DFW / North Texas
Hill County, Texas
A porch-side guide to the county: the stories that give it a shape, practical local checks, and a few things worth knowing before they surprise you. Every note points to its source.
3 stories · 8 practical · 1 good to know
The practical part
Hill County offices and deadlines
Appraisal district & tax office →
The Comptroller's official directory for Hill County: who sets your value and who sends the bill.
Homestead exemption →
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district. It is free. The regular deadline is April 30, and late filing is allowed for up to two years.
Protest your appraisal →
The usual deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice arrives, whichever is later.
Estimate a tax bill →
Model a bill from local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Start here
A little of what makes this place itself
Hill County · Historic Courthouse
Hillsboro's 1890 courthouse burned in 1993 and was restored with help from Willie Nelson
The Hill County Courthouse in Hillsboro is an 1890 limestone landmark that nearly burned down in 1993, then helped spark Texas' courthouse-restoration push.
Hill County · County Origins
Hill County was formed in 1853 and named for a Republic of Texas official
Hill County was carved from Navarro County in 1853 and named for Dr. George Washington Hill, who served in Sam Houston's cabinet.
Hill County · Agricultural Heritage
Hill County was once a top Texas cotton producer, boosted by a railroad in 1881
Cotton farming and the 1881 arrival of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad shaped Hill County's growth and its immigrant communities.
All 12 local notes
The full county shelf is mixed so stories and useful checks travel together. Use the filters when you need one kind.
Showing all 12 notes.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Hillsboro's 1890 courthouse burned in 1993 and was restored with help from Willie Nelson The Hill County Courthouse in Hillsboro is an 1890 limestone landmark that nearly burned down in 1993, then helped spark Texas' courthouse-restoration push.
- Practical Outdoors Lake Whitney offers public fishing and hunting on Hill County land Lake Whitney, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, sits partly in Hill County and offers public fishing, hunting, and camping.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Hill County was formed in 1853 and named for a Republic of Texas official Hill County was carved from Navarro County in 1853 and named for Dr. George Washington Hill, who served in Sam Houston's cabinet.
- Practical Rules & Licenses You need a permit to hunt on Corps of Engineers land near Lake Whitney About 18,000 acres of public hunting land around Lake Whitney in Bosque and Hill counties require a permit through recreation.gov.
- Good to know Home & Property FEMA released preliminary flood maps for Hill County in 2025 for public comment In January 2025, FEMA invited Hill County property owners to review and appeal preliminary updated flood hazard maps before they take effect.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Hill County was once a top Texas cotton producer, boosted by a railroad in 1881 Cotton farming and the 1881 arrival of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad shaped Hill County's growth and its immigrant communities.
- Practical Money & Taxes A homestead exemption can lower your tax bill in Hill County If you own and live in your home in Hill County, you can apply for a homestead exemption that reduces the taxable value of your property.
- Practical Money & Taxes Farmland in Hill County can be taxed on what it produces, not what it sells for Texas lets qualifying farm and ranch land be appraised at its agricultural productivity value, which is usually much lower than market value.
- Practical Cars & Driving Registering your car in Hill County: what changed in 2025 As of January 1, 2025, non-commercial vehicles in Hill County no longer need a safety inspection before registration, though commercial vehicles still do.
- Practical Money & Taxes You can protest your property value in Hill County Hill County property owners can challenge the appraised value set by Hill CAD each year before the Appraisal Review Board.
- Practical Outdoors Hill County has a named TPWD wildlife biologist you can call about land and habitat Texas Parks and Wildlife assigns a wildlife biologist to Hill County who helps landowners for free with habitat, deer management, and ag-valuation questions.
- Practical Money & Taxes Two offices handle your property taxes in Hill County Hill County has two separate offices for property taxes: one that values your property and one that collects your bill.
Nearby counties