Waller County is a county in Texas, United States, in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area northwest of downtown Houston. It had a population of 56,794 at the 2020 census and covers 513 square miles (1,330 km2) of land plus 4.4 square miles (11 km2) of water, centred near 30°01′N 95°59′W.
Hempstead is the county seat, and its postal code is 77445. The county has five incorporated cities, one town, and a set of unincorporated communities scattered along US 290 and I-10. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Waller County
Most residents live along the US 290 corridor toward Houston or around Prairie View A&M University; the rest of the county is ranchland and small farming communities.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hempstead | City · seat | 5,430 | 77445 |
| Prairie View | City | 8,184 | 77446 |
| Brookshire | City | 5,066 | 77423 |
| Waller | City | 2,682 | 77484 |
| Katy | City (shared) | — | 77493 |
| Pattison | City | — | — |
| Pine Island | Town | — | — |
| Cardiff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clemons | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fetzer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fields Store | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hegar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Howth | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Johnsue | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lewisville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Monaville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rock Island | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rolling Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saint Paul | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Second Corinth | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunny Side | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 77445 — Hempstead (also serves the county courthouse area)
- 77446 — Prairie View (also serves Prairie View A&M University)
- 77423 — Brookshire (also serves Pattison)
- 77484 — Waller (also serves Pine Island)
- 77493 — Katy (the portion of Katy that reaches into Waller County)
The smaller unincorporated communities — Cardiff, Cedar Creek, Clemons, Fetzer, Fields Store, Hegar, Howth, Johnsue, Lewisville, Monaville, Rock Island, Rolling Hills, Saint Paul, Second Corinth and Sunny Side — have no post office of their own and use a neighboring town’s ZIP code.
Geography
Waller County lies on the coastal prairie of southeast Texas, a mostly flat landscape of blackland and sandy-loam soils cut by Clear Creek, Mound Creek and the upper reaches of Cypress Creek. Ranching, hay production and rice farming still dominate the western half of the county, while the eastern edge along US 290 has filled in with subdivisions tied to the Houston job market. The county borders six others:
- Grimes County to the north
- Montgomery County to the northeast
- Harris County to the east
- Fort Bend County to the south
- Austin County to the west
- Washington County to the northwest
Demographics
Waller County had 56,794 residents at the 2020 census. Prairie View, home to Prairie View A&M University, is the largest community with 8,184 people, followed by Hempstead’s 5,430. Median household income in the county trails Texas’s statewide figure of $75,780, a gap driven partly by the large student population counted at Prairie View A&M. Population density works out to roughly 111 people per square mile, well below the neighboring Houston suburbs in Harris and Fort Bend counties.
Economy & Local Life
Higher education anchors the local economy: Prairie View A&M University, one of the country’s oldest historically Black land-grant universities, is the county’s largest employer and biggest source of local spending. Agriculture remains significant outside the university towns, with cattle ranching, hay, and some rice acreage along the Brazos River bottomland to the west. Warehousing and light industry have followed the growth of Katy and the I-10 corridor into the county’s southeastern corner. The Waller County Fair and Rodeo each September draws crowds from across the region and remains the county’s biggest annual event.
History
Texas created Waller County in 1873 out of parts of Austin, Grimes, Harris and Montgomery counties, naming it for Edwin Waller, the first mayor of Austin and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Hempstead, already an established rail stop on the Houston and Texas Central Railway, became the county seat. Prairie View A&M University traces its own founding to 1876, established under the Texas legislature’s Morrill Act provisions as one of the first state-supported colleges for Black Texans, and it has shaped the county’s civic life ever since.
Getting There
Interstate 10 crosses the county’s southern edge near Brookshire, and US Highway 290 runs the length of the county through Hempstead and Waller on its way into Houston. State Highways 6 and 159 connect the smaller towns to both.
- Brookshire — on I-10 in the county’s south
- Hempstead — on US 290 at the SH 6 junction
- Prairie View — on US 290 just east of Hempstead
- Waller — on US 290 near the Harris County line
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston is the nearest major commercial airport. There is no Amtrak service in Waller County.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hempstead postcode?
77445.
What is the population of Waller County?
56,794 at the 2020 census.
What is the largest city in Waller County?
Prairie View, with a 2020 population of 8,184.
Which university is in Waller County?
Prairie View A&M University, in the city of Prairie View.
What counties border Waller County?
Grimes, Montgomery, Harris, Fort Bend, Austin and Washington counties.
Who was the county named after?
Edwin Waller, the first mayor of Austin and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
What is the nearest major airport?
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.