Belton, Texas
Belton is the seat of Bell County in Central Texas, positioned where the Leon River drains from the Hill Country onto the blackland prairie, about 15 miles east of Killeen. The town retains a historic limestone courthouse square and lies beside Belton Lake, a reservoir on the Leon River popular for recreation. It is home to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, a longstanding institution in the community.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 25,964
- Change from 2020 base
- +12.7%
- Land area
- 20.2 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Bell County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Bell County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
Local character
Start with Belton itself
A few landmarks, stories, and everyday places that help give Belton its shape.
Nolan Creek
Nolan Creek is downtown Belton's little tube-and-kayak run
Belton has turned Nolan Creek into a small recreation corridor with limestone drops, a tube-and-kayak put-in, and creekside parking near downtown.
Belton Park
Heritage Park is Belton's big all-purpose park
At 155 acres, Heritage Park is Belton's largest park, with athletic fields, a community garden, a fishing dock, pavilions, and an accessible playground.
Then zoom out to Bell County
History / Military
Fort Hood and Bell County's military history
Fort Hood, established in 1942 near Killeen, transformed Bell County from a farming region into one of the most military-connected communities in the United States.
Property tax
How the homestead exemption cuts your property tax in Bell County
Texas law gives homeowners who live in their own home a significant exemption from school district property taxes, and Bell County residents must file with Bell CAD to claim it.
History / Courthouse
Bell County Courthouse: Belton's 1884 landmark
The Bell County Courthouse in Belton, completed in 1884 from local limestone, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and anchors the county seat's historic downtown.
Nearby
Places near Belton
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Belton
Compare nearby places
Put Census population, land area, county footprints, and official office routes side by side.
Open comparison ->Estimate property tax
Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Open estimator ->Look up another place
Every Texas town and all 254 counties.
Find a place ->