Richmond has been Fort Bend County's seat since 1838

Richmond became the Fort Bend County seat on January 13, 1838. That was just weeks after the county was formed. It sits on the Brazos River and was a busy trade town in the 1800s. Steamboats carried goods to Galveston from there.

County offices are still in Richmond. That includes the courthouse, tax assessor-collector, and district courts. Today Richmond is much smaller than Sugar Land next door, which grew fast with new suburbs.

If you need to file papers, pay property taxes in person, or go to court, you will likely head to Richmond. The old river town still shows up in daily county life through the courthouse, tax office, and district courts.