Real County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Edwards Plateau in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 2,758 people at the 2020 census and covers 700 square miles (1,813 km2) centred near 29°50′N 99°49′W.
Leakey is the county seat, and its postal code is 78873. The county has two incorporated cities and a handful of unincorporated communities, no civil townships, and sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Real County
Real County has just two incorporated places — Leakey and Camp Wood — plus a small number of unincorporated communities scattered along the Frio and Nueces rivers. Unincorporated (“Unincorp.”) places have no city government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leakey | City · seat | 475 | 78873 |
| Camp Wood | City | 716 | 78833 |
| Rio Frio | Unincorp. | — | 78879 |
| Vance | Unincorp. | — | — |
Vance is a small historic settlement northeast of Leakey along the Frio River; it has no post office of its own today and residents use the Leakey ZIP.
ZIP Codes
- 78873 — Leakey (also serves Vance)
- 78833 — Camp Wood
- 78879 — Rio Frio
All of Real County is covered by these three ZIP codes; no other post offices operate in the county.
Geography
Real County lies on the rugged limestone terrain of the Edwards Plateau, cut by the West Frio, Frio and Nueces rivers. Of the county’s 700 square miles, 699 square miles are land and 0.9 square miles are water. The Frio River canyon draws visitors to swimming holes and cypress-lined banks near Leakey, and the surrounding hill country is dotted with cedar, live oak and limestone bluffs typical of the plateau’s southern edge. Elevations range from around 1,300 feet along the river valleys to well over 2,300 feet on the ridgelines, and the terrain is too steep and rocky for large-scale row-crop farming, which is part of why the county turned to livestock ranching early in its history.
Real County borders Edwards County to the west, Kerr County to the northeast, Bandera County to the east, and Uvalde County to the south.
Demographics
Real County’s 2020 population of 2,758 makes it one of the least populous counties in Texas, with a density of about 3.9 people per square mile. Camp Wood (716) and Leakey (475) are the two largest communities; most residents live outside either city limit in the surrounding ranch country. Median household income in the county runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting its small, rural, ranching-based economy. The population is 80.2% White and 25.1% Hispanic or Latino.
Economy & Local Life
Livestock ranching, especially Angora goats raised for mohair, has anchored the local economy since the county shifted away from crop farming around 1910. Sheep and cattle ranching remain important alongside the goat industry, and many landowners lease acreage for white-tailed deer and turkey hunting each fall. Hunting leases, river tourism along the Frio, and small-scale retail in Leakey and Camp Wood round out the economic base. The Alto Frio Baptist Encampment, southeast of Leakey, brings church groups and summer camps to the county, and the Frio River’s clear, spring-fed water draws tubers and campers from San Antonio and Austin throughout the warmer months. Real County has no incorporated industrial base of note; most employment is in ranching, tourism-related services, county government, and the Leakey and Camp Wood school districts.
History
The Texas Legislature created Real County on April 3, 1913, carving it from parts of Edwards, Bandera and Kerr counties. It is named for Julius Real (1860–1944), a Texas state senator from the area whose family had ranched in the region for decades. Leakey, already an established settlement on the Frio River, became the new county’s seat. Aviator Charles Lindbergh landed in the county in 1924, an event still noted locally as one of the more unusual moments in the county’s early history. Ranching, particularly sheep and Angora goats, has shaped the county’s economy and landscape for more than a century, and Real County was once counted among the leading mohair-producing counties in Texas.
Getting There
U.S. Route 83 runs north-south through the county via Leakey and Camp Wood, crossed by State Highways 41 and 55 and Ranch to Market Road 337.
- Uvalde — 40 miles south
- Kerrville — 45 miles east
- San Antonio — 100 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is San Antonio International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Real County?
It is in Texas, on the Edwards Plateau in the south-central part of the state, along U.S. Route 83.
What is the population of Real County?
2,758 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Real County?
700 square miles (1,813 km2), most of it land.
What is the county seat of Real County?
Leakey is the county seat.
How many towns are in Real County?
Two incorporated cities, Leakey and Camp Wood, plus small unincorporated communities such as Rio Frio and Vance.
What ZIP codes are in Real County?
78873 (Leakey), 78833 (Camp Wood) and 78879 (Rio Frio).
Why is it called Real County?
It is named for Julius Real, a Texas state senator who represented the district when the county was created in 1913.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.