Geography of Mills County
Small towns and open country define Mills County. Its 4,580 residents are spread across 748 square miles, giving the county a density typical of rural Texas.
It lies in the Central Texas region at about 31.50° N, 98.60° W and is 209th in size among Texas's 254 counties. Mills County shares boundaries with 5 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Waco (about 85 miles away in a straight line) and Abilene (about 94 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 Mills 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 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 is the county seat of Mills 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 Goldthwaite combines county business with groceries, school events and church.
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. Figures are sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau; answers are written and reviewed by the Texas County Map team.
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?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Mills 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 Mills 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 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.