Crane County

Crane County, Texas

Crane County, Texas

Landscape across US Highway 385 in Crane County, Texas.
Photograph Credit: Robert Plocheck.
Crane County, Texas

Crane County, Texas

Crane County Courthouse in the City of Crane, Texas, the county's seat. Photograph by Aualliso.
Crane County, Texas

Crane County, Texas

Map of Crane County, Texas. Map Credit: Robert Plocheck.

Crane County, at the western edge of the Edwards Plateau in Southwest Texas, is bounded on the north by Ector County, on the east by Upton County, on the south by Pecos County, and on the west by Ward County. It was named for William Cary Crane, a president of Baylor University. Crane County comprises 795 square miles of rolling prairie, bounded on the south and west by the Pecos River, which, with Juan Cordona Lake, drains the land. The center of the county lies at 31°25' north latitude and 102°30' west longitude, about forty miles south of Odessa. Rainfall averages 12.97 inches annually. The elevation varies from 2,400 to 3,000 feet above sea level. The average minimum temperature in January is 29° F; the average maximum in July is 96°. The growing season lasts 225 days, but there is very little farming. Cattle raising brings in about $1.5 million annually. Manufacturing income averages $1.4 million annually, derived largely from steel and concrete products. The county is among state leaders in oil and gas production. In 1982 oil production of almost 27,000,000 barrels earned $810,652,695.

The area that is now Crane County was within the territory of the Lipan Apaches, who were among the originators of the plains culture common to Apaches, Comanches, Kiowas, and other Indians. This part of the Pecos country may have been crossed by Spanish explorer Felipe de Rábago y Terán in 1761, and some of the early California-bound American travelers passed through Castle Gap and Horsehead Crossing.

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John Leffler | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

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

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Crane County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

2290 ft – 2945 ft

Size

Land area does not include water surface area, whereas total area does

  • Land Area: 785.1 mi²
  • Total Area: 785.7 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 31.9°F
July mean maximum: 93.3°F

Rainfall, 2019

15.6 inches

Population Count, 2019

4,797

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

1,612

Unemployment, 2019

17.9%

Property Values, 2019

$1,091,808,850 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$47,758 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$53,751,527 USD

Wages, 2019

$18,003,067 USD

Crane County

Highlighted:
  • Crane County
Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
Town 3,484 (2021) Yes
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