Washington County
Washington County has 18 named places on record: 2 incorporated cities and 16 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. Unincorp. covers crossroads, former townsites and rural communities with no formal boundary; several exist today only as a church, cemetery or a handful of houses.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brenham | City · seat | 17,369 | 77833 |
| Burton | City | 297 | 77835 |
| Chappell Hill | Unincorp. | — | 77426 |
| Independence | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Washington | Unincorp. | — | 77880 |
| Gay Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenvine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Latium | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Longpoint | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mill Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Phillipsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Prairie Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Quarry | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandy Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Berlin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wesley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whitman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wiedeville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Washington, the community, is not the county seat — that is Brenham, roughly 15 miles to the northwest. Washington is the historic site usually written as Washington-on-the-Brazos, and the two names refer to the same place; the state park there uses the hyphenated form.
ZIP Codes
- 77833 — Brenham (also serves 77834, a Brenham PO box ZIP)
- 77835 — Burton
- 77426 — Chappell Hill
- 77880 — Washington
Independence, Gay Hill, Greenvine, Latium, Longpoint, Mill Creek, Phillipsburg, Prairie Hill, Quarry, Sandy Hill, Berlin, Wesley, Whitman and Wiedeville have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered under Brenham’s or Burton’s code depending on which is closer.
Geography
Washington County sits in east-central Texas, in the rolling post-oak and blackland-prairie country between the Brazos and Navasota rivers. Of its 622 square miles, 604 are land and 18 are water, about 2.9 percent — the Brazos River forms the county’s western border and Lake Somerville lies just outside its southwest corner. Mill Creek and New Year Creek both cross the county before reaching the Brazos.
Brazos County lies to the north, Grimes County to the northeast, Waller County to the east, Austin County to the south, Fayette County to the southwest, Lee County to the west, and Burleson County to the northwest. Brazos County, Grimes County, Waller County, Austin County, Fayette County, Lee County and Burleson County all border Washington County directly.
Demographics
Washington County had a population of 35,805 at the 2020 census, and a 2024 estimate puts the county near 36,647 residents. Brenham and Burton are the only two incorporated places, with Brenham alone holding close to half the county’s population. Median household income runs about $77,825, close to the Texas figure of $75,780 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to roughly 58 people per square mile of land, low for a county this close to Houston and reflecting its mostly rural, agricultural character.
Economy & Local Life
Health care and social assistance employs the most workers in the county, about 2,343 people, followed by educational services at 1,889 and manufacturing at 1,795. Blue Bell Creameries, the ice cream maker, is headquartered and manufactures in Brenham and remains the county’s best-known employer. Valmont Industries runs a metal-pole manufacturing plant in Brenham, and Blinn College, the oldest county-owned junior college in Texas, is based there too. Burton is home to the Texas Cotton Gin Museum at the Burton Farmers Gin, built in 1914 and billed as the oldest working cotton gin in the country; the town hosts the Burton Cotton Gin Festival each spring, running the gin’s original 1925 engine. Brenham’s Maifest, held every May, celebrates the county’s German heritage, and Chappell Hill’s Bluebonnet Festival, designated the official Bluebonnet Festival of Texas by the state legislature in 1997, draws visitors each April.
History
Washington County was established as a municipality of Mexican Texas in 1835 and organized as a county of the Republic of Texas in 1837, named for George Washington. Brenham was founded and named the county seat in 1844. German immigrants arrived in large numbers after the failed 1848 revolutions in the German states, and more than a third of the county’s residents claimed German ancestry in the 2000 census.
The community of Washington, on the Brazos River, was the site of the Convention of 1836, where delegates signed the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico and briefly made the town the capital of the new republic. The site is preserved today as Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Chappell Hill, founded in 1849 and incorporated in 1856, suffered a severe yellow fever epidemic in 1867 that sharply reduced its population; Polish immigrants began resettling the area in the 1870s.
Getting There
US Highway 290 runs through the county via Brenham and Burton, connecting Houston to Austin; State Highways 36 and 105 also cross the county. No interstate reaches Washington County directly.
- Houston — about 70 miles southeast
- Austin — about 90 miles west
- College Station — about 30 miles north
- Bryan — about 35 miles north
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, roughly 90 miles southeast of Brenham near Houston, is the nearest major commercial airport. The BNSF Railway’s Galveston Subdivision runs freight through Brenham with spurs serving major employers, but the county has no Amtrak passenger service; the closest station is in Taylor, about 60 miles northwest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Washington County located?
It sits in east-central Texas, about 70 miles northwest of Houston, bordered by Brazos, Grimes, Waller, Austin, Fayette, Lee and Burleson counties.
What is the population of Washington County?
35,805 at the 2020 census, with a 2024 estimate near 36,647.
How big is Washington County?
622 square miles (1,610 km2), of which 604 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Washington County?
Brenham, founded as the county seat in 1844, is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns and villages are in Washington County?
Two incorporated cities, Brenham and Burton, plus 16 unincorporated communities including Chappell Hill, Independence, Washington, Gay Hill and Greenvine.
What ZIP codes does Washington County use?
77833 and 77834 for Brenham, 77835 for Burton, 77426 for Chappell Hill and 77880 for Washington.
What is Washington County known for?
The signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos in 1836, and as the headquarters of Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.