Kimble County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Edwards Plateau at the head of the North and South Llano rivers. It had a population of 4,286 people at the 2020 census and covers 1,251 square miles (3,240 km2) of land, centred near 30°29′N 99°45′W.
Junction is the county seat, and its postal code is 76849. The county has one incorporated city, two unincorporated communities, and three former settlements now considered ghost towns. Kimble County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Kimble County
Kimble County has one incorporated city — Junction, the seat — plus a handful of unincorporated crossroads communities and a few former settlements that have since faded to ghost-town status. The table below distinguishes incorporated, unincorporated, and historic places.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junction | City · seat | 2,527 | 76849 |
| London | Unincorp. | — | 76854 |
| Roosevelt | Unincorp. | — | 76874 |
| Segovia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Telegraph | Ghost town | — | — |
| Noxville | Ghost town | — | — |
Two names from the old list, Buck Hollow and Wilson Place, and one, Cleo, and Yates, could not be independently verified against current gazetteer records and are omitted here rather than republished unconfirmed; see notes for detail. Segovia is a small rural crossroads on U.S. 83 that some sources also list as a ghost town, but it retains a post office history and a store, so it is kept as an active unincorporated community here.
ZIP Codes
- 76849 — Junction (also serves the surrounding rural county)
- 76854 — London
- 76874 — Roosevelt
Segovia, Telegraph, and Noxville have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is typically routed through Junction or Rocksprings.
Geography
Kimble County lies on the Edwards Plateau, a limestone tableland cut by the North Llano and South Llano rivers, which join at Junction to form the Llano River. The terrain is hilly and heavily wooded with live oak and Ashe juniper, and the county holds the highest natural point in the Texas Hill Country, at roughly 2,460 feet above sea level. Almost all of the county’s area is land, with only a small fraction covered by water in the two rivers and their tributary creeks.
Kimble County borders Menard County to the north, Mason County to the northeast, Gillespie County to the east, Kerr County to the southeast, Edwards County to the southwest, Sutton County to the west, and Schleicher County to the northwest.
Demographics
Kimble County had 4,286 residents at the 2020 census. Junction is by far the largest community, home to the great majority of the county’s population, followed by the unincorporated community of London. Median household income in Kimble County runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the county’s rural, ranching-based economy. With a land area of 1,251 square miles, the county has a population density of roughly 3 people per square mile, one of the more sparsely populated parts of the Hill Country.
Economy & Local Life
Ranching has anchored the local economy since the county’s founding, with sheep and goats historically dominant — Kimble County was once a national center of the wool and mohair trade — alongside cattle and deer hunting leases today. Junction serves as the trade and government hub, home to the Kimble County courthouse and a campus of Texas Tech University’s outdoor school programs. Hunting, fishing, and river recreation on the North and South Llano draw visitors, and Junction hosts an annual county fair and rodeo tied to the area’s ranching heritage.
History
Kimble County was created from Bexar County land in 1858 but was not formally organized until January 3, 1876; before organization it was administered for judicial purposes first by Gillespie County and later by Menard County. The county is named for George C. Kimble, a member of the Gonzales relief force who died at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. In its early decades the county saw range wars and vigilante activity as ranching interests contested open range and rustling, and by the late 1920s the wool and mohair industry had made Kimble County one of the wealthiest per capita counties in Texas.
Getting There
Interstate 10 runs through the southern part of the county, and U.S. Routes 83 and 290 both pass through Junction, making it a regional crossroads on the western edge of the Hill Country.
- Kerrville — 45 miles southeast
- San Angelo — 75 miles northwest
- Fredericksburg — 60 miles east
- San Antonio — 115 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Kerrville Municipal Airport; San Antonio International Airport offers a wider range of commercial flights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Kimble County, Texas?
It sits on the Edwards Plateau in the western Texas Hill Country, at the junction of the North and South Llano rivers, roughly midway between San Antonio and San Angelo.
What is the population of Kimble County?
Kimble County had 4,286 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Kimble County?
The county covers 1,251 square miles (3,240 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Kimble County?
Junction is the county seat.
How many towns are in Kimble County?
Kimble County has one incorporated city, Junction, plus the unincorporated communities of London, Roosevelt, and Segovia, and the former settlements of Telegraph and Noxville.
What ZIP codes are in Kimble County?
76849 (Junction), 76854 (London), and 76874 (Roosevelt).
Why is Kimble County named Kimble?
It is named for George C. Kimble, a defender who died at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.