# Bastrop County, Texas

Bastrop County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in Central Texas and its county seat is Bastrop. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,216. Bastrop County is included in the Austin–Round Rock, Texas, metropolitan statistical area.

## History

In 1834, the provincial legislature of Coahuila y Tejas – established by the Mexican Constitution of 1824 – met in Saltillo and established the Municipality and County of Mina consisting of parts of present-day Mason, Kimble, Llano, Burnet, Williamson, Gillespie, Blanco, Comal, Hays, Travis, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Gonzales, Fayette, Washington and Lavaca Counties.
On December 14, 1837, the second Congress of the Republic of Texas adjusted geographical limits to create Fayette County, and remove Gonzales and Caldwell Counties from Mina's boundaries. On December 18, 1837, Sam Houston signed acts that (a) incorporated the town of Mina and (b) changed the name of the county and town of Mina to Bastrop to honor Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, an early Dutch settler who helped Stephen F. Austin obtain land grants in Texas.
On May 24, 1838, the Republic of Texas added parts of Kimble and Comal Counties to contain parts of present-day Blanco, Burnet, Williamson, Travis, Hays, Comal, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Gonzales, and Fayette counties.
From January 25, 1840, to January 25, 1850, Bastrop county limits shifted nearly to its present dimensions, including small portions of Lee, Williamson, Caldwell, Gonzales and Fayette Counties.
In December 1942, Bastrop was the site of an alleged military murder, in which Sgt. Walter Springs was gunned down by a White military police officer following a dispute. Springs was shot in the back, but the case remains largely unsolved to this day. A memorial scholarship in his honor has been active at his alma mater, Regis University, for most of the period since 1952 and has the backing of former NBA All Star Chauncey Billups.
In September 2011, Bastrop County suffered the most destructive wildfire in Texas history, which destroyed over 1,600 homes.
In March 2022, the Refuge Ranch, a facility in rural Bastrop County for girls who had been victims of sexual trafficking, was ordered closed down after allegations that the girls had been subjected to further exploitation by ranch staffers.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 896 square miles (2,320 km$^2$), of which 888 square miles (2,300 km$^2$) are land and 7.4 square miles (19 km$^2$) (0.8%) are covered by water.

### Adjacent counties

* Williamson County (north and northwest)
* Lee County (northeast)
* Fayette County (southeast)
* Caldwell County (southwest)
* Travis County (west)

## Demographics

Bastrop 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 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White alone (NH) | 37,764 | 42,446 | 45,751 | 65.41% | 57.23% | 47.06% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 4,938 | 5,535 | 5,460 | 8.55% | 7.46% | 5.62% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 239 | 315 | 312 | 0.41% | 0.42% | 0.32% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 255 | 449 | 718 | 0.44% | 0.61% | 0.74% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 22 | 54 | 63 | 0.04% | 0.07% | 0.06% |
| Other Race alone (NH) | 39 | 115 | 417 | 0.07% | 0.16% | 0.43% |
| Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH) | 631 | 1,067 | 3,011 | 1.09% | 1.44% | 3.10% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 13,845 | 24,190 | 41,484 | 23.98% | 32.61% | 42.67% |
| Total | 57,733 | 74,171 | 97,216 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census of 2000, 57,733 people, 20,097 households, and 14,771 families resided in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile (25 people/km$^2$). The 22,254 housing units averagedf 25 per square mile (9.7/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 80.2% White, 8.8% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 7.7% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. About 24.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 20,097 households, 35.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were not families. About 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.23. As of the 2010 census, about 7.8 same-sex couples per 1,000 households lived in the county.
In the county, the population was distributed as 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $43,578, and for a family was $49,456. Males had a median income of $32,843 versus $25,536 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,146. About 8.4% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

## Education

The following school districts serve Bastrop County:
* Bastrop Independent School District
* Elgin Independent School District (partial)
* Lexington Independent School District (partial)
* McDade Independent School District
* Smithville Independent School District (partial)
Austin Community College is the designated community college for most of the county. Areas in Lexington ISD are in Blinn Junior College District.

## Transportation

Central Texas Airport has been proposed about ten miles 10 miles (16 km) NW of the town of Bastrop, but has met with local opposition.

### Major highways

* U.S. Highway 290
* State Highway 21
* State Highway 71
* State Highway 95
* State Highway 304

## Recreational facilities

* Bastrop State Park
* Buescher State Park

## Communities
### Cities

* Bastrop (county seat)
* Elgin (partly in Travis County)
* Mustang Ridge (mostly in Travis County and a small part in Caldwell County)
* Smithville

### Census-designated places

* Camp Swift
* Cedar Creek
* Circle D-KC Estates
* McDade
* Paige
* Red Rock
* Rosanky
* Wyldwood

### Unincorporated communities

* Alum Creek
* Bateman
* Butler
* Colorado
* Elysium
* Hills Prairie
* Jeddo
* Kovar
* Pettytown (partly in Caldwell County)
* Rockne
* Salem
* Sayersville
* String Prairie
* Swiftex
* Upton
* Utley
* Watterson

