Geography of Travis County
With roughly 1,389,670 residents, Travis County is among the most heavily populated places in Texas — a metropolitan county where city limits, suburbs and highways now cover much of its 989 square miles.
It lies in the Central Texas region at about 30.33° N, 97.78° W and is 79th in size among Texas's 254 counties. Travis County shares boundaries with 6 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Austin (about 5 miles away in a straight line) and San Antonio (about 76 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 Travis 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 1,389,670 residents across 989 square miles, Travis County has a population density of about 1405.1 people per square mile. It ranks among the more densely populated counties in Texas — a clear sign of metropolitan urbanization.
County seat: Austin
Austin is the county seat of Travis 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
Travis County was established in 1840 and was named for William Barret Travis (1809–1836), the commander of the Texan forces at the Alamo. It was carved from territory previously part of Bastrop County.
Travis County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Travis 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 Travis County, Texas located?+
Travis County is located in the Central Texas region of Texas at approximately 30.335° N, 97.782° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48453. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Travis County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Travis County in square miles?+
Travis County covers approximately 989 square miles of land in the Central Texas region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 79th 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 Travis County, Texas?+
Travis County has a population of approximately 1,389,670 residents. With 989 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 1405.1 people per square mile, which is highly urban for a Texas county. That makes Travis County the 5th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Travis County?+
Austin is the county seat of Travis County, Texas, which was organized in 1840 and named for William Barret Travis (1809–1836), the commander of the Texan forces at the Alamo. Travis County was originally carved out of Bastrop County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Travis County are located in Austin.
Which Texas counties border Travis County?+
Travis County shares borders with Williamson, Hays, Caldwell, Bastrop, Blanco, and Burnet 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 Central Texas region.
Where can I download or print a map of Travis County?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Travis 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 Travis 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 Travis County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Travis County is 48453, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 453. 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.