Leon County, Texas
| Leon County, Texas | |
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The Leon County Courthouse in Centerville, originally built of slate brick in 1887. Two previous structures have occupied the current site.
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 Location in the U.S. state of Texas |
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 Texas's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1846 |
| Named for | Martín De León |
| Seat | Centerville |
| Largest city | Buffalo |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,081 sq mi (2,800 km2) |
| • Land | 1,073 sq mi (2,779 km2) |
| • Water | 7.5 sq mi (19 km2), 0.7% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 16,801 |
| • Density | 16/sq mi (6/km²) |
| Congressional districts | 8th, 17th |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | www |
Leon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 16,801. Its county seat is Centerville.
The legislature of the Republic of Texas authorized Leon County in 1846 from part of Robertson County, and named it in honor of Martín De León, the founder of Victoria, Texas. However, local tradition holds that it is named for a yellow wolf of the region commonly called the león ("lion" in Spanish). The county was organized that same year with its first county seat at Leona. In 1851 the county seat was moved to Centerville since Leona was in the far southern part of the county.
The 1886 Leon County Courthouse was designed by architect George Edwin Dickey of Houston, incorporating remnants of an earlier 1858 courthouse that was destroyed by fire. The courthouse was rededicated on July 1, 2007 following a full restoration to a 1909 date.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,081 square miles (2,800 km2), of which 1,073 square miles (2,780 km2) is land and 7.5 square miles (19 km2) (0.7%) is water.
Additionally, State Highway OSR runs along the south and southwest county line of Leon County where it borders with Madison County.
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,335 people, 6,189 households, and 4,511 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 8,299 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.53% White, 10.39% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.50% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 7.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
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