Why visit George West
Townapedia lists 17 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 10 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Dobie-West Performing Arts Theatre and Grace Armantrout Museum.
Weather in George West
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About George West
George West is a city in Live Oak County, Texas, United States, and named for cattle rancher George Washington West. The population was 2,171 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Live Oak County. George West was named the "storytelling capital of Texas" in 2005 by the Texas Senate; and it hosts the George West Storyfest, a festival that features storytelling, cowboy poetry, and music.
From the Wikipedia article George West, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks17
Grace Armantrout Museum
Museum · 1.0 mi
1961 US 281, George West
We-Fr 13:00-17:00; Sa 12:00-16:00
5 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes10
Agave Jalisco
Restaurant · Mexican
403 Nueces Street
Mo-Th 05:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-23:00; Su 07:00-22:00
History
George West was a land venture and ranching enterprise of George Washington West and Kittie West. Originally from Shannonville Tennessee, West began to build his town in 1913, after ranching from 1880 to 1912 in the area between Pleasanton and Corpus Christi. He sold his cattle holdings and began to colonize some 75,000 acres (300 km2).
West offered the San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad $100,000 and a free easement through his land to build to George West. West had made his fortune on cattle drives but knew that the future rested with the transport of the animals on a train. He purchased some 120,000 acres in Live Oak County and held 26,000 cattle. A drought had caused such losses that he sold half of his acreage. Other ranchers tried to sell property at that time, and prices dropped to low levels.
In 1918, West offered $75,000 to build a new courthouse if the county seat was moved from Oakville, which was not on a railroad route, and if voters approved the plan. The courthouse actually cost $120,000 and was built to West's specifications. He also built schools, roads, and water and electricity plants.
George West was incorporated in 1946, and the government changed to home rule in 1980.
From the History section of George West, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare1
Map of George West
51 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Live Oak County has had 19 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2026-07-18: Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-14: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-07-26: Hurricane Hanna (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Chase Field Industrial (NIR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 28 miles away.
- Three Rivers 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Blue Berry Hill 20 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Lakeshore Gardens-Hidden Acres 21 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Beeville 23 mi east, about 37 min by car
- Mathis 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- Alice 40 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Robstown 46 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Pleasanton 49 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Charlotte 51 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Bishop 55 mi south, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Buck West House in George West, TX IMG 0973, Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Downtown George West, TX IMG 0977, Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rogeria creightoni casent0003231 head 1, Unknown author, CC BY 4.0
- Rogeria creightoni casent0003231 profile 1, Unknown author, CC BY 4.0
- Rogeria creightoni casent0003231 dorsal 1, Unknown author, CC BY 4.0
- Rogeria creightoni casent0003231 label 1, April Nobile, CC BY 4.0
- Live oak courthouse, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
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