Hays County, Texas
Hays County, Texas | |
|---|---|
Hays County Courthouse, built in 1908 using the eclectic style of architecture | |
Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
| Coordinates: 30°04′N 98°02′W / 30.06°N 98.03°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Founded | 1848 |
| Named after | John Coffee Hays |
| Seat | San Marcos |
| Largest city | San Marcos |
| Area | |
• Total | 680 sq mi (1,800 km2) |
| • Land | 678 sq mi (1,760 km2) |
| • Water | 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2) 0.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 241,067 |
• Estimate (2024) | 292,029 |
| • Density | 356/sq mi (137/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 21st, 35th |
| Website | www |
Hays County is a county in the central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, its official population had reached 241,067. The county seat is San Marcos. Hays, along with Comal and Kendall Counties, was listed in 2017 as one of the nation's fastest-growing counties with a population of at least 10,000. From 2015 to 2016, Hays County, third on the national list, had nearly 10,000 new residents during the year.
The county is named for John Coffee Hays, a Texas Ranger and Mexican–American War officer who fought the Texas- Comanche wars of the 1800s.