Geography of Mills County
Mills County sits at roughly 31.50° N and 98.60° W in the Central Texas region of Texas, spanning 748 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 Goldthwaite, and the county shares boundaries with 5 neighboring counties.
Population & demographics
With approximately 4,580 residents across 748 square miles, Mills County has a population density of about 6.1 people per square mile. Like much of West and South Texas, the county is sparsely populated, with wide-open country between settlements.
County seat: Goldthwaite
Goldthwaite serves as the seat of government for Mills 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
Mills County was established in 1887 and was named for John T. Mills (1817–1871), a Texas Supreme Court judge. It was carved from territory previously part of Brown County, Comanche County, Hamilton County and Lampasas County.
Mills County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Mills 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 Mills County, Texas located?+
Mills County is located in the Central Texas region of Texas at approximately 31.495° N, 98.596° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48333. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Mills County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Mills County in square miles?+
Mills County covers approximately 748 square miles of land in the Central Texas region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 209th 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 Mills County, Texas?+
Mills County has a population of approximately 4,580 residents. With 748 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 6.1 people per square mile, which is sparsely populated for a Texas county. That makes Mills County the 203rd most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Mills County?+
Goldthwaite is the county seat of Mills County, Texas, which was organized in 1887 and named for John T. Mills (1817–1871), a Texas Supreme Court judge. Mills County was originally carved out of Brown County, Comanche County, Hamilton County and Lampasas County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Mills County are located in Goldthwaite.
Which Texas counties border Mills County?+
Mills County shares borders with San Saba, Hamilton, Lampasas, Brown, and Comanche 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 Mills County?+
A free, print-ready PDF map of Mills 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 Mills 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 Mills County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Mills County is 48333, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 333. 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.