Caldwell is a county in Texas, United States, part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area. It had a population of 45,883 at the 2020 census and covers 546 square miles (1,415 km2) centred near 29°50′N 97°38′W.
Lockhart is the county seat and its postal code is 78644. The county has seven incorporated cities (several shared with neighboring counties) and about twenty unincorporated communities; Texas has no civil townships. Caldwell County is in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Caldwell County
Caldwell County has seven incorporated cities and around twenty unincorporated communities. Several of the cities are split across county lines — San Marcos, Niederwald and Uhland lie mostly in Hays County, and Mustang Ridge lies mostly in Travis and Bastrop counties — but each has some territory inside Caldwell. Type key: City = incorporated city; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lockhart | City · seat | — | 78644 |
| Luling | City | — | 78648 |
| Martindale | City | — | 78655 |
| San Marcos | City | — | 78666 |
| Mustang Ridge | City | — | — |
| Niederwald | City | — | — |
| Uhland | City | — | — |
| Brownsboro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dale | Unincorp. | — | 78616 |
| Delhi | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elm Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fentress | Unincorp. | — | 78622 |
| Joliet | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lytton Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maxwell | Unincorp. | — | 78656 |
| McMahan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McNeil | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mendoza | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pettytown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Prairie Lea | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reedville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saint Johns Colony | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Seawillow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Soda Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stairtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Taylorsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tilmon | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 78644 — Lockhart
- 78648 — Luling
- 78655 — Martindale
- 78666 — San Marcos (mostly Hays County)
- 78622 — Fentress
- 78616 — Dale
- 78656 — Maxwell
Most small unincorporated communities share a ZIP code with the nearest post-office town rather than having one of their own.
Geography
Caldwell County sits in the Blackland Prairie and post-oak transition zone of south-central Texas, drained by the San Marcos and Plum Creek watersheds. Its terrain is gently rolling, with the historic Plum Creek — site of the 1840 Battle of Plum Creek — running through the county past Lockhart. The county borders Bastrop County to the north, Travis County to the northeast, Fayette County to the east, Guadalupe County to the south, Gonzales County to the southwest, and Hays County to the west.
Demographics
Caldwell County had a population of 45,883 at the 2020 census. Lockhart and Luling are its two largest communities. The county’s median household income runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting its mostly rural, small-town economy outside the Austin commute corridor. Population density works out to roughly 84 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, oil and gas, and Austin-area commuting all shape the county’s economy. Luling grew around the 1922 discovery of the Luling Oilfield by wildcatter Edgar B. Davis and still hosts working pumpjacks around town, alongside cattle ranching and cotton farming on the surrounding blackland prairie. Lockhart is widely known in Texas as a barbecue destination, home to several long-running smokehouses that draw visitors from across the state and have earned the town the informal title “Barbecue Capital of Texas.” Luling’s annual Watermelon Thump, held every June since 1953, is the county’s best-known local festival, drawing crowds for a parade, a seed-spitting contest, and a watermelon auction.
History
Caldwell County was organized on March 6, 1848, from parts of Bastrop and Gonzales counties, and named for Mathew Caldwell, a Texas Ranger captain who fought in the 1840 Battle of Plum Creek against a Comanche raiding party and who had earlier signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. Lockhart was named county seat at organization and remains so today. The 1922 discovery of oil at Luling brought a short-lived boom that reshaped the county’s southern half.
Getting There
US Highway 183 and State Highway 130 cross the county north-south, with US 90 running through Luling in the south. Nearby reference points:
- Austin — 35 miles north
- San Marcos — 15 miles west
- Bastrop — 25 miles northeast
- San Antonio — 55 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Caldwell County, Texas?
It is in south-central Texas, part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area, between Austin and San Antonio.
What is the population of Caldwell County?
45,883 at the 2020 census.
How big is Caldwell County?
546 square miles (1,415 km2).
What is the county seat of Caldwell County?
Lockhart is the county seat.
How many towns are in Caldwell County?
Seven incorporated cities and roughly twenty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Caldwell County?
Main ZIP codes include 78644 (Lockhart), 78648 (Luling), 78655 (Martindale), and 78666 (San Marcos, shared with Hays County).
What is Caldwell County known for?
Lockhart’s barbecue restaurants and Luling’s Watermelon Thump festival and historic oilfield.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.