| County: | McLennan County |
| State: | Texas |
| Flag: | Flag of McLennan County, Texas.svg |
| Founded: | 1850 |
| Seat Wl: | Waco |
| Largest City Wl: | Waco |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 1060 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 1037 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 23 |
| Area Percentage: | 2.2 |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Pop: | 260579 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Est: | 268,583 |
| Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Ex Image: | Mcclennan courthouse.jpg |
| Ex Image Size: | 250 |
| Ex Image Cap: | The McLennan County Courthouse in Waco |
| Web: | www.co.mclennan.tx.us |
| Time Zone: | Central |
| District: | 17th |
McLennan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 260,579.[1] Its county seat and largest city is Waco.[2] The U.S. census 2023 county population estimate is 268,583.[3] The county is named for Neil McLennan,[4] an early Scottish settler who worked to evict the Native Americans in frontier Texas. McLennan County is included in the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.
McLennan County was created by the Texas Legislature in 1850 out of Milam County. The county seat, Waco, had been founded as an outpost of the Texas Rangers. It was laid out by George B. Erath, and was known by 1850 as Waco Village.
In the 1880s, pharmacist Charles Alderton developed the carbonated beverage that became known as Dr Pepper. The Dr Pepper business was headquartered in Waco, until it moved to Dallas, Texas. Waco is also home to the Dr Pepper Museum, housed in the 1906 building that was the first stand-alone facility used to bottle Dr Pepper.
According to local lore, the first sustained flight did not occur in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, but just outside Tokio (a small community in McLennan County) by a man flying a gyrocopter. During World War I, McLennan County was home to at least one military airfield, Rich Field. In the aftermath of World War I, when social tensions were high as veterans returned, white racial violence broke out against blacks. The county had 15 lynchings, the second-highest number of any county in the state.
McLennan County's contributions to World War II include the reopening of Rich Field for use by the Air Force, and the opening of James Connally Air Force Base. The latter is now used as the TSTC Waco Airport and Texas State Technical College. County resident Doris Miller was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism at Pearl Harbor; he was the first African American to earn such distinction. Local man James Connally became known as a World War II fighter pilot.
The current County Courthouse is located in the county seat, Waco, Texas, and is the county's fourth courthouse. Completed in 1902 in the Beaux Arts Style, it is the next-to-last example of Architect James Riely Gordon's Texas courthouses. Of the eighteen he designed, thirteen remain standing. The first county courthouse was completed in 1851 for $500, and was a two-story log cabin that was 30' x 30'. McLennan's second courthouse was a two-story brick building completed in 1857 for $11,000. The third courthouse was styled after Second Empire by architect W.C. Dodson, and completed in 1877 at a cost of $24,894.50.[5]
In 1886, Baylor University relocated from Independence, Texas, to Waco and absorbed Waco University. During the early 20th century, McLennan County was home to as many as five colleges. In addition to Baylor, the other colleges included the predecessor to what is now known as Texas Christian University (now in Fort Worth), Paul Quinn College (relocated since to Dallas), and two other short-lived colleges.
In the 1960s, the Texas Legislature authorized McLennan Community College, the first community college to use those words in the name. Around the same time, what is now the flagship institution of Texas State Technical College was founded as James Connally Technical Institute, as a member of the Texas A&M University System. Today, Baylor, McLennan Community College, and Texas State Technical College continue to operate in McLennan County. They educate a large portion of the college-bound high-school graduates from the county and the surrounding areas. McLennan Community College has also partnered with Tarleton State University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and Midwestern State University to offer more than 50 bachelor's or master's degrees.
Crush, Texas, was a temporary "city" in McLennan County, about 15miles north of Waco. It was established to stage a publicity stunt concocted by William George Crush and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. The stunt involved the collision of two 35-ton steam locomotives in front of spectators, whom the railway transported to the event for $2 each. After strong promotion, on September 15, 1896, the event was delayed by an hour as the police maneuvered the crowd of more than 40,000 back to what was thought to be a safe distance.
The crews of the two engines tied the throttles open and jumped off. The two engines, pulling wagons filled with railroad ties, traveled a 4miles track and thunderously crashed into each other at a combined speed up to 120mph. The boilers exploded and sent steam and flying debris into the crowd. Three people were killed and about six were injured, including event photographer Jarvis "Joe" Deane, who lost an eye because of a flying bolt.[6]
Ragtime composer Scott Joplin commemorated the event with "The Great Crush Collision March"; Joplin dedicated the composition to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway.[7] Texas composer and singer Brian Burns wrote and recorded a song about the collision, "The Crash at Crush" (2001).
See main article: West Fertilizer Company explosion.
See main article: 2015 Waco shootout. On May 17, 2015, motorcycle clubs gathered at the Twin Peaks Restaurant in Waco for a Confederation of Clubs meeting. Upon arrival of a large contingent of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, mass violence erupted in the parking lot of Twin Peaks between members of the Bandidos and members of the Cossasks Motorcycle Club. This resulted in nine dead and 18 wounded in the melee between the rival outlaw motorcycle gangs. In 2019, all remaining charges were dropped by the new District Attorney, Barry Johnson.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which are land and (2.2%) are covered by water.[8]
| White alone (NH) | 138,295 | 139,693 | 58.87% | 53.61% | |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 33,892 | 36,130 | 14.43% | 13.87% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 704 | 901 | 0.30% | 0.35% | |
| Asian alone (NH) | 3,128 | 4,873 | 1.33% | 1.87% | |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 84 | 146 | 0.04% | 0.06% | |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 235 | 1,065 | 0.10% | 0.41% | |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 3,097 | 9,184 | 1.32% | 3.52% | |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 55,471 | 68,587 | 23.61% | 26.32% | |
| Total | 234,906 | 260,579 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 US Census,[11] 260,579 people, 94,194 households resided in the county. The population density was 205/mi2. The county now has 107,229 housing units, that are 59.2% owner-occupied with a median value of $165,400. The racial makeup of the county was 79.7% White, 14.9% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 2.3% from two or more races. About 27.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race; 12.8% were of German, 11.0% American, 8.0% English, and 6.9% Irish ancestry.
