Kleberg County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kleberg County
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The Kleberg County Courthouse in Kingsville. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 10, 2010.
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Location within the U.S. state of Texas
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 Texas's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1913 |
| Named for | Robert J. Kleberg |
| Seat | Kingsville |
| Largest city | Kingsville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,090 sq mi (2,800 km2) |
| • Land | 881 sq mi (2,280 km2) |
| • Water | 209 sq mi (540 km2) 19% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 31,040 |
| • Density | 28.48/sq mi (11.00/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 34th |
Kleberg County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 31,040. The county seat is Kingsville. The county was organized in 1913 and is named for Robert J. Kleberg, an early settler.
Kleberg County is part of the Kingsville, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also part of the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX Combined Statistical Area. Most of the county's land lies in the famed King Ranch, which also extends into neighboring counties.
Contents
History
The county was organized in 1913 and was named for Robert J. Kleberg, an early settler (see below).
In 1997, the county commissioners designated "HeavenO" as the county's official greeting because of a taboo stemming from "Hello"'s perceived connotations of Hell.
Robert Justus Kleberg
Robert Justus Kleberg Sr. (1803–1888), a Prussian settler, was born on September 10, 1803, in Herstelle, Westphalia. His father was a merchant.
Kleberg was educated in the classics and attended the University of Göttingen, where he received a J.D. degree. After graduating he was appointed a justice of assizes. He married Rosalie von Roeder near Paderborn, Prussia, in 1834. They emigrated to Texas that year and settled in Cat Spring in 1836.
In the Republic of Texas, Kleberg was associate commissioner and president of the Board of Land Commissioners (1837–38), justice of the peace (1841), and chief justice of Austin County (1846). In 1847 the Kleberg's moved to Meyersville, where Kleberg was elected county commissioner in 1848 and chief justice in 1853.
Kleberg fought in the battle of San Jacinto in Capt. Moseley Baker's company and subsequently served as one of the Texas guards for Gen. Santa Anna. After the revolution, he volunteered for six months' duty in the Texas army in a campaign against the Indians on Escondido Creek.
Kleberg supported the cause of the Confederacy. When the Civil War broke out he raised a company of militia but because of his advanced age was not received into active service. Robert and Rosa raised their own seven children in addition to several young Roeder relatives. Their youngest son, Robert Justus Kleberg Jr. married Alice Gertrudis King.
Kleberg died on October 23, 1888, near Cuero and was buried there. His grave is marked by a monument in the form of a soldier's tent with the words "Remember the Alamo" carved at the base. Kleberg County was named in his honor in 1913; a marker at his home site near Cuero was erected in 1936.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,090 square miles (2,800 km2), of which 881 square miles (2,280 km2) is land and 209 square miles (540 km2) (19%) is water. It borders the Gulf of Mexico. Baffin Bay makes up a large part of the border with Kenedy County.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 77
Interstate 69E is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 77 in most places.
State Highway 141
State Highway 285
Farm to Market Road 771
Park Road 22
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Adjacent counties
- Nueces County (north)
- Kenedy County (south)
- Brooks County (southwest)
- Jim Wells County (west)
National protected area
- Padre Island National Seashore (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 7,837 | — | |
| 1930 | 12,451 | 58.9% | |
| 1940 | 13,344 | 7.2% | |
| 1950 | 21,991 | 64.8% | |
| 1960 | 30,052 | 36.7% | |
| 1970 | 33,166 | 10.4% | |
| 1980 | 33,358 | 0.6% | |
| 1990 | 30,274 | −9.2% | |
| 2000 | 31,549 | 4.2% | |
| 2010 | 32,061 | 1.6% | |
| 2020 | 31,040 | −3.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 7,479 | 6,728 | 23.33% | 21.68% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,070 | 995 | 3.34% | 3.21% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 51 | 83 | 0.16% | 0.27% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 715 | 784 | 2.23% | 2.53% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 26 | 1 | 0.08% | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 28 | 97 | 0.09% | 0.31% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 197 | 432 | 0.61% | 1.39% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 22,495 | 21,920 | 70.16% | 70.62% |
| Total | 32,061 | 31,040 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
Religion
68.1% of the people in Kleberg County are religious: 37.3% are Catholics, 9.8% are Baptists, 8% are Muslims, 3.3% are Methodists, 2.7% are Pentecostals, 2.0% are Mormons, 0.9% are Lutherans, 0.7% are Presbyterians, 0.6% are Episcopalians and 2.8% are from another Christian faith.
Communities
Cities and towns
- Kingsville (county seat)
Census-designated places
Unincorporated community
Education
School districts include:
- Kingsville Independent School District
- Ricardo Independent School District
- Riviera Independent School District
- Santa Gertrudis Independent School District
Coastal Bend College (formerly Bee County College) is the designated community college for the Kingsville, Ricardo, and Santa Gertrudis school district areas. The Riviera ISD portion is in the Del Mar College-Corpus Christi Junior College District.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Kleberg para niños
