Wharton, Texas
Wharton is a city of 8,724 people in Wharton County, Texas, founded in 1846.
Why visit Wharton
Townapedia lists 26 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 16 places to eat and 4 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include 20th Century Technology Museum and Wharton County Courthouse Historic Commercial District.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 96°F; January lows average 42°F.
Weather in Wharton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Wharton
Wharton is a city in and the county seat of Wharton County, Texas, United States. This city is 60 mi (97 km) southwest of Houston. Its population was 8,832 at the 2010 census and 8,627 at the 2020 census. Wharton is located on the Colorado River of Texas.
From the Wikipedia article Wharton, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks26
Wharton County Courthouse Historic Commercial District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic district in Wharton, Wharton County, Texas
14 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes16
Hinze's Bar-B-Que
Restaurant · Barbecue · 0.9 mi
1917 North Richmond Road, Wharton
Burger King
Fast food · Burger · 0.7 mi
123 West Boling Highway, Wharton
Mo-Sa 06:00-22:00; Su 07:00-22:00
Kate's Coffee, Tea & More
Fast food · Cafe, Tea · 0.4 mi
200 West Milam Street, Wharton
Tu-Fr 08:00-14:00
4 more on the map.
Where to stay4
Teepee Motel & RV Park
Motel and hotel · 2.3 mi
4098 North Richmond Road, Wharton
History
The area now known as Wharton was part of the Caney Run mail route established in 1838 by the Republic of Texas. The community was named after two leaders in the Anglo-American struggle for Texas independence, brothers John and William Wharton. What developed as a plantation community along the Colorado River was first settled in 1846 by some of Stephen F. Austin's original colonists. A post office was established the next year.
The first lieutenant governor of Texas, Albert Horton, was an early settler. Land for the courthouse square was donated by William Kincheloe and surveyed by Virgil Stewart and William J. E. Heard. Early settlers came from across the South: Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, and Mississippi.
European Jewish immigrants, arriving as early as the 1850s from Germany, established additional businesses and began the Congregation Shearith Israel, the only synagogue in a three-county area. Other settlers in the community included Swiss, German, Mexican, and Czech immigrants and, after the Civil War and emancipation, descendants of plantation slaves.
From the History section of Wharton, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship6
Old First Methodist Episcopal Church South
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Mother Zion Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.7 mi
422 East Milam Street, Wharton
Saint Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.5 mi
614 Pecan Street, Wharton
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries18
Wharton County Junior College - Wharton Campus
School · 1.2 mi
911 Boling Highway, Wharton
Healthcare3
Map of Wharton
83 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65°F | 42°F | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 68°F | 46°F | 1.9 in |
| Mar | 76°F | 53°F | 2.8 in |
| Apr | 82°F | 59°F | 3.1 in |
| May | 88°F | 67°F | 4.8 in |
| Jun | 92°F | 73°F | 4.9 in |
| Jul | 95°F | 74°F | 4.3 in |
| Aug | 96°F | 74°F | 3.9 in |
| Sep | 93°F | 70°F | 5.7 in |
| Oct | 85°F | 60°F | 5.6 in |
| Nov | 75°F | 51°F | 5.7 in |
| Dec | 67°F | 45°F | 3.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for El Campo (13 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
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
Wharton County has had 19 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-07-09: Hurricane Beryl (Hurricane)
- 2021-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-14: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-08-24: Tropical Storms Marco And Laura (Hurricane)
- 2020-07-26: Hurricane Hanna (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Wharton Municipal Airport (WHT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- El Campo 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- East Bernard 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Needville 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Pleak 21 mi northeast, about 34 min by car
- Wallis 22 mi north, about 35 min by car
- Rosenberg 23 mi northeast, about 37 min by car
- Eagle Lake 23 mi northwest, about 37 min by car
- Van Vleck 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Bay City 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Weston Lakes 26 mi northeast, about 41 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
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Old First Methodist Episcopal Church South, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Wharton county courthouse 2013, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
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