Harris County, Texas
Harris County | |
|---|---|
Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
Texas's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 29°51′26″N 95°23′35″W / 29.857273°N 95.393037°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Founded | December 22, 1836 (created) March 10, 1837 (organized) |
| Named after | John Richardson Harris |
| Seat | Houston |
| Largest city | Houston |
| Government | |
| • County judge | Lina Hidalgo |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,777.359 sq mi (4,603.34 km2) |
| • Land | 1,707.288 sq mi (4,421.86 km2) |
| • Water | 70.071 sq mi (181.48 km2) 3.94% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,731,145 |
• Estimate (2024) | 5,009,302 |
| • Density | 2,934.457/sq mi (1,133.000/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 2nd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 18th, 22nd, 29th, 36th, 38th |
| Website | harriscountytx.gov |
Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145, and was estimated to be 5,009,302 in 2024, making it the most populous county in Texas and the third-most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston, the most populous city in Texas and the fourth-most populous city in the United States. The county was founded on December 22, 1836 and organized on March 10, 1837. It is named for John Richardson Harris, who founded the town of Harrisburg on Buffalo Bayou in 1826. It contains over 16.01% of the state's population. Harris County is included in the nine-county Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area, which is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States.