Stafford (Texas)

Stafford is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within the metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County, with a small portion in Harris County. As of the 2010 census, Stafford's population was 17,693, up from 15,681 at the 2000 census. As of 2015 the population had risen to an estimated 18,459.HistoryWilliam Stafford established a plantation with a cane mill and a horse-powered cotton gin in 1830. On April 15, 1836, during the Texas Revolution, the forces of Antonio López de Santa Anna stopped at Stafford's plantation and ordered it to be burned. Stafford rebuilt his plantation and resided there until his 1840 death. A settlement called "Stafford's Point" established itself around the plantation; it became a townsite in August 1853 when the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway began stopping there. Stafford's Point had a post office from 1854 to 1869. "Staffordville" had a post office from January 5, 1869 to February 26, 1869. The settlement, now known as "Stafford", operated a post office from 1869 to 1918; the post office reopened in 1929.In 1884, Stafford had 50 residents, two general stores, and a grocer. By 1896, the settlement had a population of 300. By 1914, the population fell to 100. In 1931, 320 people lived in Stafford. This increased to 400 residents in 1946. Stafford incorporated as a city in 1956.GeographyStafford is located in eastern Fort Bend County at . A small portion of the city extends northeast into Harris County. It is bordered by the city of Houston to the north, Meadows Place to the northwest, Sugar Land to the west, and Missouri City to the south and east.