Harris County | |
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![]() Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
![]() Texas's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 29°52′N 95°23′W / 29.86°N 95.39°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | December 22, 1836 |
Named for | John Richardson Harris |
Seat | Houston |
Largest city | Houston |
Area | |
• Total | 1,780.26 sq mi (4,610.9 km2) |
• Land | 1,706.96 sq mi (4,421.0 km2) |
• Water | 73.30 sq mi (189.8 km2) 4.2% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,731,145 |
• Estimate (2023) | 4,835,125 ![]() |
• Density | 2,830/sq mi (1,094/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional districts | 2nd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 18th, 22nd, 29th, 36th, 38th |
Website | www |
Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas; as of the 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145,[1] making it the most populous county in Texas and the third-most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston, the most populous city in Texas and fourth-most populous city in the United States. The county was founded in 1836 and organized in 1837.[2][3] It is named for John Richardson Harris, who founded the town of Harrisburg on Buffalo Bayou in 1826.[2] According to the July 2023 census estimate, Harris County's population has shifted to 4,835,125 comprising over 16% of Texas's population. Harris County is included in the nine-county Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area, which is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States.