Geography of Grimes County
Grimes County sits at roughly 30.54° N and 95.99° W in the East Texas region of Texas, spanning 794 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 Anderson, and the county shares boundaries with 6 neighboring counties.
Population & demographics
With approximately 34,252 residents across 794 square miles, Grimes County has a population density of about 43.1 people per square mile. Like much of West and South Texas, the county is sparsely populated, with wide-open country between settlements.
County seat: Anderson
Anderson serves as the seat of government for Grimes 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
Grimes County was established in 1846 and was named for Jesse Grimes (1788–1866), a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and early settler of the future county. It was carved from territory previously part of Montgomery County.
Grimes County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Grimes 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 Grimes County, Texas located?+
Grimes County is located in the East Texas region of Texas at approximately 30.544° N, 95.986° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48185. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Grimes County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Grimes County in square miles?+
Grimes County covers approximately 794 square miles of land in the East Texas region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 198th 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 Grimes County, Texas?+
Grimes County has a population of approximately 34,252 residents. With 794 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 43.1 people per square mile, which is rural for a Texas county. That makes Grimes County the 88th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Grimes County?+
Anderson is the county seat of Grimes County, Texas, which was organized in 1846 and named for Jesse Grimes (1788–1866), a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and early settler of the future county. Grimes County was originally carved out of Montgomery County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Grimes County are located in Anderson.
Which Texas counties border Grimes County?+
Grimes County shares borders with Madison, Montgomery, Waller, Brazos, Walker, and Washington counties. These 6 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 East Texas region.
Where can I download or print a map of Grimes County?+
A free, print-ready PDF map of Grimes 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 Grimes 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 Grimes County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Grimes County is 48185, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 185. 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.