Salado, Texas
Salado is a small village in Bell County, in the Central Texas hill country about 23 miles north of Georgetown, set along the spring-fed Salado Creek. The community grew up on the historic Chisholm Trail, and its old stone buildings and creekside setting anchor a Main Street known for art galleries, studios, and a state-designated arts and culture district. The surrounding country is rolling limestone terrain on the edge of the Hill Country.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- Village
- July 2025 population
- 2,565
- Change from 2020 base
- +7.3%
- Land area
- 3.1 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.
County context
What to know around Salado
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Salado.
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 Salado
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Salado
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