Coryell County, Texas

Coryell County (/ˈkɔːrjɛl/ KOR-yel)^[1] is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 83,093.^[2][3] The county seat is Gatesville.^[4] The county is named for James Coryell, a frontiersman and Texas Ranger who was killed by Caddo Indians.

Coryell County
County
The Coryell County Courthouse in Gatesville, Texas. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 18, 1977.
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°23′N 97°48′W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1854
Seat	Gatesville
Largest city	Copperas Cove
Area
• Total	1,057 sq mi (2,740 km2)
• Land	1,052 sq mi (2,720 km2)
• Water	4.7 sq mi (12 km2)  0.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	83,093
• Density	79/sq mi (30/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	31st
Website	www.coryellcounty.org

Coryell County is part of the Killeen–Temple metropolitan statistical area.

History

Habitation of Coryell County dates as far back as 4500 BC. The Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, Kiowa, and Comanche were among the tribes who migrated through the area at various periods.^[5] When the General Colonization Law went into effect in 1824, followed by the 1825 State Colonization Law of Coahuila y Tejas, Robert Leftwich obtained a grant to settle 800 families in Texas.^[6][7] The grant went through several legal challenges, and later became Robertson's Colony, named for Sterling C. Robertson. The grant encompassed all or parts of 30 present-day Texas counties.^[8] Settlers began moving into the area after Fort Gates was established at Gatesville. The Texas state legislature created the county in 1854, naming it after Texas Ranger James Coryell.^[5][9] Originally, Coryell was to be named Pierce County, but the name was changed after James Coryell's death at the hands of Caddo Indians.^[9]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,057 square miles (2,740 km²), of which 4.7 sq mi (12 km²) (0.4%) are covered by water.^[10]

Major highways

• Interstate 14/U.S. Highway 190
• U.S. Highway 84
• U.S. Highway 281
• State Highway 36

Adjacent counties

• Bosque County (north)
• McLennan County (northeast)
• Bell County (southeast)
• Lampasas County (southwest)
• Hamilton County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	412		—
1880	10,924		2,551.5%
1890	16,873		54.5%
1900	21,308		26.3%
1910	21,703		1.9%
1920	20,601		−5.1%
1930	19,999		−2.9%
1940	20,226		1.1%
1950	16,284		−19.5%
1960	23,961		47.1%
1970	35,311		47.4%
1980	56,767		60.8%
1990	64,213		13.1%
2000	74,978		16.8%
2010	75,388		0.5%
2020	83,093		10.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1850–2010[12] 2010[13] 2020[14]

Coryell County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[15]	Pop 2010[13]	Pop 2020[14]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	45,381	46,776	46,213	60.53%	62.05%	55.62%
Black or African American alone (NH)	15,976	11,450	11,760	21.31%	15.19%	14.15%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	517	439	414	0.69%	0.58%	0.50%
Asian alone (NH)	1,253	1,332	1,816	1.67%	1.77%	2.19%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	334	632	1,041	0.45%	0.84%	1.25%
Other Race alone (NH)	170	191	389	0.23%	0.25%	0.47%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH)	1,923	2,595	4,978	2.56%	3.44%	5.99%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	9,424	11,973	16,482	12.57%	15.88%	19.84%
Total	74,798	75,388	83,093	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census^[16] of 2000, 74,978 people, 19,950 households, and 15,780 families were residing in the county. The population density was 71 people per square mile (27 people/km²). The 21,776 housing units averaged 21 per square mile (8.1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.28% White, 21.80% African American, 0.88% Native American, 1.75% Asian, 0.49% Pacific Islander, 6.26% from other races, and 3.54% from two or more races. About 12.57% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 19,950 households, 47.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.90% were not families. About 16.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91, and the average family size was 3.27.

