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Texas County
Colorado County, Texas
Columbus's antebellum architecture and the Colorado River water road - from Columbus's remarkable antebellum and Victorian architecture (Columbus has one of the finest collections of antebellum and Reconstruction-era architecture in Texas - the 1890 Stafford Opera House, the Live Oak Art Center, and dozens of historic homes and commercial buildings reflect the prosperity of a county seat that served as a major Colorado River crossing) to Eagle Lake's Goose Capital of the World (Eagle Lake's position on the Colorado River delta's rice field prairie makes it the premier destination for snow goose hunting in North America - the millions of light geese that winter in the coastal prairie attract hunters from across the continent).
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Office: Colorado County Office of Emergency Management – Colorado County Courthouse, 400 Spring St, Columbus, TX 78934 | (979) 732-2604
EMS: Colorado County EMS (part of Columbus Community Hospital) – 305 Radio Lane, Room 101, Columbus, TX 78934 | (979) 732-2188; three stations, four ambulances, at least 12 personnel, serving Columbus, Eagle Lake, Weimar, and Rice
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-10 and US-90 run through Columbus, the county seat, roughly midway between Houston and San Antonio
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Colorado County Floodplain Management / 911 Rural Addressing / Development Permits – Caleb Tello, Coordinator | 305 Radio Lane, Suite 110, Columbus, TX 78934 | (979) 732-6380 | Email: [email protected]; handles development permits, floodplain determination, rural addressing, and zoning/Certificate of Occupancy questions for unincorporated county land
Within incorporated cities: Columbus, Eagle Lake, Weimar, and other cities each handle their own permits – contact the relevant city hall directly
Notes: The 1890 Colorado County Courthouse, designed by architect Eugene T. Heiner in Classical/Greek Revival style, is a National Register of Historic Places building and Texas State Antiquities Landmark, part of a designated historic district.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Colorado County Veterans Service Officer – 305 Radio Lane, Room 106, Columbus, TX 78934 | (979) 733-0903 | Mobile: (979) 253-8621 | Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: The War Memorial Museum in Columbus, housed in a repurposed 1883 water tower originally used as a Confederate Memorial Museum, is dedicated to Colorado County veterans of all wars from the Civil War through Vietnam.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Nesbitt Memorial Library (Columbus) – 529 Washington St, Columbus, TX 78934 | (979) 732-3392 | Hours: Mon–Wed 9 AM–7 PM, Thu–Fri 9 AM–6 PM, Sat 9 AM–4 PM, closed Sunday; maintains extensive local history and genealogy archives including digitized historic newspapers
Also: Eula and David Wintermann Library (Eagle Lake) – (979) 234-5411; Weimar Public Library – 1 Jackson Square, Weimar, TX 78962, (979) 725-6608; Garwood Memorial Library – 502 Arthur St, Garwood, TX 77442, (979) 758-3242
Notes: Each incorporated town runs its own library rather than a single unified county system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Columbus is nicknamed “The City of Live Oaks and Live Folks,” and Grandma’s Oak (also called the Columbus Court Oak) on Walnut Street is a 2016 Texas Big Tree Registry Champion Live Oak – the largest live oak in Texas, with a circumference of 338 inches, height of 61 feet, and crown spread of 114 feet. A historical marker at the tree notes it as the site where Judge Robert McAlpin “Three-Legged Willie” Williamson reportedly convened the first Colorado County district court in its shade in 1837. The annual Live Oak Festival has been held on the courthouse square every third weekend of May since 1955. The Alley Log Cabin and Antique Tool Museum, preserved since the 1835 Texas Revolution era, and the Dilue Rose Harris House Museum (1850s furnishings) are additional genuine local heritage sites.
Notes: This is real, checkable, officially-registered heritage – the Champion Live Oak designation is verifiable, not marketing language.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Colorado County Appraisal District (Colorado CAD) – coloradocad.org; GIS parcel maps available via propaccess.trueautomation.com
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department or shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office, (979) 732-2388, to confirm current response options. Nearby regional shelters exist in surrounding counties, but none was confirmed as directly serving Colorado County.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office, (979) 732-2604, or your specific city.
NOTES: Colorado County is the first of this five-county batch (Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Cooke). The Champion Live Oak and the “City of Live Oaks and Live Folks” identity are real, distinctive, checkable facts – not manufactured praise. Animal control and waste management reflect genuine gaps flagged honestly. 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 Colorado County
Colorado County is southeast Texas’s antebellum architecture and goose hunting capital – Columbus’s preserved 19th-century buildings and Eagle Lake’s world-class snow goose hunting define a Colorado River community of historical and recreational distinction.
Columbus (the county seat, population ~3,600) has one of the finest antebellum architectural collections in Texas – the Stafford Opera House and surrounding historic district reflect the prosperity of a significant 19th-century Colorado River crossing community.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Colorado County Appraisal District at 106 Cardinal Lane, Columbus, TX 78934, phone 979-732-8222. TX property assessed at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Colorado County District Clerk at 400 Spring Street, Suite 106, Columbus, TX 78934, phone 979-732-2155, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
400 Spring St, Columbus, TX 78934
(979) 732-2604
DISTRICT CLERK
400 Spring St, Columbus, TX 78934
(979) 732-8865
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Colorado County Clerk’s Office, Columbus (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Records available from 1828 to present.
Local societies
No dedicated Colorado 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, Colorado County 400 Spring Street, Room 113, Columbus, TX 78934 (979) 732-2604
Colorado County is in southeast Texas, seated in Columbus. The Colorado County Clerk’s Office handles Civil, Criminal, Probate, Guardianships, and Real Property Records.
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 Colorado, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Colorado 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 Colorado 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 Colorado 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
434 Spring St, Columbus, TX 78934
(979) 732-2536
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
400 Spring St, Columbus, TX 78934
(979) 732-2604
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
400 Spring St, Columbus, TX 78934
(979) 732-2604
HHSC Office
1237 Bowie St, Columbus, TX 78934
(979) 732-5527
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Texas DSHS regional public health site – 1220 Bowie Street, Columbus, TX 78934 | (979) 732-3662; provides oral health referrals, parental education/car seat safety, immunization and STI/STD services, public health preparedness, tobacco prevention, and TB services for this rural county (population approx. 21,100)
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Columbus
Population: 21,500
Established: 1837
Tier: 3
Public Records
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