Fort Bend County, Texas

Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County Courthouse, Richmond, November 2008
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°31′35.767″N 95°46′15.654″W / 29.52660194°N 95.77101500°W / 29.52660194; -95.77101500
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1837 (created)
January 13, 1838 (organized)
Named afterA blockhouse positioned in a bend of the Brazos River
SeatRichmond
Largest citySugar Land
Area
  Total
885.250 sq mi (2,292.79 km2)
  Land861.785 sq mi (2,232.01 km2)
  Water23.465 sq mi (60.77 km2)  2.65%
Population
 (2020)
  Total
822,779
  Estimate 
(2024)
958,434
  Density1,112.141/sq mi (429.400/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts7th, 9th, 22nd
Websitefortbendcountytx.gov

Fort Bend County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county was founded on December 29, 1837, and organized the next year. It is named for a blockhouse at a bend of the Brazos River. The community developed around the fort in early days. The county seat is Richmond. The largest city located entirely within the county borders is Sugar Land. The largest city by population in the county is Houston, but most of Houston's population is located in neighboring Harris County.

Fort Bend County is included in the HoustonThe Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, its population was 822,779, making it the state's eighth-most populous county, and was estimated to be 958,434 in 2024. In 2017, Forbes ranked it the fifth-fastest growing county in the United States.