Coke County

Coke County (F-12), in West Central Texas, is bounded on the east by Runnels County, on the south by Tom Green County, on the west by Sterling County, and on the north by Mitchell and Nolan counties. It was named for Richard Coke, a Texas governor. The county center is at 31°54' north latitude and 100°33' west longitude, about thirty miles north of San Angelo. The terrain includes prairie, hills, and the Colorado River valley; sandy loam and red soils predominate. The elevation varies from 1,800 feet in the south to 2,600 feet in the north, where Nipple Mountain, Meadow Mountain, Horse Mountain, and Hayrick Mountain are located. Its 911-square-mile area is drained by the north branch of the Colorado River and Yellow Wolf Creek. Native grasses include mesquite grass, needlegrass, sideoats, bunchgrass, and crabgrass. Ninety percent of Coke County's agricultural income of $10 million comes from cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. The rest is from cotton, sorghum, small grains, hay, fruits, and peanuts. Coke County is among the leading counties in sheep ranching. Extraction of sand and gravel is a minor industry, though the county has no manufacturing; county oil production of 2,249,804 barrels in 1982 earned almost $77 million. The annual rainfall is 20.48 inches. The average minimum temperature in January is 29° F; the maximum in July is 97°. The growing season lasts 226 days.

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.