West Columbia, Texas
West Columbia lies in Brazoria County on the coastal plain of the upper Texas Gulf Coast, roughly 46 miles southwest of Houston amid low, flat farmland and coastal prairie near the Brazos River. Originally known simply as Columbia, the town served as the capital of the newly elected government of the Republic of Texas in 1836, where the First Congress convened and Sam Houston was inaugurated as president. Stephen F. Austin died here in December of that year while serving as secretary of state.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 3,636
- Change from 2020 base
- +0.1%
- Land area
- 2.6 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Brazoria 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 Brazoria 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 West Columbia itself
A few landmarks, stories, and everyday places that help give West Columbia its shape.
Then zoom out to Brazoria County
History
Brazoria County Is Where the Republic of Texas Was Born
Brazoria County was settled by Stephen F. Austin's first authorized colonists in 1821, hosted the treaties that ended the Texas Revolution, and served as the site of the Republic of Texas's first capital.
Property tax
How to Apply for Your Homestead Exemption in Brazoria County
Homeowners in Brazoria County can reduce their property tax bill by filing a homestead exemption with the Brazoria Central Appraisal District.
History
West Columbia Served as the First Capital of the Republic of Texas
The town of Columbia, present-day West Columbia in Brazoria County, was the seat of Texas's first elected government in 1836, where Sam Houston took the presidential oath and Stephen F. Austin died.
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