When was Cameron County founded?

Cameron County was founded in 1848, formed from Nueces County, and named after Ewen Cameron.

What is the county seat of Cameron County?

The county seat of Cameron County is Brownsville.

Is there an online parcel map for Cameron County?

Yes. Cameron County publishes a parcel map of 188,017 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Cameron County's boundary or name changed?

Cameron County was created in 1848 from Nueces County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Nueces County, Willacy County and Hidalgo County.

Who issues building permits in Cameron County?

The county's page on building permits: BEER & WINE PERMITS (T.A.B.C.) - Cameron County. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Who issues septic and well permits in Cameron County?

The county's page on septic systems and wells: Contáctanos.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Cameron County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 48061

Cameron CountyTexas

Cameron County is a county in Texas with its seat in Brownsville. The county was formed on February 12, 1848, from Nueces County and named after Ewen Cameron.

Founded1848
County seatBrownsville
Named forEwen Cameron
Land area892 sq mi + 385 sq mi water
Population421,017 2020 Census
Parcels mapped188,017 checked 15 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Cameron County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1848 from Nueces County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Cameron County was created from Nueces County on February 12, 1848, but was not fully organized until September 11, 1848. The county lost territory over time: Hidalgo County was created from it in 1852, Willacy County in 1911, and Kleberg County in 1913. Additional territory was lost to Nueces County in 1870 and to Willacy County in 1921. In 1947, the county's boundaries were extended to the continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1848
Cameron County created Cameron created from Nueces; Cameron not fully organized.
from Nueces
12 February 1848 · Texas Laws 1847, 2d leg., ch. 35/p. 27
1848
Changed Cameron fully organized. 11 September 1848 · "Cameron County," New Handbook of Texas, 1:919
1852
Lost territory Cameron lost to creation of Hidalgo.
to Hidalgo
24 January 1852 · Texas Laws 1851, 4th leg., reg. sess., ch. 42/p. 32
1870
Lost territory Cameron lost to Nueces.
to Nueces
26 July 1870 · Texas Laws 1870, 12th leg., called sess., ch. 27/p. 40
1921
Lost territory Cameron lost to Willacy.
to Willacy
2 April 1921 · Texas Laws 1921, 37th leg., reg. sess., ch. 104/pp. 200-207

Show all 9 changes (4 more, mostly small adjustments)

1848
Cameron County created Cameron created from Nueces; Cameron not fully organized.
from Nueces
12 February 1848 · Texas Laws 1847, 2d leg., ch. 35/p. 27
1848
Changed Cameron fully organized. 11 September 1848 · "Cameron County," New Handbook of Texas, 1:919
1851
Boundary clarified Cameron boundaries clarified (no change).
no change
8 December 1851 · Texas Laws 1851, 4th leg., reg. sess., ch. 10/p. 8
1852
Lost territory Cameron lost to creation of Hidalgo.
to Hidalgo
24 January 1852 · Texas Laws 1851, 4th leg., reg. sess., ch. 42/p. 32
1870
Lost territory Cameron lost to Nueces.
to Nueces
26 July 1870 · Texas Laws 1870, 12th leg., called sess., ch. 27/p. 40
1911
Lost territory Cameron lost to creation of Willacy; small remnants of Cameron remained along its former northern boundary with Nueces.
to Willacy to Nueces
11 March 1911 · Texas Laws 1911, 32d leg., reg. sess., ch. 48/pp. 83-87
1913
Lost territory Cameron lost small remnants along former northern boundary to creation of Kleberg.
to Kleberg
27 February 1913 · Texas Laws 1913, 33d leg., reg. sess., ch. 10/pp. 14-17
1921
Lost territory Cameron lost to Willacy.
to Willacy
2 April 1921 · Texas Laws 1921, 37th leg., reg. sess., ch. 104/pp. 200-207
1947
Changed Boundaries of Cameron extended to the continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. 4 September 1947 · Texas Laws 1947, 50th leg., reg. sess., ch. 287/p. 490

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Cameron

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 188,017 parcels from Cameron County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 5 October 2026 · checked 15 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 178,246 in all from Texas Geographic Information Office (TxGIO, formerly TNRIS), a division of the Texas Water Development Board; StratMap program.
checked 14 October 2026
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Cameron by the Census

Population

421,017 2020 Census count

Housing units

154,905 2020 Census count

Land area

892 square miles

Water area

385 square miles · 30% of the county, including large bodies of water

People per sq mi

472 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Permits

Health department: septic and well 956-247-3599from cameroncountytx.gov · checked 13 October 2026
BEER & WINE PERMITS (T.A.B.C.) - Cameron Countyfrom cameroncountytx.gov
Building Permits & Developmentfrom cameroncountytx-energovpub.tylerhost.net
On-Site Sewage Facility Septic Systemsfrom cameroncountytx.gov

Zoning and code

Planning and zoningfrom cameroncountytx.gov · checked 13 October 2026

County government

County government
The official website of Cameron County.
cameroncountytx.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Cameron County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Cameron County

When was Cameron County founded?: Cameron County was founded in 1848, formed from Nueces County, and named after Ewen Cameron.
What is the county seat of Cameron County?: The county seat of Cameron County is Brownsville.
Is there an online parcel map for Cameron County?: Yes. Cameron County publishes a parcel map of 188,017 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Cameron County's boundary or name changed?: Cameron County was created in 1848 from Nueces County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Nueces County, Willacy County and Hidalgo County.
Who issues building permits in Cameron County?: The county's page on building permits: BEER & WINE PERMITS (T.A.B.C.) - Cameron County. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Who issues septic and well permits in Cameron County?: The county's page on septic systems and wells: Contáctanos.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Cameron County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby