Irion County

Irion County is on U.S. Highway 67 and State Highway 163 in southwest central Texas, bounded on the west by Reagan County, on the south by Crockett and Schleicher counties, and on the north and east by Tom Green County. It was named for Robert Anderson Irion. The center of the county is at 31°18' north latitude and 100°35' west longitude, forty miles southwest of San Angelo. The county embraces 1,051 square miles of rolling prairie, grass, mesquite, and, in some sections, exposed rock. Elevations range from 2,100 to 2,600 feet above sea level. The county is drained by the Middle Concho River and its tributaries; springs in the Edwards Plateau limestone feed Dove and Spring creeks. Soils vary from sandy to clay to gravel. The average annual rainfall is 21.33 inches. Irion County has an average minimum temperature of 32° F in January and an average maximum of 96° in July. The growing season lasts 232 days. About 90 percent of the county's $7 million annual agricultural income is derived from cattle, sheep, and Angora goats; other agricultural products include pecans, sorghums, small grains, and cotton. Oil and gas production provides most of the county's income. In 1982 crude production was 3,425,871 barrels, worth $102,760,444.

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.