Geography of Bosque County
Small towns and open country define Bosque County. Its 18,918 residents are spread across 989 square miles, giving the county a density typical of rural Texas.
It lies in the Central Texas region at about 31.90° N, 97.63° W and is 77th in size among Texas's 254 counties. Bosque County shares boundaries with 7 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Waco (about 37 miles away in a straight line) and Fort Worth (about 61 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 Bosque 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 18,918 residents across 989 square miles, Bosque County has a population density of about 19.1 people per square mile. Like much of West and South Texas, the county is sparsely populated, with wide-open country between settlements.
County seat: Meridian
Meridian is the county seat of Bosque County. This is where the county courthouse stands and where residents go for property records, vehicle registration, marriage licenses, court cases and voter services handled by the county clerk, district clerk and tax assessor-collector. For many residents, a trip to Meridian combines county business with groceries, school events and church.
History & name origin
Bosque County was established in 1854 and was named for The Bosque River. (Bosque is Spanish for "wooded"). It was carved from territory previously part of McLennan County.
Bosque County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Bosque 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 Bosque County, Texas located?+
Bosque County is located in the Central Texas region of Texas at approximately 31.900° N, 97.634° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48035. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Bosque County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Bosque County in square miles?+
Bosque County covers approximately 989 square miles of land in the Central Texas region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 77th 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 Bosque County, Texas?+
Bosque County has a population of approximately 18,918 residents. With 989 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 19.1 people per square mile, which is rural for a Texas county. That makes Bosque County the 127th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Bosque County?+
Meridian is the county seat of Bosque County, Texas, which was organized in 1854 and named for The Bosque River. (Bosque is Spanish for "wooded"). Bosque County was originally carved out of McLennan County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Bosque County are located in Meridian.
Which Texas counties border Bosque County?+
Bosque County shares borders with Hill, Somervell, Hamilton, McLennan, Johnson, Coryell, and Erath counties. These 7 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 Bosque County?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Bosque 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 Bosque 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 Bosque County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Bosque County is 48035, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 035. 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.