Geography of Hays County
Hays County sits at roughly 30.06° N and 98.03° W in the Central Texas region of Texas, spanning 678 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 San Marcos, and the county shares boundaries with 5 neighboring counties.
Population & demographics
With approximately 304,390 residents across 678 square miles, Hays County has a population density of about 449.0 people per square mile. Density here reflects a mix of small cities, suburbs, and rural land.
County seat: San Marcos
San Marcos serves as the seat of government for Hays 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
Hays County was established in 1848 and was named for John Coffee Hays (1817–1883), a leading Texas Ranger and Mexican–American War officer. It was carved from territory previously part of Travis County.
Hays County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Hays 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 Hays County, Texas located?+
Hays County is located in the Central Texas region of Texas at approximately 30.058° N, 98.031° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48209. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Hays County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Hays County in square miles?+
Hays County covers approximately 678 square miles of land in the Central Texas region — a compact county by Texas standards. By land area it ranks 220th 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 Hays County, Texas?+
Hays County has a population of approximately 304,390 residents. With 678 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 449.0 people per square mile, which is densely populated for a Texas county. That makes Hays County the 19th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Hays County?+
San Marcos is the county seat of Hays County, Texas, which was organized in 1848 and named for John Coffee Hays (1817–1883), a leading Texas Ranger and Mexican–American War officer. Hays County was originally carved out of Travis County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Hays County are located in San Marcos.
Which Texas counties border Hays County?+
Hays County shares borders with Travis, Caldwell, Comal, Blanco, and Guadalupe 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 Hays County?+
A free, print-ready PDF map of Hays 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 Hays 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 Hays County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Hays County is 48209, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 209. 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.