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County · code 48419

Shelby CountyTexas

Shelby County is in Texas, with its county seat at Center. The county was created in 1835 from Nacogdoches and San Augustine counties and named after Isaac Shelby.

  • Founded1835
  • County seatCenter
  • Named forIsaac Shelby
  • Land area796 sq mi + 39 sq mi water
  • Population24,022 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped20,312 checked 16 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Shelby County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

San AugustinePanolaDe Soto, LANacogdochesSabineSabine, LARusk Center Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Shelby 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 · Shelby highlighted

History

Formed in 1835 from Nacogdoches County, San Augustine County and Miller County

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

Originally named Tenehaw when created on November 11, 1835, the county was renamed Shelby on January 18, 1836, and became part of the Republic of Texas in 1836. The county's boundaries were defined in 1837 and adjusted multiple times through exchanges with neighboring counties including Sabine, Harrison, Smith, and Rusk. Shelby County became an official county in the newly established state of Texas on December 29, 1845.

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

  1. 1835
    Shelby County created Tenehaw (now Shelby, original county) created from Nacogdoches and San Augustine; overlapped part of Miller (Ark. Terr., extinct). Specific boundaries were not described until 14 Dec 1837. Boundaries mapped are based on 14 Dec 1837 descriptions. Miller (Ark. Terr., extinct) had been established in the same area in 1820, resulting in competing claims to the area by Arkansas Territory and the Republic of Texas.
    from Nacogdochesfrom San Augustinefrom Miller
    · Gammel, 1:Journals of the Consultation, 28
  2. 1836
    Renamed Tenehaw renamed Shelby.
    formerly Tenehaw
    · Gammel, 1:Ordinances and Decrees, Provisional Govt. Texas, 121-122
  3. 1836
    Became part of Texas Shelby became a county in the Republic of Texas. · Connor, 170-171; Swindler, 9:254-255
  4. 1837
    Exchanged territory Shelby boundaries defined; Shelby exchanged with Sabine.
    with Sabine
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1837, 2d cong., 1st sess./p. 48
  5. 1845
    Became part of Texas Shelby 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 12 changes (7 more)
  1. 1835
    Shelby County created Tenehaw (now Shelby, original county) created from Nacogdoches and San Augustine; overlapped part of Miller (Ark. Terr., extinct). Specific boundaries were not described until 14 Dec 1837. Boundaries mapped are based on 14 Dec 1837 descriptions. Miller (Ark. Terr., extinct) had been established in the same area in 1820, resulting in competing claims to the area by Arkansas Territory and the Republic of Texas.
    from Nacogdochesfrom San Augustinefrom Miller
    · Gammel, 1:Journals of the Consultation, 28
  2. 1836
    Renamed Tenehaw renamed Shelby.
    formerly Tenehaw
    · Gammel, 1:Ordinances and Decrees, Provisional Govt. Texas, 121-122
  3. 1836
    Became part of Texas Shelby became a county in the Republic of Texas. · Connor, 170-171; Swindler, 9:254-255
  4. 1837
    Exchanged territory Shelby boundaries defined; Shelby exchanged with Sabine.
    with Sabine
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1837, 2d cong., 1st sess./p. 48
  5. 1839
    Lost territory Shelby lost to creation of Harrison.
    to Harrison
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1838, 3d cong./p. 143
  6. 1841
    Exchanged territory Shelby exchanged with Harrison.
    with Harrison
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1840, 5th cong./ pp. 153-155
  7. 1842
    Lost territory Shelby lost small area to creation of Smith (Judicial County).
    to Smith
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1841, 6th cong., 1st sess./pp. 87-89
  8. c. 1842
    Gained territory Shelby gained small area from Smith (Judicial County) when Republic of Texas Supreme Court ruled judicial counties unconstitutional.
    from Smith
    · "Stockton v. Montgomery" in Dallam, 473-486
  9. 1843
    Lost territory Shelby lost small area to creation of Rusk.
    to Rusk
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1842, 7th cong./pp. 39-41
  10. 1844
    Lost territory Shelby lost to Rusk.
    to Rusk
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1844, 9th cong., 1st sess./p. 8
  11. 1845
    Gained territory Shelby gained from Rusk.
    from Rusk
    · Texas Repub. Laws 1844, 9th cong., 1st sess./p. 62
  12. 1845
    Became part of Texas Shelby 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 Shelby

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

Shelby by the Census

Population
24,022 2020 Census count
Housing units
11,420 2020 Census count
Land area
796 square miles
Water area
39 square miles
People per sq mi
30 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

Shelby County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Shelby 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 Shelby County

When was Shelby County founded?
Shelby County was founded in 1835, formed from Nacogdoches County, San Augustine County and Miller County, and named after Isaac Shelby.
What is the county seat of Shelby County?
The county seat of Shelby County is Center.
Is there an online parcel map for Shelby County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 20,312 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Shelby County's boundary or name changed?
Shelby County was created in 1835 from Nacogdoches County, San Augustine County and Miller County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 11 later changes, chiefly involving Rusk County, Harrison County and Smith County. It was formerly called Tenehaw.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Shelby 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