Geography of Bee County
Bee County sits at roughly 28.42° N and 97.74° W in the Central Texas region of Texas, spanning 880 square miles of terrain that includes the landscape characteristic of the area — from open ranchland and farmland to small-town main streets. The county's centroid is near Beeville, and the county shares boundaries with 5 neighboring counties.
Population & demographics
With approximately 32,515 residents across 880 square miles, Bee County has a population density of about 36.9 people per square mile. Like much of West and South Texas, the county is sparsely populated, with wide-open country between settlements.
County seat: Beeville
Beeville serves as the seat of government for Bee County. The county courthouse, commissioners court, district clerk, and primary public records are located here. As with all 254 Texas counties, the county seat is the anchor of civic life and the principal address for elections, permits, and court filings.
History & name origin
Bee County was established in 1857 and was named for Barnard Elliott Bee, Sr. (1787–1853), a secretary of state of the Republic of Texas. It was carved from territory previously part of San Patricio County, Goliad County, Refugio County, Live Oak County, and Karnes County.
Bee County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Bee County geography, population, county seat, neighboring counties, and how to use the maps on this page. Every answer is generated from the official U.S. Census data backing this site.
Where is Bee County, Texas located?+
Bee County is located in the Central Texas region of Texas at approximately 28.417° N, 97.741° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48025. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Bee County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Bee County in square miles?+
Bee County covers approximately 880 square miles of land in the Central Texas region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 173rd out of 254 Texas counties. The full bounding box of the county is rendered to scale on the interactive map and matches the U.S. Census TIGER 2023 polygon.
What is the population of Bee County, Texas?+
Bee County has a population of approximately 32,515 residents. With 880 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 36.9 people per square mile, which is rural for a Texas county. That makes Bee County the 91st most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Bee County?+
Beeville is the county seat of Bee County, Texas, which was organized in 1857 and named for Barnard Elliott Bee, Sr. (1787–1853), a secretary of state of the Republic of Texas. Bee County was originally carved out of San Patricio County, Goliad County, Refugio County, Live Oak County, and Karnes County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Bee County are located in Beeville.
Which Texas counties border Bee County?+
Bee County shares borders with Refugio, San Patricio, Goliad, Karnes, and Live Oak counties. These 5 neighboring counties are highlighted on the schematic boundary map and linked at the bottom of this page so you can quickly compare population, area, and county seats across the Central Texas region.
Where can I download or print a map of Bee County?+
A free, print-ready PDF map of Bee County is available from the "Download PDF" button at the top of this page. The printable layout uses authentic U.S. Census TIGER boundary geometry for Bee County, includes a Texas locator inset, and is sized for standard 8.5" × 11" Letter paper. For interactive use, the live Leaflet map on this page supports OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, Esri topographic, and Carto light basemaps with zoom, scale bar, and fullscreen.
What is the FIPS code for Bee County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Bee County is 48025, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 025. This is the same FIPS code used by the U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line files, the American Community Survey, and most federal datasets that key on county.