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Columbus, the county seat for
Colorado County, is located in South-Central Texas, approximately
75 miles west of Houston, 120 miles east of San Antonio, and 85
miles southeast of Austin. Located between Austin, San Antonio and
Houston, Columbus is within a 120 mile radius of 50% of the state's
population. According to the 2000 U.S. census, the population of
Colorado County was 20,390, while the City of Columbus had a
population of 3,916. The county consists of 949 square miles with a
population density of 23.60 residents per square mile.
Colorado County is a historic
county which was founded in 1836 by Stephen F. Austin, an early
Texas hero. Major communities include Columbus, the county seat,
and Eagle Lake and Weimar. Other communities in Colorado County
include Alleyton, Altair, Bernardo, Borden, Chesterville,
Frelsburg, Garwood, Glidden, Mentz, Nada, Oakland, Provident City,
Rock Island and Sheridan. Historical population statistics derived
from data provided by the United States Census Bureau and the Texas
State Data Center for communities in Colorado County are detailed
below.
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Recent Population Statistics
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2002 |
2000 |
1998
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1996
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1994
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1992
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1990
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Columbus |
3,876 |
3,916 |
3,620
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3,572
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3,598
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3,571
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3,440
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| Eagle
Lake |
3,667 |
3,664 |
3,720
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3,664
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3,656
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3,625
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3,653
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| Weimar |
1,982 |
1,981 |
2,084
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2,062
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2,057
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2,036
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2,059
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Transportation
Infrastructure
Transportation throughout the
county is provided by the major thoroughfares of State Highway 71,
Interstate Highway 10, U.S. Highway 90, U.S. Highway 90A, F.M. 102,
F.M. 3013, F.M. 1093 and F.M. 1055. Union Pacific Railroad provides
rail service to the county. Airports include Robert R. Wells Jr.,
and Eagle Lake Municipal Airport. Commercial air service is
provided by George Bush Intercontinental Airport / Houston (87
miles), Houston Hobby Airport (87 miles), Easterwood Field-College
Station (80 miles) and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (82
miles). Bus lines serving the area include Greyhound and Kerrville
Bus Service.
Economy
According to information
provided by the Texas Workforce Commission, Colorado County has a
labor force of approximately 8,364 people with an unemployment rate
of 3.4% as of October 2002. The Texas Workforce Commission reports
the City of Columbus has a workforce of 1,456 people and an
unemployment rate of 3.0% for the same time period. The following
table illustrates historical labor force and unemployment
statistics for Colorado County and the City of Columbus according
to data furnished by the Texas Workforce Commission.
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