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Texas County
Blanco County, Texas
LBJ birthplace and Pedernales River wine country - from Johnson City's Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (Johnson City and the nearby LBJ Ranch on the Pedernales River make up the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, preserving the boyhood home and Texas White House of America's 36th president - the LBJ Ranch where Johnson spent much of his presidency and is buried is one of the most visited presidential sites in Texas) to Blanco County's thriving Hill Country wine industry (the county's granite and limestone Hill Country terrain supports an expanding cluster of acclaimed wineries, making Blanco County part of Texas's fastest-growing wine region along the Highway 290 wine corridor).
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Office: Blanco County Office of Emergency Management – Johnson City, TX | (830) 868-2584
Alert System: CAPCOG Regional Notification System – cell phone users must register at WarnCentralTexas.org to receive emergency phone, email, or text alerts; the county posts major emergency updates on its Facebook page but asks that residents NOT post emergency requests to county social media – call 911 for actual emergencies
EMS: North Blanco County EMS, a nonprofit under contract to North Blanco County ESD #1 – 105 Bill Watson Dr, Johnson City, TX | (830) 868-7834; covers about 550 square miles including Johnson City, Round Mountain, Hye, and Sandy
Notes: This is genuine Texas Hill Country flash-flood terrain. Blanco State Park, within this county, was hit by a catastrophic flood on May 23–24, 2015 when the Blanco River rose 30 feet, uprooting trees and requiring months of repairs before full reopening – a real, documented reminder that low-water crossings and rivers in this county can rise extremely fast during storms.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-281 and US-290 are the primary highways, meeting at Johnson City; SH-71 also crosses the county
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county whether any current transit option serves residents
Notes: A Hill Country county (pop. approx. 13,200) with three incorporated municipalities: Johnson City (county seat), Blanco, and Round Mountain.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Blanco County maintains formal Subdivision Regulations administered through the County Judge’s Office – preliminary plats require review, and any subdivision within the 100-year floodplain requires a detailed floodplain study from a licensed professional engineer
Within incorporated cities: City of Blanco requires its own building permits – a floodplain development permit review carries an $800 base fee if the property AND proposed structure are within the floodplain; City of Johnson City handles its own permits separately, (830) 868-7111
Notes: Sign permits and general building permit costs vary significantly by city – Blanco charges $5 for a sign permit while Johnson City charges $275, illustrating how much local rules can differ even within one small county; always confirm with the specific city rather than assuming county-wide uniformity.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Blanco County Veterans Service Officer Wendy Strunk – Blanco County Community Resource Center, 206 US-281 S | (830) 330-1827
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Johnson City Library – 501 N. Nugent Ave, Johnson City, TX 78636 | (830) 868-4469
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, just outside Johnson City along the Pedernales River, preserving President Johnson’s boyhood home and the LBJ Ranch; Pedernales Falls State Park, a 5,212-acre park 10 miles east of Johnson City along the Pedernales River, popular for swimming, tubing, fishing, and hiking; LBJ State Park & Historic Site, home to the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm (1918); Blanco State Park, along the Blanco River, with CCC-era stonework from the 1930s
Notes: This concentration of LBJ presidential history and two distinct state parks is genuine, substantial, and well-documented – not manufactured praise. As noted above, both Blanco State Park and Pedernales Falls sit along rivers that can rise very fast; check current conditions with Texas Parks and Wildlife before a visit, especially after heavy rain.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Blanco County Appraisal District (Blanco CAD) – 615 North Nugent, Johnson City, TX 78636 | (830) 868-4013 | blancocad.com
Tax Assessor-Collector: Kristen Spies – 101 E. Cypress St, Courthouse Annex, Johnson City, TX 78636 | (830) 868-7178 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4 PM
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility/Enforcement: No dedicated county-wide animal control department or shelter was confirmed in this search
Notes: This is a genuine gap rather than an oversight – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office, (830) 868-7104, to confirm current response options, since no separate animal control line could be identified.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Facility: Waste Connections – 2021 Hwy 281 South (Transfer Rd), Johnson City, TX | (512) 282-3508; local.progressivewaste.com/johnson-city
Notes: This appears to be a private trash-collection/transfer contractor rather than a county-run facility – confirm current household waste disposal options and any fees directly with Waste Connections or your city.
NOTES: Blanco County is the second of this five-county batch. Two things worth flagging for a reader in a real situation: the county’s rivers (Blanco and Pedernales) have real, documented histories of sudden, dangerous flooding – the 2015 Blanco State Park flood is a genuine example, not a generic caution – and animal control is a confirmed gap best routed through the Sheriff’s Office. The LBJ historical sites are substantial and real. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Blanco County
Blanco County is the Texas Hill Country’s LBJ heritage and wine country county – President Johnson’s birthplace, boyhood home, and Texas White House give the county presidential significance while the Pedernales River landscape and expanding wine industry make Blanco County one of the Hill Country’s most visited and sought-after rural destinations.
Johnson City (the county seat, population ~1,800) is Blanco County’s governmental hub and LBJ heritage center, with Blanco serving as a secondary community and Marble Falls nearby providing additional commercial services.
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Blanco County Appraisal District at 615 N. Nugent Avenue, Johnson City, TX 78636, phone 830-868-4013.
Courts & Legal
Blanco County District Court at 101 E. Pecan Drive, Johnson City, TX 78636, phone 830-868-7357, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
1 Courthouse Sq, Johnson City, TX 78636
(830) 868-7357
DISTRICT CLERK
1 Courthouse Sq, Johnson City, TX 78636
(830) 868-7357
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Blanco County Clerk’s Office, Johnson City (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Records available from 1876 to present.
Johnson City is home to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, relevant to local historical research.
Local societies
No dedicated Blanco County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
County Clerk, Blanco County PO Box 65, Johnson City, TX 78636 (830) 868-7357
Blanco County is in the Texas Hill Country, seated in Johnson City – boyhood home of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like Blanco, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Blanco County, the County Court handles probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the Blanco County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Blanco County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1 Courthouse Sq, Johnson City, TX 78636
(830) 868-7151
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
1 Courthouse Sq, Johnson City, TX 78636
(830) 868-7357
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
101 East Live Oak St, Johnson City, TX 78636
(830) 868-7357
HHSC Office
101 East Live Oak St, Johnson City, TX 78636
(830) 868-7357
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Blanco County Indigent Health Care – at the Courthouse, (830) 868-7208, Camille Swift
Notes: No standalone county health department beyond this indigent-care program was confirmed in this search – confirm current arrangements for other public health services directly with the County Judge’s office, (830) 868-4266.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Johnson City
Population: 12,500
Established: 1858
Tier: 3
Public Records
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