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County · code 48201

Harris CountyTexas

Harris County is a county in Texas with its seat in Houston. It was created on January 1, 1836, from Austin and Liberty counties and named after John Richardson Harris.

  • Founded1836
  • County seatHouston
  • Named forJohn Richardson Harris
  • Land area1,707 sq mi + 70 sq mi water
  • Population4,731,145 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped1,546,774 checked 14 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Harris County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

MontgomeryFort BendWallerLibertyBrazoriaGalvestonChambers Houston Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Harris on the map of Texas

Texas has 254 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

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Counties of Texas · Harris highlighted

History

Formed in 1836 from Austin County and Liberty County

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

Harris County was established as a municipality by the Provisional Government of Texas in 1836, becoming a county of the Republic of Texas on March 17, 1836. The county was renamed from Harrisburg to Harris on December 29, 1839, and became a county in the state of Texas after statehood on December 29, 1845. Harris County experienced multiple boundary changes between 1836 and 1841, including the creation of Fort Bend, Galveston, Montgomery, and Spring Creek counties from its territory.

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

  1. 1836
    Harris County created Harrisburg (now Harris, original county) created from Austin and Liberty; established as a municipality by the Provisional Government of Texas.
    from Austinfrom Liberty
    · Gammel, 1:Ordinances and Decrees, Provisional Govt. Texas, 119
  2. 1836
    Became part of Texas Harrisburg (now Harris) became a county in the Republic of Texas. · Connor, 170-171; Swindler, 9:254-255
  3. 1836
    Gained territory Harrisburg (now Harris) gained Galveston Island. · Texas Repub. Laws 1836, 1st cong./p. 224
  4. 1839
    Renamed Harrisburg renamed Harris.
    formerly Harrisburg
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1839, 4th cong./p. 222
  5. 1845
    Became part of Texas Harris became a county in the newly-established state of Texas. · Texas Repub. Laws 1845, 9th cong., spec. sess./pp. 4-6; U.S. Stat., vol. 9, res. 1 [1845]/p. 108; Van Zandt, 122
Show all 14 changes (9 more)
  1. 1836
    Harris County created Harrisburg (now Harris, original county) created from Austin and Liberty; established as a municipality by the Provisional Government of Texas.
    from Austinfrom Liberty
    · Gammel, 1:Ordinances and Decrees, Provisional Govt. Texas, 119
  2. 1836
    Became part of Texas Harrisburg (now Harris) became a county in the Republic of Texas. · Connor, 170-171; Swindler, 9:254-255
  3. 1836
    Gained territory Harrisburg (now Harris) gained Galveston Island. · Texas Repub. Laws 1836, 1st cong./p. 224
  4. 1837
    Gained territory Harrisburg (now Harris) gained from Washington.
    from Washington
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1837, 2d cong., 1st sess./p. 49
  5. 1837
    Lost territory Harrisburg (now Harris) lost to Liberty.
    to Liberty
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1837, 2d cong., 1st sess./p. 84
  6. 1837
    Lost territory Harrisburg (now Harris) lost to creation of Fort Bend.
    to Fort Bend
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1837, 2d cong., 1st sess./p. 118
  7. 1838
    Lost territory Harrisburg (now Harris) lost to creation of Galveston.
    to Galveston
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1838, 2d cong., 2d sess./p. 24
  8. 1839
    Renamed Harrisburg renamed Harris.
    formerly Harrisburg
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1839, 4th cong./p. 222
  9. 1840
    Lost territory Harris lost to Montgomery.
    to Montgomery
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1839, 4th cong./p. 222
  10. 1840
    Lost territory Harris lost to Fort Bend.
    to Fort Bend
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1839, 4th cong./p. 220
  11. 1841
    Lost territory Harris lost to creation of Spring Creek (Judicial County).
    to Spring Creek
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1840, 5th cong./p. 49
  12. 1841
    Lost territory Harris lost to Fort Bend.
    to Fort Bend
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1840, 5th cong./pp. 80, 136
  13. c. 1842
    Gained territory Harris gained from Spring Creek (Judicial County) when Republic of Texas Supreme Court ruled judicial counties unconstitutional.
    from Spring Creek
    · "Stockton v. Montgomery" in Dallam, 473-486
  14. 1845
    Became part of Texas Harris became a county in the newly-established state of Texas. · Texas Repub. Laws 1845, 9th cong., spec. sess./pp. 4-6; U.S. Stat., vol. 9, res. 1 [1845]/p. 108; Van Zandt, 122

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Harris

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

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

Harris by the Census

Population
4,731,145 2020 Census count
Housing units
1,842,683 2020 Census count
Land area
1,707 square miles
Water area
70 square miles
People per sq mi
2,772 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

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Harris 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.

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Questions

Common questions about Harris County

When was Harris County founded?
Harris County was founded in 1836, formed from Austin County and Liberty County, and named after John Richardson Harris.
What is the county seat of Harris County?
The county seat of Harris County is Houston.
Is there an online parcel map for Harris County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 1,546,774 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Harris County's boundary or name changed?
Harris County was created in 1836 from Austin County and Liberty County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 13 later changes, chiefly involving Fort Bend County, Spring Creek County and Galveston County. It was formerly called Harrisburg.
Who issues building permits in Harris County?
The county's page on building permits: Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Harris County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door