Motley County
Motley County, Texas
Motley County, in the Rolling Plains region of Northwest Texas, is bounded on the east by Cottle County, on the south by Dickens County, on the west by Floyd County, and on the north by Briscoe and Hall counties. Its center is at 34°03' north latitude and 100°45' west longitude, about eighty miles northeast of Lubbock. The county is named for Junius William Mottley, who died in the battle of San Jacinto (a spelling error was made when the county was named.) This sparsely settled county comprises 959 square miles of rough and broken terrain drained by the North Pease, Middle Pease, and South Pease rivers and their tributaries. Elevations range between 1,928 and 3,034 feet above sea level. The county lies just below the Caprock. Its soils are sand and black and red clay, mixed or not mixed with sand. The average rainfall is 20.35 inches. The average minimum temperature is 26° F in January, and the average maximum is 96° in July. The growing season lasts 218 days. The county produces about $14 million average annual income from agriculture, half of which derives from beef cattle and horses and half primarily from cotton, peanuts, wheat, guar, and other grains. In the mid-1980s about 95 percent of the land in the county was in ranches and farms; 13 percent of the county was cultivated, and 9 percent was irrigated. In 1990 the county produced almost 304,500 barrels of crude oil. U.S. Highway 62/70 runs east to west; State Highway 70 is the major route north to south.
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.
Motley County at a Glance
Adopt a Town
The Texas Almanac's Land Rush program lets you adopt the town, county, or lake of your choice and share your message with the world. 100% of the proceeds benefit education in Texas.

- Adoption Status: ✅
- This place is available for adoption!
- Adopted by:
- Your name goes here
- Dedication Message:
- Your message goes here
County Map of Texas
Motley County
- Motley County
Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Motley County is classified as a County
Altitude Range
1800 ft – 3083 ft
Places of Motley County
Noteworthy | Place | Type |
---|---|---|
Ballard | Town | |
Bitter Lake | Town | |
Bundy | Town | |
Cottonwood Mott | Town | |
Dutchman | Town | |
Flomot | Town | |
Folley | Town | |
Four Corners | Town | |
Frog Hollow | Town | |
Gilpin | Town | |
Hide Bug | Town | |
Humbra | Town | |
Lyman | Town | |
MacBain | Town | |
Matador | Town | |
Northfield | Town | |
Pitts | Town | |
Ragtown | Town | |
Roaring Springs | Town | |
Russellville | Town | |
Summit | Town | |
Tee Pee City | Town | |
White Star | Town | |
Whiteflat | Town |
Photos of Motley County and surrounding areas
Motley County, Texas
The Historic Matador Jail is located in the seat of Motley County, Texas. Photograph by Billy Hathorn.

Matador, Motley County, Texas
The downtown view of the town of Matador, the seat of Motley County, Texas. Photograph by Renelibrary. Matador

Roaring Springs, Texas
The downtown view of Roaring Springs, Texas. Photograph by Renelibrary. Roaring Springs

Proud to call Texas home?
Put your name on the town, county, or lake of your choice.
Search Places »
Motley County by the Numbers
Population & Civilian Labor Counts
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Population Counts
Motley County
Pop. | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
1,200 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Civilian Labor Counts
Motley County
People | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
435 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Per Capita Income
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Per Capita Income (USD) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
$28,938 | 2019 | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |
Property Values, Retail Sales, and Wages
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Property Values
Motley County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
350,819,689 | 2019 | State Property Tax Board |
Retail Sales
Motley County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
6,281,690 | 2019 | State Comptroller of Public Accounts |
Wages
Motley County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
2,532,478 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Unemployment
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Unemployment Percentage | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
5.1 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Rainfall
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Rainfall (inches) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
23.4 | 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Temperature Ranges
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Min. (January Average, °F) | Max. (July Average, °F) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|---|
29.6 | 94.2 | 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Land Area & Total Area
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Land Area
Motley County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
989.6 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Total Area
Motley County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
989.8 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |