Bastrop County is a county in Texas, United States, part of the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area east of the state capital. It had a population of 97,216 at the 2020 census and covers 896 square miles (2,320 km2) of Lost Pines woodland and Colorado River bottomland, centred near 30°06′N 97°19′W.
Bastrop is the county seat, and its postal code is 78602. The county has four incorporated cities, seven census-designated places, and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Bastrop County
Bastrop County’s places range from the historic riverside seat to small Lost Pines crossroads settled by German and Czech farm families in the 1800s. Four places are incorporated cities; seven are Census Bureau-designated CDPs with no city government; the rest are unincorporated communities and subdivisions.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bastrop | City · seat | 9,688 | 78602 |
| Elgin | City | 10,231 | 78621 |
| Smithville | City | 4,281 | 78957 |
| Mustang Ridge | City | — | 78747 |
| Camp Swift | CDP | — | 78602 |
| Cedar Creek | CDP | — | 78612 |
| McDade | CDP | — | 78650 |
| Paige | CDP | — | 78659 |
| Red Rock | CDP | — | 78662 |
| Rosanky | CDP | — | 78953 |
| Wyldwood | CDP | — | 78602 |
| Alum Creek | Unincorp. | — | 78602 |
| Bateman | Unincorp. | — | 78957 |
| Butler | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Circle D Estates | Unincorp. | — | 78602 |
| Circle D-KC Estates | Unincorp. | — | 78602 |
| Clearview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Colorado | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elysium | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flower Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grassyville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hills Prairie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jeddo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jordan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| KC Estates | Unincorp. | — | 78602 |
| Kovar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Phelan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pin Oak | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rockne | Unincorp. | — | 78957 |
| Salem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sayersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| String Prairie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Swiftex | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Togo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Upton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Utley | Unincorp. | — | 78621 |
| Watterson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willman | Unincorp. | — | — |
Elgin straddles the Bastrop–Travis county line, with most of its footprint in Bastrop County. The old list’s duplicate “Rosanky” entry has been consolidated to one row.
ZIP Codes
- 78602 — Bastrop (also serves Camp Swift, Wyldwood, Alum Creek, Circle D Estates, KC Estates)
- 78621 — Elgin (also serves Utley)
- 78957 — Smithville (also serves Rockne, Bateman)
- 78612 — Cedar Creek
- 78650 — McDade
- 78659 — Paige
- 78662 — Red Rock
- 78953 — Rosanky
- 78747 — Mustang Ridge (Austin ZIP, shared across the Travis–Bastrop line)
Most of the small crossroads communities listed above have no post office of their own and are served by the nearest town’s ZIP code.
Geography
Bastrop County straddles the Colorado River, which cuts diagonally across the county from northwest to southeast. The eastern half sits in the Lost Pines, an isolated stand of loblolly pine forest far from East Texas’s main pine belt, protected in Bastrop State Park and Buescher State Park. The western half flattens into blackland prairie near the Travis County line. The county is bordered by Williamson County to the north and northwest, Lee County to the northeast, Fayette County to the southeast, Caldwell County to the southwest, and Travis County to the west.
Demographics
Bastrop County’s population was 97,216 at the 2020 census, up sharply from the previous decade as Austin’s growth pushed east along US 290 and SH 71. Elgin and Bastrop are the county’s two largest communities. Median household income in the county runs close to the Texas median of $75,780, with newer subdivisions near the Travis County line pulling the average up and the rural east running below it. Population density is roughly 109 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Bastrop County’s economy has shifted from agriculture and timber toward Austin-commuter housing, light manufacturing, and tourism built around the Lost Pines forest. Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas sits just across the Travis County line near Del Valle and draws workers from eastern Bastrop and Elgin. Smithville is home to the MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Science Park research campus. Elgin is known regionally for smoked sausage, home to several longstanding meat markets. The county fairgrounds host the Bastrop County Fair each September.
History
The county was created in 1836 under Mexican-era boundaries as Mina Municipality and organized as Bastrop County by the Republic of Texas on December 18, 1837, renamed to honor Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, a colonization agent who helped Stephen F. Austin secure Mexican land grants for Anglo-American settlers. German and Czech immigrants settled the county’s prairies from the 1850s onward, founding communities such as Rockne and Utley. Wildfires have shaped the county’s recent history: the September 2011 Bastrop County Complex fire burned roughly 34,000 acres and destroyed over 1,600 homes, the most destructive wildfire in Texas history at the time.
Getting There
US Highway 290 runs east–west through Elgin and connects the county to Austin and Houston; State Highway 71 and State Highway 21 serve Bastrop and Smithville. Approximate distances:
- Austin — 30 miles west
- San Marcos — 35 miles southwest
- La Grange — 25 miles southeast
- Georgetown — 45 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, about 25 miles west of Bastrop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bastrop County?
It is in Central Texas, immediately east of Austin, part of the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area.
What is the population of Bastrop County?
97,216 at the 2020 census.
How big is Bastrop County?
896 square miles (2,320 km2), of which about 7.4 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Bastrop County?
Bastrop is the county seat.
How many towns are in Bastrop County?
Four incorporated cities (Bastrop, Elgin, Smithville, Mustang Ridge), seven CDPs, and about two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Bastrop County?
Main ZIPs include 78602 (Bastrop), 78621 (Elgin), 78957 (Smithville), 78612 (Cedar Creek), 78650 (McDade), 78659 (Paige), 78662 (Red Rock), and 78953 (Rosanky).
What forest is Bastrop County known for?
The Lost Pines, an isolated loblolly pine forest separated from East Texas’s main pine belt, centred on Bastrop State Park.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.