San Felipe, Texas
Set on the west bank of the Brazos River in Austin County, San Felipe stands about 44 miles west of Houston in the coastal-plain country of Southeast Texas. It occupies the ground of San Felipe de Austin, the town Stephen F. Austin established as the capital of his colony and the leading settlement of Anglo-American Texas before the revolution. The site is preserved today as a state historic site with a museum interpreting that early colonial period.
Property here runs through the Austin Central Appraisal District and the county tax office — the homestead exemption, the appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level. The Austin County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Austin County notes
What to know around San Felipe
Property tax
Austin County has two separate property tax offices
Austin County property taxes go through the appraisal district, while the county tax assessor-collector handles vehicle titles and registration.
Flood
The Brazos River forms the eastern edge of Austin County — and a real flood risk
The Brazos River runs along Austin County's eastern border. Property near the river and its tributaries can sit in a FEMA high-risk flood zone. That can mean required flood insurance and stricter building rules.
State park / Outdoor recreation
Stephen F. Austin State Park offers camping and trails near the Brazos
Stephen F. Austin State Park sits along the Brazos River in San Felipe and offers year-round camping, five miles of trails, and easy access to the adjacent state historic site.
History / State historic site
San Felipe de Austin was the original capital of Texas's first Anglo colony
The San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site in Austin County preserves the townsite of the first colonial capital of Stephen F. Austin's settlement, burned by its own residents during the Texas Revolution and now open to the public with a museum and trails.
History / Immigration
Austin County was a gateway for German and Czech immigrants to Texas
The towns of Industry and Cat Spring in Austin County were two of the earliest immigrant settlements in Texas. Industry was the first permanent German settlement. Cat Spring was the main starting point for Czech immigrants spreading across the state.
Septic / Water
Rural Austin County septic systems run through county OSSF permits
Outside sewer service, Austin County septic work usually starts with the county OSSF permit process and the state septic rules.
Nearby
Places near San Felipe
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Waller County
13 local notes · Houston / Upper Gulf Coast
Fort Bend County
58 local notes · Houston / Upper Gulf Coast
Colorado County
6 local notes · Houston / Upper Gulf Coast
Washington County
11 local notes · Houston / Upper Gulf Coast
Wharton County
12 local notes · Houston / Upper Gulf Coast
Harris County
64 local notes · Houston / Upper Gulf Coast
Next steps for San Felipe
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Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
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