Bell County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Interstate 35 corridor between Austin and Waco. It had a population of 370,647 at the 2020 census and covers 1,088 square miles (2,820 km2), of which 1,051 square miles are land and 37 square miles are water, centred near 31°02′N 97°29′W.
Belton is the county seat, and its postal code is 76513. The county contains ten incorporated cities and towns, several census-designated places, and dozens of unincorporated communities; it has no civil townships. Bell County sits in the Central time zone, and its FIPS county code is 48027.
Towns & Villages in Bell County
Bell County’s population is concentrated in the Killeen–Temple metropolitan area, anchored by Fort Cavazos (the U.S. Army post known as Fort Hood until its 2023 renaming). Ten places are incorporated cities or towns; the rest are census-designated places (CDP) or unincorporated communities without their own municipal government. Two cities — Copperas Cove and Bartlett — straddle the county line, with most of their population in neighboring Coryell and Williamson counties respectively.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belton | City · seat | 23,839 | 76513 |
| Killeen | City | 153,095 | 76541 |
| Temple | City | 82,073 | 76501 |
| Harker Heights | City | 32,102 | 76548 |
| Copperas Cove | City (partial) | 32,032 | 76522 |
| Nolanville | City | — | 76559 |
| Morgan’s Point Resort | City | — | 76513 |
| Troy | City | — | 76579 |
| Little River-Academy | City | — | 76554 |
| Rogers | Town | — | 76569 |
| Holland | Town | — | 76534 |
| Bartlett | Town (partial) | — | 76511 |
| Salado | CDP | — | 76571 |
| Fort Cavazos (Fort Hood) | CDP (partial) | — | 76544 |
| Pendleton | CDP | — | — |
| Academy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Airville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belfalls | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Berger | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brookhaven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chaffee Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Curry Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cyclone | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ding Dong | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Donahoe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Edgeworth | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gober | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Heidenheimer | Unincorp. | — | 76533 |
| Hobbs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Joe Lee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jubilee Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leedale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little River | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lone Star | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maxdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McNair Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Meador Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Meeks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moffat | Unincorp. | — | 76565 |
| Mountain View Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Colony | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ocker | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oenaville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oscar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Owl Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Prairie Dell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ratibor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Ranger | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Seaton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smith | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sparks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stampede | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stringtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Summers Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Union Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Union Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vilas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walker Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westcliff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Hall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Youngsport | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Zabcikville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Copperas Cove is chiefly a Coryell County city with a small slice reaching into western Bell County, and Bartlett is chiefly a Williamson County town with a small slice reaching into southern Bell County — both are listed here for the portion inside Bell County. Little River, an unincorporated crossroads, is separate from the nearby incorporated city of Little River-Academy.
ZIP Codes
- 76513 — Belton (also serves Morgan’s Point Resort)
- 76541 — Killeen (the city uses several additional ZIPs, 76542–76549)
- 76501 — Temple (also 76502–76504 and 76508)
- 76548 — Harker Heights
- 76522 — Copperas Cove
- 76559 — Nolanville
- 76571 — Salado
- 76579 — Troy
- 76554 — Little River-Academy
- 76569 — Rogers
- 76534 — Holland
- 76511 — Bartlett
- 76533 — Heidenheimer
- 76565 — Moffat
- 76544 — Fort Cavazos
Most of the county’s smaller unincorporated communities share a ZIP code with the nearest post office town rather than having their own.
Geography
Bell County straddles the boundary between the Blackland Prairie in the east and the Lampasas Cut Plain, a rougher limestone country on the western edge of the Edwards Plateau. The Leon River and Lampasas River flow south-east across the county and join at Little River, near the town of the same name, to form the Little River proper. Two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs, Belton Lake and Stillhouse Hollow Lake, sit on the Leon and Lampasas rivers respectively and supply much of the county’s water and recreation.
Bell County borders McLennan County to the north, Falls County to the northeast, Milam County to the southeast, Williamson County to the south, Burnet County to the southwest, Lampasas County to the west, and Coryell County to the northwest.
Demographics
Bell County had a population of 370,647 at the 2020 census, making it one of the ten most populous counties in Texas. Killeen and Temple are by far the largest communities, together accounting for well over half the county’s residents. Density works out to roughly 353 people per square mile of land. Median household income in the county runs below the Texas median of $75,780, a pattern typical of counties with a large active-duty military population whose base pay is not fully captured in civilian income statistics.
Economy & Local Life
The county’s economy is dominated by the military, healthcare and education. Fort Cavazos, one of the largest military installations in the world by population, is the county’s single biggest employer and driver of the Killeen–Temple metro economy. Temple is a regional healthcare hub, anchored by Baylor Scott & White Medical Center — Temple and the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, alongside Texas A&M University’s health science programs based in the city. McLane Company, a national grocery and foodservice supply-chain company, is headquartered in Temple. Salado, a small historic town on the county’s western edge, draws visitors for its antique shops, wineries and Christmas Stroll.
History
Bell County was organized in 1850 and named for Peter Hansborough Bell, the third governor of Texas. Belton, laid out the same year, became the county seat. The county’s modern history has been shaped by the U.S. Army post established on its western edge in 1942 as a tank-destroyer training center; it was named Fort Hood after Confederate general John Bell Hood and, in May 2023, was renamed Fort Cavazos in honor of General Richard E. Cavazos, the first Hispanic four-star general in the U.S. Army. The post has been the site of two mass shootings, in 2009 and 2014, that drew national attention.
Getting There
Interstate 35 runs north–south through the eastern half of the county, and Interstate 14 (also signed U.S. 190) crosses it east–west through Killeen, Harker Heights and Belton. U.S. Highway 190 and several state highways, including SH 36, SH 53 and SH 195, connect the smaller towns.
- Waco — about 35 miles north via I-35
- Austin — about 65 miles south via I-35
- Georgetown — about 35 miles south via I-35
- Fort Worth — about 110 miles north via I-35
Killeen–Fort Hood Regional Airport offers limited commercial service; Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, roughly 65 miles south, is the nearest major hub airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bell County, Texas?
It is in Central Texas along the Interstate 35 corridor, roughly midway between Waco and Austin.
What is the population of Bell County?
It had a population of 370,647 at the 2020 census.
How big is Bell County?
It covers 1,088 square miles (2,820 km2), of which 1,051 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Bell County?
Belton is the county seat.
How many towns are in Bell County?
Ten incorporated cities and towns, several census-designated places, and dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Bell County?
Major ZIP codes include 76513 (Belton), 76541 (Killeen), 76501 (Temple), 76548 (Harker Heights) and 76571 (Salado), among others listed above.
What is Fort Cavazos?
It is the U.S. Army installation on the county’s western edge, known as Fort Hood until its 2023 renaming, and the county’s largest employer.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.