In the county, the age distribution was 26.20% under 18, 17.90% from 18 to 24, 36.30% from 25 to 44, 13.80% from 45 to 64, and 5.70% who were 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,999, and for a family was $38,307. Males had a median income of $24,236 versus $21,186 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,410. About 7.80% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.30% of those under age 18 and 9.00% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

Of the eight Texas Department of Criminal Justice general correctional facilities for women, which include five prisons and three state jails,^[17] five of the units,^[18] including four prisons and one state jail,^[17] are in the City of Gatesville.^[18][19]

The Christina Crain Unit prison (formerly Gatesville Unit),^[20] the Hilltop Unit prison,^[21] the Dr. Lane Murray Unit prison,^[22] and the Linda Woodman Unit state jail are co-located among one another.^[23] In addition the Mountain View Unit, a prison with the State of Texas female death row, is in Gatesville.^[24] One male prison, the Alfred D. Hughes Unit, is in Gatesville.^[25]

Mountain View opened in July 1975,^[24] Crain opened in August 1980,^[20] Hilltop opened in November 1981,^[21] and Hughes opened in January 1990.^[25] Murray opened in November 1995,^[22] and Woodman opened in June 1997.^[23] In 1995, of the counties in Texas, Coryell had the third-highest number of state prisons and jails, after Walker and Brazoria.^[26]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Coryell County, Texas^[27]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	16,688	69.75%	6,959	29.09%	279	1.17%
2020	15,438	65.60%	7,565	32.14%	532	2.26%
2016	12,225	66.98%	5,064	27.74%	964	5.28%
2012	11,220	67.57%	5,158	31.06%	226	1.36%
2008	11,550	63.00%	6,619	36.11%	163	0.89%
2004	12,421	70.47%	5,122	29.06%	82	0.47%
2000	10,321	68.41%	4,493	29.78%	273	1.81%
1996	7,143	51.23%	5,300	38.01%	1,501	10.76%
1992	6,144	42.93%	4,157	29.05%	4,011	28.03%
1988	7,461	64.17%	4,026	34.63%	140	1.20%
1984	9,056	74.24%	3,113	25.52%	30	0.25%
1980	5,494	55.38%	4,097	41.30%	329	3.32%
1976	4,140	46.37%	4,710	52.75%	79	0.88%
1972	5,077	79.75%	1,235	19.40%	54	0.85%
1968	1,698	28.99%	2,987	51.00%	1,172	20.01%
1964	877	19.22%	3,679	80.61%	8	0.18%
1960	1,477	35.23%	2,700	64.41%	15	0.36%
1956	1,509	38.86%	2,372	61.09%	2	0.05%
1952	1,658	40.52%	2,432	59.43%	2	0.05%
1948	310	11.23%	2,350	85.11%	101	3.66%
1944	413	13.07%	2,518	79.71%	228	7.22%
1940	549	14.82%	3,155	85.16%	1	0.03%
1936	150	6.75%	2,064	92.85%	9	0.40%
1932	191	5.39%	3,347	94.52%	3	0.08%
1928	1,123	46.21%	1,306	53.74%	1	0.04%
1924	429	12.66%	2,890	85.28%	70	2.07%
1920	444	16.31%	1,542	56.65%	736	27.04%
1916	188	9.10%	1,802	87.26%	75	3.63%
1912	67	4.73%	1,271	89.76%	78	5.51%

United States Senate election results for Coryell County, Texas1^[28]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	15,775	66.35%	7,276	30.60%	726	3.05%

Communities

Cities

• Copperas Cove (small parts in Lampasas and Bell Counties)
• Gatesville (county seat)
• McGregor (mostly in McLennan County)
• Oglesby

Towns

• Evant (partly in Hamilton County)
• South Mountain

Census-designated places

• Flat
• Fort Cavazos (partly in Bell County)
• Mound

Former census-designated places

• Montague Village, annexed to Fort Hood CDP (now Fort Cavazos CDP) prior to the 1990 U.S. Census.^[29]

Unincorporated communities

• Ames
• Arnett
• Ater
• Bee House
• Coryell City
• Hurst Springs
• Ireland
• Jonesboro (partly in Hamilton County)
• King
• Leon Junction
• Levita
• Osage
• Pancake
• Pearl
• Pidcoke
• Purmela
• South Purmela
• The Grove
• Topsey
• Turnersville
• Whitson

Education

School districts include:^[30]

• Clifton Independent School District
• Copperas Cove Independent School District
• Crawford Independent School District
• Evant Independent School District
• Gatesville Independent School District
• Jonesboro Independent School District
• Killeen Independent School District
• Lampasas Independent School District
• Moody Independent School District
• Oglesby Independent School District
• Valley Mills Independent School District

All of the county is in the service area of Central Texas College.^[31]

Gatesville has the Gatesville Public Library.^[32]

See also

• Texas portal

• List of museums in Central Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Coryell County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Coryell County