Copperas Cove is located southwest of Waco between Killeen and Lampasas along Hwy 190 on the banks of the Lampasas River near Belton Lake.Its name was inspired by the mineral taste of the water in a nearby spring.
In Coryell County, it is home of the Central Texas College campus.
Next to Fort Hood Military Reservation, Copperas Cove is part of the Killeen-Temple, Texas metro area.
When the military established Fort Hood as a permanent base in 1950, Copperas Cove began to grow, and the city limit eventually extended southwest into Lampasas County. The population was estimated at 4,567 in 1960, at 10,818 in 1970, and at 19,469 in 1980.Most of the new residents were either attracted by the job opportunities associated with Fort Hood or chose to remain in the area after retirement from the military. By 1990 Copperas Cove had several manufacturing establishments, a wide variety of businesses, a hospital, and a population of 24,079.