### Ghost Towns

* Flower Hill
* Grassyville
* McDuff
* Oak Hill
* Phelan
* Pin Oak

## In popular culture

Several Hollywood feature films and notable independent films have used locations in Bastrop County.
| Year | Film | Top Billed Cast | Location |
| 1974 | Lovin' Molly | Anthony Perkins, Blythe Danner | Bastrop |
| 1974 | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger | Bastrop (Gas station and BBQ shack) |
| 1975 | The Great Waldo Pepper | Robert Redford, Bo Svenson | Elgin |
| 1994 | Love and a .45 | Gil Bellows, Renée Zellweger | Bastrop (Gas station) |
| 1995 | The Big Green | Steve Guttenberg, Olivia d'Abo | Elgin |
| 1996 | Courage Under Fire | Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan | Bastrop |
| 1996 | The Whole Wide World | Vincent D'Onofrio, Renée Zellweger | Bastrop |
| 1997 | The Only Thrill | Diane Keaton, Sam Shepard | Bastrop |
| 1998 | The Dentist 2 | Corbin Bernsen, Jillian McWhirter | Smithville |
| 1998 | Home Fries | Drew Barrymore, Luke Wilson | Bastrop |
| 1998 | Hope Floats | Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr. | Smithville |
| 1999 | Varsity Blues | James Van Der Beek, Amy Smart | Elgin |
| 1999 | The Soul Collector | Bruce Greenwood, Melissa Gilbert | Bastrop |
| 2004 | Friday Night Lights | Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black | Elgin |
| 2004 | The Alamo | Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton | Bastrop Jim Small's Big Thicket (Lake camp scenes) Steiner Ranch (Bexar & Alamo scenes) |
| 2006 | All the Boys Love Mandy Lane | Amber Heard, Anson Mount | Bastrop |
| 2008 | Fireflies in the Garden | Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds | Bastrop (T. A. Hasler House) Smithville |
| 2009 | The Tree of Life | Brad Pitt, Sean Penn | Smithville |
| 2009 | Friday the 13th (2009 film) | Jared Padalecki, Derek Mears | Camp |
| 2010 | Bernie | Matthew McConaughey, Jack Black | Bastrop Smithville |
| 2013 | Prince Avalanche | Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch | Bastrop |
| 2014 | Boyhood | Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke | Bastrop |

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Bastrop County, Texas :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 23,301 | 58.37% | 15,989 | 40.06% | 627 | 1.57% |
| 2020 | 20,516 | 55.81% | 15,474 | 42.09% | 772 | 2.10% |
| 2016 | 16,328 | 56.96% | 10,569 | 36.87% | 1,768 | 6.17% |
| 2012 | 14,033 | 57.32% | 9,864 | 40.29% | 584 | 2.39% |
| 2008 | 13,817 | 53.02% | 11,687 | 44.84% | 558 | 2.14% |
| 2004 | 13,290 | 56.70% | 9,794 | 41.78% | 357 | 1.52% |
| 2000 | 10,310 | 56.31% | 6,973 | 38.09% | 1,025 | 5.60% |
| 1996 | 6,323 | 43.35% | 6,773 | 46.44% | 1,489 | 10.21% |
| 1992 | 4,980 | 34.41% | 6,252 | 43.19% | 3,242 | 22.40% |
| 1988 | 5,991 | 42.51% | 8,004 | 56.80% | 97 | 0.69% |
| 1984 | 6,439 | 57.38% | 4,744 | 42.28% | 38 | 0.34% |
| 1980 | 3,768 | 43.07% | 4,716 | 53.91% | 264 | 3.02% |
| 1976 | 2,383 | 33.08% | 4,788 | 66.46% | 33 | 0.46% |
| 1972 | 3,097 | 61.82% | 1,906 | 38.04% | 7 | 0.14% |
| 1968 | 1,455 | 28.43% | 2,687 | 52.51% | 975 | 19.05% |
| 1964 | 1,130 | 22.38% | 3,912 | 77.48% | 7 | 0.14% |
| 1960 | 1,208 | 29.61% | 2,866 | 70.25% | 6 | 0.15% |
| 1956 | 1,531 | 37.85% | 2,504 | 61.90% | 10 | 0.25% |
| 1952 | 1,540 | 32.81% | 3,148 | 67.06% | 6 | 0.13% |
| 1948 | 443 | 13.69% | 2,518 | 77.79% | 276 | 8.53% |
| 1944 | 385 | 11.71% | 2,604 | 79.17% | 300 | 9.12% |
| 1940 | 502 | 16.76% | 2,492 | 83.18% | 2 | 0.07% |
| 1936 | 198 | 7.61% | 2,395 | 92.04% | 9 | 0.35% |
| 1932 | 180 | 5.52% | 3,077 | 94.42% | 2 | 0.06% |
| 1928 | 850 | 35.65% | 1,534 | 64.35% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 494 | 14.31% | 2,711 | 78.53% | 247 | 7.16% |
| 1920 | 484 | 22.35% | 1,088 | 50.23% | 594 | 27.42% |
| 1916 | 550 | 28.81% | 1,335 | 69.93% | 24 | 1.26% |
| 1912 | 216 | 15.30% | 1,021 | 72.31% | 175 | 12.39% |