Brazos County, Texas

Brazos County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Brazos River in the Bryan–College Station area. It had a population of 233,849 at the 2020 census and covers 591 square miles (1,530 km2) centred near 30°40′N 96°22′W.

Bryan is the county seat, and its postal code is 77801. The county has two cities, one town, one census-designated place and a number of unincorporated communities, and observes Central Time. Brazos County anchors the Bryan–College Station metropolitan area, which also draws in parts of Burleson and Robertson counties.

Towns & Villages in Brazos County

Brazos County has two incorporated cities, one incorporated town and a scatter of unincorporated communities and former settlements. “CDP” marks a census-designated place with no city government; “Unincorp.” marks a community with no municipal boundary.

Bryan and College Station form one urbanized core split by a shared municipal boundary and Texas A&M University’s campus. Most of the remaining names on the list — Boonville, Cottonwood, Dallam, Dinkins, Enright, Macey, Moore, Reliance, Sims, Stone City, Union and Varisco — are historic rural post-office or rail-siding communities that have since faded to little more than a place name on the county map; a few, like Wellborn and Millican, still function as small unincorporated hubs with active ZIP codes.

ZIP Codes

• 77801, 77802, 77803, 77807, 77808 — Bryan
• 77840, 77841, 77842, 77843, 77845 — College Station (also serves Wellborn-area subdivisions on the south side)
• 77862 — Kurten
• 77866 — Millican
• 77881 — Wellborn

Wixon Valley shares Bryan’s 77801 ZIP, and Lake Bryan is served out of the 77808 Bryan post office; most other small communities on the list have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the nearest Bryan or College Station post office.

Geography

Brazos County sits in the Post Oak Savannah of southeast-central Texas, on gently rolling terrain between the Brazos and Navasota rivers. The Brazos River forms the county’s western boundary, giving the county its name, and Lake Bryan on Peach Creek is the largest local reservoir. Of the county’s 591 square miles, 585 square miles are land and 5.8 square miles (1.0%) are water.

Brazos County borders Robertson County to the northwest, Leon County to the north, Madison County to the northeast, Grimes County to the east, Washington County to the south and Burleson County to the southwest.

Demographics

Brazos County had 233,849 residents at the 2020 census, making it one of the more populous counties in the Bryan–College Station area. Its two largest communities are College Station (120,511) and Bryan (83,980), which together hold the great majority of the county’s population; the rest lives across Kurten, Wixon Valley, Lake Bryan and the surrounding unincorporated communities. County median household income runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the large student population at Texas A&M University, which depresses per-household income figures in college towns. Population density works out to roughly 400 people per square mile of land.

Economy & Local Life

Texas A&M University, headquartered in College Station, is the county’s dominant employer and economic anchor, drawing tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff and supporting a large secondary economy of housing, retail and healthcare. Bryan’s economy adds manufacturing, healthcare (Baylor Scott & White and CHI St. Joseph facilities) and county government. Agriculture persists in the rural townships outside the twin cities, with cattle ranching and row crops on the Post Oak Savannah soils. Texas A&M home football games each fall bring the largest annual crowds to the county.

History

Brazos County was formed from Washington County in 1841 and organized in 1843, taking its name from the Brazos River that forms its western border — the same namesake as neighboring Brazoria County downstream. In the 1870s the county donated 2,416 acres of land to help secure the site of the new Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now Texas A&M University, a decision that reshaped the county’s economy from agriculture toward education and reoriented growth around what became Bryan and College Station.

Getting There

US Highway 190 and Texas Highways 6, 21, 30, 40, 47 and 308 cross the county, along with the historic Old San Antonio Road (OSR).

• Houston — 95 miles southeast
• Austin — 100 miles southwest
• Waco — 90 miles north
• Huntsville — 45 miles east

Easterwood Airport in College Station offers regional commercial flights; Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports are the nearest major hubs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Brazos County?
It is in southeast-central Texas, on the Brazos River between Houston and Waco, anchored by the twin cities of Bryan and College Station.

What is the population of Brazos County?
233,849 at the 2020 census.

How big is Brazos County?
591 square miles (1,530 km2), of which 585 square miles is land.

What is the county seat of Brazos County?
Bryan is the county seat.

How many towns and cities are in Brazos County?
Two cities (Bryan and College Station), one town (Kurten), one census-designated place (Lake Bryan) and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Brazos County?
Mainly the 778xx series: 77801–77803 and 77807–77808 for Bryan, 77840–77845 for College Station, plus 77862 (Kurten), 77866 (Millican) and 77881 (Wellborn).

Why is it called Brazos County?
It is named for the Brazos River, which forms the county’s western boundary — the same river that gives neighboring Brazoria County its name farther downstream.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.