The 17th Congressional District of Texas spans over 230 miles, stretching from the suburbs of Fort Worth in the North, through the Heart of Texas in Waco and on to Bryan/College Station in the Brazos Valley. The district includes all of Bosque, Brazos, Grimes, Hill, Hood, Johnson, Madison, McLennan, and Somervell counties and part of Burleson, Limestone, and Robertson counties.

The 17th district includes two Big XII schools: Baylor University and Texas A&M University, the seventh-largest university in the nation. The 17th is also home to several other important colleges, including Texas State Technical College, McLennan Community College, Blinn College in Bryan, Southwest Adventist University in Keene and Hill College, with campuses in Clifton, Hillsboro, Cleburne, Burleson and Glen Rose.

Major district employers include Texas A&M University and the A&M System, Lockheed Martin in Johnson and Hood counties, Baylor University, L-3 Communications in Waco, Sanderson Farms in Bryan and the Comanche Peak power plant in Glen Rose.

Farming and ranching play a vital role in the economy of the 17th, which is home to many family-operated cow-calf operations. Other key industries include a growing defense firm presence in Waco and Bryan/College Station and the natural gas industry, which has major operations underway in the Barnett Shale, including in Johnson, Hood, Somervell, Hill and Bosque Counties. Transportation is a key issue in the 17th District, with major highways such as IH 35 and IH 45, US 377 and TX Highway 6 experiencing increasing traffic due to NAFTA and rapid population growth. Improved airline travel options are also priorities in both the Waco and Bryan/College Station areas.

Protecting the quality of water is a key priority throughout the 17th District. Lake Granbury, Lake Waco, Lake Whitney and Lake Aquilla are key reservoirs in the 17th and protecting and improving their quality of water is a key priority. The Brazos River runs throughout the 17th District.

Congressman Edwards is the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Department of Veterans Affairs. He believes America has a solemn commitment with America's veterans-to see that they are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, and to see that our government honors their service and sacrifices not just in words, but in deeds.

With over 55,000 veterans in the district, the men and women who have served our nation in uniform are a key District 17 constituency. For Central Texas veterans, the VA Hospital in Waco provides crucial blind rehabilitation and world class mental health care services, in addition to long-term care services that are being expanded. For Brazos Valley veterans, a new VA outpatient clinic in College Station will increase services to local veterans. To serve veterans from Hill, Johnson, Hood and Somervell Counties, the largest VA outpatient clinic in the country will open in Fort Worth by 2010.

The District is ethnically diverse, with significant African-American and Hispanic populations. The district's total population is 651,620, according to the 2000 census.

View TX District 17 in a larger map

Texas Links

U.S. Census District info

Texas Online
Learn everything you need to know about Texas, from its history to how to start a business.

Texas Department of Transportation
Renew your Texas vehicle registration online.

Texas Department of Public Safety
Renew your Texas driver's license online.

Texas Department of Health - Bureau of Vital Statistics
An official certificate of every birth, death, marriage, and divorce should be on file in the locality where the event occurred. The Federal Government does not maintain files or indexes of these records. These records are filed permanently in a State vital statistics office or in a city, county, or other local office.

To obtain a certified copy of any of the certificates, write or go to the vital statistics office. Addresses and fees are given for each event.

Texas Census Information
Look up census information about Texas and your county.

Texas Legislature Online
Locate information on a Texas bill and your Texas State Senator and/or Representative below.

• Who is my State Senator?
• Who is my State Representative?

Texas "No Call Lists"
 

National "Do Not Call" Registry
The Public Utility Commission of Texas encourages registration on both lists to help limit telemarketing calls to your registered numbers. You can register on the Texas "No Call Lists" for free via this website. You will still be charged if you register via the Automated 1-866-896-6225 phone line or if you mail your application form. There is also no charge to register your home and cell phone numbers on the National "Do Not Call" Registry.

Tour Texas!
TravelTex has made it easy to explore all 267,000 square miles of the Lone Star State. Take a Road Trip through Texas with our interactive Driving Tours, find an event going on right now, or discover the variety of activities offered in each of the seven Texas regions. And don't forget to visit our Trip Savers coupons, so you can save a few bucks along the way. It's all at your fingertips, and all at TravelTex.com!

Any thoughts? Comments? Questions? Let us know what you think.

If you would like to receive periodic e-mail alerts, please sign up for our e-mail newsletter.