Geography of Fort Bend County
With roughly 975,191 residents, Fort Bend County is among the most heavily populated places in Texas — a metropolitan county where city limits, suburbs and highways now cover much of its 875 square miles.
It lies in the Gulf Coast region at about 29.53° N, 95.77° W and is 175th in size among Texas's 254 counties. Fort Bend County shares boundaries with 5 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Houston (about 29 miles away in a straight line) and College Station (about 83 miles).
The Gulf Coast region is low, flat and closely tied to the water — bays, barrier islands, rice fields and coastal prairie, along with ports, refineries and petrochemical plants that are central to the Texas economy. Hurricanes and flooding are real planning concerns here.
For a broader view of how Fort Bend 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 975,191 residents across 875 square miles, Fort Bend County has a population density of about 1114.5 people per square mile. It ranks among the more densely populated counties in Texas — a clear sign of metropolitan urbanization.
County seat: Richmond
Richmond is the county seat of Fort Bend 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. In a county this large, many services are also offered at satellite offices across the county.
History & name origin
Fort Bend County was established in 1837 and was named for A blockhouse positioned in a bend of the Brazos River. It was carved from territory previously part of Austin County, Brazoria County and Harris County.
Fort Bend County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Fort Bend 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 Fort Bend County, Texas located?+
Fort Bend County is located in the Gulf Coast region of Texas at approximately 29.527° N, 95.771° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48157. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Fort Bend County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Fort Bend County in square miles?+
Fort Bend County covers approximately 875 square miles of land in the Gulf Coast region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 175th 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 Fort Bend County, Texas?+
Fort Bend County has a population of approximately 975,191 residents. With 875 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 1114.5 people per square mile, which is highly urban for a Texas county. That makes Fort Bend County the 8th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Fort Bend County?+
Richmond is the county seat of Fort Bend County, Texas, which was organized in 1837 and named for A blockhouse positioned in a bend of the Brazos River. Fort Bend County was originally carved out of Austin County, Brazoria County and Harris County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Fort Bend County are located in Richmond.
Which Texas counties border Fort Bend County?+
Fort Bend County shares borders with Harris, Waller, Wharton, Austin, and Brazoria 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 Gulf Coast region.
Where can I download or print a map of Fort Bend County?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Fort Bend 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 Fort Bend 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 Fort Bend County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Fort Bend County is 48157, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 157. 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.