Ellis County

Ellis County, Texas

Ellis County, Texas

View of the Ellis County Museum. Photograph by Larry D. Moore.

Ellis County is located in north central Texas. Waxahachie, the largest town and county seat, is on Interstate Highway 35E thirty miles south of Dallas. The county is bounded by Dallas County to the north, Kaufman to the east, Navarro and Hill counties to the south, and Johnson County to the west. The center point of the county is at 32°21' north latitude and 96°48' west longitude. Ellis County comprises 939 square miles of the Blackland Prairie. Away from the streams it is almost treeless except for scattered mesquite, cacti, and shrubs. Native vegetation consists mainly of bunch and short grasses, including Indian, buffalo, grama, big and little bluestems, and three-awn. Such native trees as ash, cottonwood, pecan, hackberry, bois d'arc, oak, and elm grow along watercourses. The terrain is level to rolling, with an elevation ranging from 300 to 700 feet above sea level. The area lies in a southeastward-sloping plain and is well drained by many streams that flow into the Trinity River, which forms the eastern boundary of the county. Red Oak, Waxahachie, Mill, and Chambers creeks drain most of the county. The Austin Escarpment, a high chalk ridge, extends in a northeast-southwest direction and cuts off drainage to the southeast. Mountain Creek flows northeast and drains the northwestern part of the county. The soils—predominantly calcareous, marly and variegated clays and clay loams—have average to good moisture retention and are underlain by a water supply sufficient for livestock, irrigation, and domestic purposes. The alluvial soils are mainly clay. Mineral resources include gas, oil, stone, and clays valuable for brickmaking. Chalk and shale provide material for the manufacture of cement. Temperatures range from an average low of 35° F in January to an average high of 96° in July, rainfall averages slightly less than thirty-six inches a year, and the growing season extends for 245 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.

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County Map of Texas

Ellis County

Highlighted:
  • Ellis County

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Ellis County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

300 ft – 898 ft

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Noteworthy Place Type
Alma Town
Alsdorf Town
Alvis Town
Alwoodco Town
Armaglas Town
Auburn Town
Austonia Town
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Baldridge Town
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Cedar Hill Town
Center Point Town
Chambers Creek Town
Charles Barker Town
Clemma Town
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Crisp Town
Cummins' Creek Town
Elva Town
Ennis Town
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Five Points Town
Forreston Town
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Howe Settlement Town
Hurley Station Town
Ike Town
India Town
Italy Town
Joe Pool Lake Lake
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Lake Waxahatchie Lake
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Lone Cedar Town
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Neals Valley Town
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Oak Town
Oak Grove Town
Oak Leaf Town
Onion Town
Onion Creek Town
Orme Town
Otwell Town
Ovilla Town
Ozro Town
Palmer Town
Pearl City Town
Pecan Hill Town
Phillips Store Town
Plum Grove Town
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Possum Trot Town
Price's Cross Roads Town
Rankin Town
Ray Town
Reagor Springs Town
Red Bank Town
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Rockett Town
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Saralvo Town
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Service Town
Sims Town
Singleton's Town
Slay Town
Sonoma Town
Spunkie's Ridge Town
Sterrett Town
Switch Town
Telico Town
Templeton Town
Tight Wad Town
Trinity City Town
Trumbull Town
Walnut Springs Town
Ward Town
Waxahachie Town
White League Town
Willow Pond Town
Wilton Town
Wyatt Town

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Ellis County by the Numbers

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Population Counts

Ellis County
Pop. Year Source
184,826 2019 United States Census Bureau

Civilian Labor Counts

Ellis County
People Year Source
91,416 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Per Capita Income (USD) Year Source
$44,313 2019 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Property Values

Ellis County
USD ($) Year Source
17,884,373,473 2019 State Property Tax Board

Retail Sales

Ellis County
USD ($) Year Source
2,261,160,881 2019 State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Wages

Ellis County
USD ($) Year Source
645,920,844 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Unemployment Percentage Year Source
7.1 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Rainfall (inches) Year Source
39.1 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Min. (January Average, °F) Max. (July Average, °F) Year Source
33.8 93.9 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Land Area

Ellis County
Area (square miles) Year Source
935.5 2019 United States Census Bureau

Total Area

Ellis County
Area (square miles) Year Source
951.8 2019 United States Census Bureau