Bandera County is a county in Texas, United States, in the Hill Country northwest of San Antonio. It had a population of 20,851 at the 2020 census and covers 798 square miles (2,070 km2), of which 791 square miles are land and 6.7 square miles are water, centred near 29°44′N 99°14′W.
Bandera is the county seat and its postal code is 78003. The county has one incorporated city, two census-designated places, and several unincorporated communities, all in the Central time zone (FIPS code 48019). The Texas Legislature has officially designated the county the “Cowboy Capital of the World.”
Towns & Villages in Bandera County
Bandera County has one incorporated city — Bandera itself — plus a handful of census-designated places and unincorporated communities strung along the Medina River and its lakes. CDP = census-designated place, an unincorporated community the Census Bureau tracks separately; Unincorp. = an unincorporated community with no defined census boundary.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandera | City · seat | 857 | 78003 |
| Lakehills | CDP | 5,377 | 78063 |
| Lake Medina Shores | CDP | — | 78055 |
| Pipe Creek | Unincorp. | — | 78063 |
| Medina | Unincorp. | — | 78055 |
| Tarpley | Unincorp. | — | 78883 |
| Vanderpool | Unincorp. | — | 78885 |
| Bandera Falls | Unincorp. | — | 78003 |
| English Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Highland Waters | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake Hills | Unincorp. | — | 78063 |
| Lake Medina Highlands | Unincorp. | — | 78055 |
“Lake Hills” and “Lakehills” refer to the same community on the north shore of Medina Lake; the CDP figure above is listed once under the Census Bureau’s spelling, Lakehills.
ZIP Codes
- 78003 — Bandera (also serves Bandera Falls)
- 78063 — Pipe Creek (also serves Lakehills)
- 78055 — Medina (also serves Lake Medina Shores and Lake Medina Highlands)
- 78883 — Tarpley
- 78885 — Vanderpool
English Crossing and Highland Waters are small subdivisions with no dedicated ZIP code; mail there is delivered under a neighboring town’s code.
Geography
Bandera County sits on the Edwards Plateau in the Texas Hill Country, cut by the Medina River and dotted with spring-fed creeks. Medina Lake, a reservoir on the Medina River, forms much of the county’s eastern shoreline and draws the Lakehills and Lake Medina Shores communities that ring it. Terrain rises from river-bottom cypress groves to limestone hills and cedar brakes in the county’s west.
Bandera County borders Kerr County to the north, Kendall County to the northeast, Bexar County to the southeast, Medina County to the south, Uvalde County to the southwest, and Real County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 20,851 residents. Lakehills, at 5,377 people, is the county’s largest community; the city of Bandera itself, the seat, has 857. Bandera County’s median household income runs below the Texas median of $75,780, typical of a rural Hill Country county with a large retiree and ranching population. Spread across 791 land square miles, the county’s population density is roughly 26 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Ranching and farming occupy roughly 80% of Bandera County’s land, and cattle, goats, and hay remain core to the local economy. Tourism built around the county’s dude ranches, rodeo arenas, and Medina Lake recreation is the other pillar — the city of Bandera markets itself hard on its “Cowboy Capital of the World” designation from the Texas Legislature, with a working rodeo arena and Western-wear shops downtown. Bandera Independent School District serves most of the county.
History
Bandera County was organized in 1856 out of portions of Bexar and Uvalde counties. Its name comes from Bandera Pass, a gap in the hills used by Spanish and Comanche travelers; “bandera” is Spanish for “flag.” The town of Bandera was settled in the mid-1850s by Polish and German immigrants brought in to work a cypress-shingle mill on the Medina River, and the county still holds one of the earliest Polish settlements in Texas.
Getting There
State Highway 16 and Ranch to Market roads 470 and 1283 are the county’s main routes; Highway 16 runs north-south through Bandera and connects to Interstate 10 to the north.
- San Antonio — 45 miles southeast
- Kerrville — 24 miles north
- Boerne — 30 miles east
- Uvalde — 45 miles southwest
San Antonio International Airport, in Bexar County, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bandera County?
It is in the Texas Hill Country, northwest of San Antonio, in south-central Texas.
What is the population of Bandera County?
20,851 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Bandera County?
798 square miles (2,070 km2), of which 791 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Bandera County?
Bandera is the county seat.
How many towns are in Bandera County?
One incorporated city (Bandera), two census-designated places, and several smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Bandera County?
78003 (Bandera), 78063 (Pipe Creek/Lakehills), 78055 (Medina), 78883 (Tarpley), and 78885 (Vanderpool).
Why is Bandera County called the Cowboy Capital of the World?
The Texas Legislature gave the city of Bandera that title for its long ranching and rodeo heritage, which the county still markets to visitors today.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.