DeWitt County is a county in Texas, United States, on the coastal plain roughly midway between San Antonio and the Gulf of Mexico. It had a population of 19,824 at the 2020 census and covers 909 square miles (2,350 km2) of land centred near 29°05′N 97°22′W.
Cuero is the county seat, and its postal code is 77954. The county has four incorporated cities and roughly two dozen more unincorporated communities and rural crossroads. DeWitt County has no civil townships. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in DeWitt County
DeWitt County has four incorporated cities — Cuero, Yoakum, Yorktown, and Nordheim — plus a long list of unincorporated communities scattered across its farm and ranch country. Yoakum straddles the DeWitt–Lavaca county line; only its DeWitt County population is not separately reported here. “Unincorp.” marks places with no city government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuero | City · seat | 6,841 | 77954 |
| Yoakum | City | 5,655 | 77995 |
| Yorktown | City | 2,090 | 78164 |
| Nordheim | City | 284 | 78141 |
| Meyersville | Unincorp. | — | 78119 |
| Upper Meyersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westhoff | Unincorp. | — | 77994 |
| Thomaston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hochheim | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arneckeville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lindenau | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gruenau | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pearl City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Petersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Terryville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Verhelle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Steen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stratton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Edgar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Garfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Golly | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nopal | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Concrete | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cotton Patch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kubala Store | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buchel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Davy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Davy | Unincorp. | — | — |
Old Davy and New Davy are two distinct crossroads a few miles apart, both named for the same early Davy family settlement — not a duplicate listing. Meyersville and Upper Meyersville are likewise separate places on the same stretch of the Guadalupe River bottomland.
ZIP Codes
- 77954 — Cuero
- 77995 — Yoakum (also serves rural DeWitt County addresses west of town)
- 78164 — Yorktown
- 78141 — Nordheim
- 78119 — Meyersville
- 77994 — Westhoff
Smaller unincorporated communities such as Hochheim, Thomaston, and Arneckeville do not carry their own ZIP code; mail there is addressed through the nearest post office town above.
Geography
DeWitt County lies on the Gulf Coastal Plain, a country of gently rolling farmland, live-oak mottes, and ranch pasture drained by the Guadalupe River, which crosses the county’s eastern side, and its tributary the Coleto Creek. Sandy loam soils support cattle ranching, row-crop farming, and, since the 2010s, oil and gas production tied to the Eagle Ford Shale.
DeWitt County borders Gonzales County to the northwest, Lavaca County to the northeast, Victoria County to the southeast, Goliad County to the south, and Karnes County to the southwest.
Demographics
DeWitt County had a population of 19,824 at the 2020 census, a density of about 22 people per square mile. Cuero and Yoakum are its two largest communities, together accounting for roughly two-thirds of the county’s residents. Median household income in the county runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting its largely agricultural and energy-sector economy rather than an urban wage base.
Economy & Local Life
Cuero is nationally known as the self-proclaimed “Turkey Capital of the World,” home to the Cuero Turkeyfest, an annual festival built around the town’s turkey-raising history that has run since 1912. Cattle ranching, row-crop farming, and oilfield services tied to the Eagle Ford Shale are the county’s other major employers, along with DeWitt Regional Hospital in Cuero and the Cuero, Yoakum, and Yorktown independent school districts.
History
DeWitt County was organized in 1846, four years before Texas admitted several of its neighboring counties, and takes its name from Green DeWitt, an empresario who led one of the earliest Anglo-American colonies in Mexican Texas beginning in 1825. In the 1870s the county was the center of the Sutton–Taylor feud, a decade-long cycle of killings between rival factions that claimed roughly 35 lives and remains one of the longest-running feuds in Texas history.
Getting There
U.S. Route 87 and U.S. Route 77 Alternate/183 cross the county through Cuero and Yoakum, with State Highways 72 and 119 connecting the smaller towns.
- Victoria — 30 miles southeast
- Gonzales — 25 miles northwest
- San Antonio — 85 miles west
- Corpus Christi — 90 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Victoria Regional Airport, about 30 miles southeast of Cuero.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is DeWitt County, Texas?
It is in the coastal plain of south-central Texas, roughly midway between San Antonio and the Gulf of Mexico.
What is the population of DeWitt County?
19,824 at the 2020 census.
How big is DeWitt County?
909 square miles (2,350 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of DeWitt County?
Cuero is the county seat.
How many towns are in DeWitt County?
Four incorporated cities — Cuero, Yoakum, Yorktown, and Nordheim — plus about two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in DeWitt County?
Cuero (77954), Yoakum (77995), Yorktown (78164), Nordheim (78141), Meyersville (78119), and Westhoff (77994) are the county’s main ZIP codes.
Why is Cuero called the Turkey Capital of the World?
Cuero was historically a major turkey-raising and shipping center; the town has celebrated that history with the annual Turkeyfest since 1912.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.