 Fayette County is the location of the real Chicken Ranch, which was the basis of the musical play and feature film "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas".According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (1.0%) are covered by water.As of the census of 2000, 21,804 people, 8,722 households, and 6,044 families resided in the county.