Geography of Bee County
Bee County is a rural county of 880 square miles and about 32,515 residents, where farms and ranches fill most of the space between Beeville and its smaller communities.
It lies in the Central Texas region at about 28.42° N, 97.74° W and is 173rd in size among Texas's 254 counties. Bee County shares boundaries with 5 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Corpus Christi (about 47 miles away in a straight line) and Victoria (about 52 miles).
Central Texas stretches across the Hill Country, the Blackland Prairie and the Cross Timbers. It includes some of the fastest-growing suburbs in the nation along the I-35 corridor, alongside quiet ranching counties with limestone creeks and live-oak savanna.
For a broader view of how Bee County fits within the state, download our free Texas map with counties and cities PDF — a printable, high-resolution reference showing all 254 Texas counties labeled with their county seats.
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
County government for Bee County is based in Beeville. The commissioners court, made up of a county judge and four precinct commissioners, meets here and sets the county budget, roads policy and tax rate. For many residents, a trip to Beeville combines county business with groceries, school events and church.
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. Figures are sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau; answers are written and reviewed by the Texas County Map team.
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?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Bee County map on this page to save a letter-size PDF of the county boundary, neighboring counties and incorporated places, drawn from U.S. Census Bureau 2023 boundary files. The "Official TxDOT road map" button downloads the Texas Department of Transportation county road mapbook for Bee County. Both files are stored on this site and download directly. Our free Texas map with counties and cities PDF shows all 254 counties on one sheet.
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.