The 2020 census showed on a heat map that McLennan County displayed an estimated 1.3% of partnered households are in same-sex relationships, though may be undercounted.[12]
In the county, the population was distributed as 24.4% under the age of 18, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The county is composed of 51% female and 49% male residents.
The median income for a household in the county was $53,723. The per capita income for the county in 2010 was $17,174, and in 2020 was $28,421. Approximately 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line.
According to the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, the top employers in McLennan County are:[13] [14]
| Employer | Employees 2015 | Employees 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baylor University | 2,675 | 3,253 | |
| 2 | Waco Independent School District | 2,500 | 2,373 | |
| 3 | Ascension Providence | 2,397 | 2,300 | |
| 4 | HEB | 1,500 | 2,000 | |
| 5 | Baylor Scott & White Health (Hillcrest) | 1,800 | 1,736 | |
| 6 | TSTC | 1,706 | ||
| 7 | Veterans Affairs | 1,682 | ||
| 8 | City of Waco | 1,506 | 1,518 | |
| 9 | Sanderson Farms, Inc. | 1,041 | 1,200 | |
| 10 | Walmart | 1,656 | 1,174 | |
| 11 | McLennan County | 1,157 | ||
| 12 | Midway Independent School District | 1,067 | 1,081 | |
| 13 | AbbVie | 785 | ||
| 14 | L3 Technologies | 2,300 | 774 | |
| 14 | McLennan Community College | 719 | ||
| 15 | Mars Wrigley | 700 | ||
| 16 | Aramark | 696 | ||
| 17 | American Income Life Insurance | 693 | ||
| 18 | Magnolia Network | 675 | ||
| 19 | Texas Materials | 672 | ||
| 20 | Cargill Value Added Meats | 646 | ||
| 21 | Tractor Supply | 640 | ||
| 22 | SpaceX | 590 |
| Legislative representation | Name | Service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States Congress, District 17 | Pete Sessions | 2019 – Present | |
| State Senator, District 22 | Brian Birdwell | 2010 – Present | |
| State Representative, District 56 | Charles Doc Anderson | 2005 – Present | |
| State Representative, District 13 | Angelia Orr | 2023 – Present |
| County Elected Leadership | Name | Service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Scott Felton | 2012 – Present[15] | |
| County Commissioner Pct 1 | Jim Smith | 2021 – Present[16] | |
| County Commissioner Pct 2 | Pat Chisolm-Miller | 2019 – Present | |
| County Commissioner Pct 3 | Will Jones | 2013 – Present | |
| County Commissioner Pct 4 | Ben Perry | 2011 – Present | |
| District Attorney | Josh Tetens | 2023 – Present | |
| District Clerk | Jon Gimble | 2015 – Present[17] | |
| County Clerk | Andy Harwell | 1995 – Present | |
| County Sheriff | Parnell McNamara | 2013 – Present | |
| County Tax Assessor-Collector | Randy Riggs | 2012 – Present | |
| County Treasurer | Bill Helton | 2012 – Present, 1991 - 2010[18] |
| Local Judiciary | Name | Service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenth Court of Appeals, Chief | Tom Gray | 2003 – Present, 1999 - 2003 Associate Justice | |
| Tenth court of Appeals, Place 2 | Matt Johnson | 2021 – Present, 2007 - 2020 Judge 54TH District Court[19] | |
| Tenth court of Appeals, Place 3 | Steve Smith | 2021 – Present, 1998 - 2021 Judge 361ST District Court[20] | |
| State District Judge, 19TH Court | Thomas West | 2021 – Present | |
| State District Judge, 54TH Court | Susan Kelly | 2021 – Present | |
| State District Judge, 74TH Court | Gary Coley, Jr. | 2009 – Present, Local Administrative Judge | |
| State District Judge, 170TH Court | Jim Meyer | 2003 – Present | |
| State District Judge, 414TH Court | Vicki Menard | 2006 – December 1, 2023, | |
| State District Judge, 474TH Court | Alan Bennett | 2023 – Present, appointed by Gov Abbott[21] | |
| County Court at Law Judge, Court 1 | Vikram 'Vik' Deivanayagam | 2018 – Present | |
| County Court at Law Judge, Court 2 | Brad Cates | 2011 – Present[22] | |
| County Court at Law Judge, Court 3 | Ryan Luna | 2021 – Present[23] |
Similar to other counties in the Texas Triangle with mid-sized cities, the county has been reliably Republican for the last half-century, having last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 1976 when it was won by Jimmy Carter.
Several governors of Texas hailed from McLennan County: Ann Richards (1991–1995), the state's second female governor; Pat Morris Neff (1921–1925), who also served as president of Baylor University; Lawrence Sullivan Ross (1887–1891), whose family helped found Waco and who also served as the fourth president of Texas A&M University; and Richard Coke (1874–1876).