Uvalde County is a county in Texas, United States, on the edge of the Hill Country where the Balcones Escarpment meets the South Texas brush country. It had a population of 24,564 at the 2020 census and covers 1,559 square miles (4,040 km2) — 1,552 square miles of it land — centred near 29°21′N 99°46′W.
Uvalde is the county seat and its postal code is 78801. The county has two incorporated cities, three census-designated places, and several unincorporated crossroads and colonias. It sits in the Central time zone. The Uvalde, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area is coextensive with the county.
Towns & Villages in Uvalde County
Uvalde County has two incorporated cities and three census-designated places, plus a handful of unincorporated communities, river crossings, and colonias scattered along the Nueces, Frio, and Sabinal rivers. CDPs are unincorporated but have official Census Bureau population counts; places marked Unincorp. have no separate count.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uvalde | City · seat | 15,169 | 78801 |
| Sabinal | City | 1,681 | 78881 |
| Knippa | CDP | 1,183 | 78870 |
| Utopia | CDP | 241 | 78884 |
| Uvalde Estates | CDP | 1,589 | 78801 |
| Concan | Unincorp. | — | 78838 |
| Reagan Wells | Unincorp. | — | 78801 |
| Montell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fort Inge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cline | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blewett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laguna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Trio | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Waresville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Happy Hollow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Uvalde Colonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fort Clark Road Colonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gonzales Colonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| South Grove Street Colonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Uvalde Estates Colonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vanessa Street Colonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vanham Addition | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haby Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| First Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Second Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Third Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Long Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Magers Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nineteen Mile Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rubboard Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smyth Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 78801 — Uvalde (also serves Uvalde Estates, Reagan Wells)
- 78881 — Sabinal
- 78870 — Knippa
- 78884 — Utopia
- 78838 — Concan
Most of the county’s small crossings, colonias, and river-bottom communities share a ZIP with the nearest incorporated town rather than carrying their own postal code.
Geography
Uvalde County straddles the transition from the Edwards Plateau’s limestone hill country in the north to the flatter South Texas brush country in the south. The Nueces, Frio, Sabinal, and Leona rivers all cross the county, feeding the Frio and Nueces watersheds and drawing recreational traffic to Concan and Garner State Park just over the Uvalde–Real county line. It borders Real County to the north, Bandera County to the northeast, Medina County to the east, Frio County to the southeast, Zavala County to the south, Maverick County to the southwest, Kinney County to the west, and Edwards County to the northwest.
Demographics
Uvalde County had 24,564 residents at the 2020 census, with about 70.5% identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Uvalde, the seat, and Sabinal are the county’s two largest incorporated places. Median household income runs below the Texas median of $75,780, consistent with the county’s ranching- and agriculture-dependent economy. Density works out to roughly 16 people per square mile, concentrated in and around the city of Uvalde.
Economy & Local Life
Ranching, farming, and hunting leases anchor the county’s economy, with cattle, goats, and sheep grazing the Hill Country pasture in the north and row-crop and pecan farming in the river bottoms. Historically the county was known for goat ranching and mohair, and its bee industry won first place at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair. Honey Creek and the Frio and Nueces river corridors draw seasonal tourism, tubing, and hunting revenue centred on Concan and Garner State Park. Uvalde itself is the county’s commercial and institutional hub, home to Southwest Texas Junior College and Uvalde Memorial Hospital.
History
Uvalde County was created from Bexar County in 1850 and organized in 1856. It takes its name from Juan de Ugalde, a Spanish colonial governor of Coahuila, with the spelling anglicized over time to “Uvalde.” Reading Wood Black, an early settler and rancher, founded the county’s namesake city. The county has weathered droughts, floods along the Frio and Nueces rivers, and, in May 2022, a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that drew national attention and remains part of the community’s recent history.
Getting There
US Highway 90 and US Highway 83 cross at Uvalde, the county’s main transportation hub, with State Highway 55 running north through Concan toward the Hill Country.
- San Antonio — 80 miles east
- Del Rio — 70 miles southwest
- Eagle Pass — 60 miles south
- Kerrville — 65 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is San Antonio International Airport, about 80 miles east; Uvalde Garner Field offers general aviation service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Uvalde County?
It is in southwestern Texas, on the boundary between the Hill Country and the South Texas brush country, about 80 miles west of San Antonio.
What is the population of Uvalde County?
24,564 residents as of the 2020 census.
How big is Uvalde County?
1,559 square miles (4,040 km2), including 1,552 square miles of land.
What is the county seat of Uvalde County?
Uvalde is the county seat.
How many towns and communities are in Uvalde County?
Two incorporated cities, three census-designated places, and around two dozen smaller unincorporated communities and colonias.
What ZIP codes are in Uvalde County?
Chiefly 78801 (Uvalde), 78881 (Sabinal), 78870 (Knippa), 78884 (Utopia), and 78838 (Concan).
What is Uvalde County known for?
Ranching, hunting leases, honey production, and the Frio and Nueces river recreation corridor near Concan and Garner State Park.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.