Childress County

Childress County, Texas

Childress County, Texas

Veterans Memorial and backdrop of the Childress County Courthouse in Childress, Texas. Photograph by Billy Hathorne.

Childress County, on the eastern edge of the Panhandle, is bounded on the east by Oklahoma, on the south by Cottle County, on the West by Hall County, and on the north by Collingsworth County. The county is named for George C. Childress, author of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The county seat, Childress, is located 116 miles southeast of Amarillo, on the Fort Worth and Denver Railway and U.S. Highway 287. The center of the county lies at approximately 34°35' north latitude and 100°13' west longitude. The county comprises 699 square miles of rolling prairies and rough riverbottoms. Its soils are a mix, usually a sandy loam mixed with alluvial sands from the county's many creeks and rivers. These soils support a variety of native grasses as well as cotton, wheat, and sorghum. Shin oak, mesquite, salt cedar, and hackberry grow in the bottoms. The county has a small yearly production of oil and gas, but minerals do not play a major role in the local economy. The elevation of the county ranges from 1,600 to 1,900 feet above sea level; the annual growing season averages 217 days, and annual precipitation averages 20.67 inches. The average minimum temperature is 26° F in January, and the average maximum is 99° in July. The major water feature of the county is the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River, which bisects the county as it flows eastward towards the main channel of the Red River. This stream and its tributary creeks (Dry Salt Creek, East Salt Creek, and Spiller, or Buck, Creek) render much of the central and northern part of the county unfit for farming. Thus ranching retains a significant role in the local economy. Baylor Lake and Lake Childress, two small bodies of water, lie to the northwest of Childress and provide recreation.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

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County Map of Texas

Childress County

Highlighted:
  • Childress County

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Childress County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

1560 ft – 2060 ft

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Childress County by the Numbers

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Population Counts

Childress County
Pop. Year Source
7,306 2019 United States Census Bureau

Civilian Labor Counts

Childress County
People Year Source
2,722 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Per Capita Income (USD) Year Source
$30,084 2019 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Property Values

Childress County
USD ($) Year Source
770,587,929 2019 State Property Tax Board

Retail Sales

Childress County
USD ($) Year Source
117,500,129 2019 State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Wages

Childress County
USD ($) Year Source
27,884,247 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Unemployment Percentage Year Source
4.5 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Rainfall (inches) Year Source
26.4 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Min. (January Average, °F) Max. (July Average, °F) Year Source
26.8 95.7 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Land Area

Childress County
Area (square miles) Year Source
696.4 2019 United States Census Bureau

Total Area

Childress County
Area (square miles) Year Source
713.7 2019 United States Census Bureau