Johnson County is located in the state of Texas, in the north central part of the state; the county is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metro area.  The estimated population of the county is 126,811 and the county seat to Johnson County is Cleburne.  The county is twenty-nine miles to the south of Fort Worth and fifty-five miles southwest of Dallas. 

 

Johnson County is made up of 740 square miles and has three geographical areas.  The Grand Prairie is in the western half of the county and has alkaline loam over limestone, which is the predominant soil type.  The Eastern Cross Timbers contains one-third of the county, the soils in this area are acid soils made up of sandy with loamy subsoils and clay subsoils, both are loamy.  Blackland Prairie contains the rest of the county to the east, the soils here are deep clayey, alkaline soils.  The Grand Prairie area is inhabited by rabbits, coyotes, squirrels and white-tailed deer and sustains grasses with mesquite and cedar.  The Eastern Cross Timbers includes acreage of improved kleingrass and Bermuda grass and is a post oak Savannah.  The Blackland areas grow cash crops of small grains, grain sorghum and cotton.  Bermuda grass and kleingrass have also been established here.  Sand and gravel are the county's primary natural resources.

 

The topography is gently sloping to level in parts of the east and starts to slowly change in the western parts to steep areas.  The elevation is all above sea level and ranges from 600 to 1,000 feet.  The county gets most of its water from the Nolan and Brazos rivers.  The Nolan river runs through the center of the county, north to south, and meets the Brazos river.  The Brazos river travels beside the southwestern border of Johnson County.  Mountain Creek, Valley Creek, Buffalo Creek, Walnut Creek, Mustang Creek, and Chambers Creek are all secondary streams that run through the county.  The primary reservoirs are Lake Pat Cleburne and Lake Whitney.  The county gets an average precipitation of thirty-three inches, annually.  The temperatures range from 35° in the winter to 96° in the summer, on average.  There are usually 233 days in the growing season.

~ The History of Johnson County ~

No Indian villages were located on the land now known as Johnson County, but the area was hunted by many Indian tribes such as Wacos, Caddos, Anadardos, Kickapoos and Tonkawas tribes.  In 1831 after many settlers had come to the area, the Caddo Indians started small wars that would force many of these settlers from their homes, many of which were burned.  After this no other known conflicts happened with the Indians.

 

The land was settled on again in the 1840s when the Robertson's colony came to the northern part of the county and included the Peters colony, with the Mercer colony to the south.  A trading post was established close-by Comanche Peak by George and Charles Barnard.  Henry Briden was Johnson County's first known resident, he settled on the Nolan River banks in 1849.  In 1854, the county was marked off for the counties of Hill, Navarro, and Ellis.  At the time the population was 700.  Johnson County got its name from Middleton T. Johnson; he was a soldier that served in the Civil War, and Mexican War on the Texas frontier, he later became a legislator.  Wardville was the first county seat in Johnson County, which later became Buchanan in 1856 after the newly elected president renamed it.  In 1867, the county seat became Cleburne after the west part of the county was severed and in 1881 the boundary were complete with the addition of a section of Ellis county.

 

When the railroads came, many important changes came along with it.  The first railroad once passed through Venus, then Cleburne was connected in 1881 to Dallas by the railroad.  Santa Fe, Colorado and the Gulf were also completed that year, each traveling through Johnson County.  Eventually this line would connect to the Texas coast with the Santa Fe, Topeka, and Atchison line in the north.  The Santa Fe repair shops were a vital part of the economy, the shops were opened in Cleburne in 1898.  The shops included construction and maintenance facilities along with a switchyard.  Katy, Boll Weevil, Kansas and Missouri are other early railroads in the county.

 

As the twentieth century came around, Johnson County was a rural county.  By 1900 the population was 33,819, 22% of which was urban.  The population remained stable between 1900 and 1960; it reached its peak in 1920 with 37,286 residents.  Burleson was the closest community to Fort Worth but it was not established until 1920 and had 241 residents at the time.  By 1980 there was 76,649 people living in the county and by 1990 the population had reached 97,165.  According to the 2000 census report there were 126,811 residents living in the Johnson County area.

 ~ Johnson County Demographics Report ~

~ Education in Johnson County ~

Johnson County has several school districts; each district is individually run by the district staff its self.  All districts strive for educational excellence for each and every student.  They all use the best in educational teaching and technology methods.  A large variety of quality activities and programs are offered to better the education of all students. 

 

The Alvarado Independent School District has three elementary schools, one junior high school and one high school.  There is also one intermediate school.	The Burleson Independent School District has six elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools.  The district also has one county run academy.
The Cleburne Independent School District has seven elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools.	The Godley Independent School District has one elementary school, one intermediate school, one middle school and one high school.
The Grandview Independent School District has one elementary school, one junior high school and one high school.	The Joshua Independent School District has five elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.  The district also has one accelerated learning center.
The Keene Independent School District has one elementary school, one intermediate school, one junior high school and one high school.	The Rio Vista Independent School District has one elementary school, one middle school and one high school.
The Venus Independent School District has one primary school, one elementary school, one middle school and one high school.

 

 

~ Adjacent Towns ~

Tarrant County (north), Ellis County (east), Hill County (south), Bosque County (southwest), Sommervell County (southwest), Hood County (west) and Parker County (northwest).

 

~ Major Highways ~

Interstate 35W, U.S. Highway 67, State Highway 171 (Texas) and State Highways 174 (Texas)

There is so much to do in Johnson County for recreation, there are award-winning golf courses, state parks, other parks with playgrounds, picnic areas, jogging trails, ball fields and ball courts, museums, tours of the county, event centers, senior centers, civic centers, lakes for boating, fishing and swimming, theaters, bowling alleys, bars, clubs, shopping, shopping and more shopping and tons of great restaurants for every taste bud.

 

Whatever your hobby is, whether it's golfing or eating, there is something for everyone in Johnson  County.  Come see for yourself just what you are missing out on.