Potter County

Potter County, on the High Plains of the Panhandle, is bordered on the north by Moore County, on the east by Carson County, on the south by Randall County, and on the west by Oldham County. Its center point is at 35°25' north latitude and 101°53' west longitude. Amarillo, the county seat, is on the county's southern border, about 110 miles due north of Lubbock. The county was named for Robert Potter. It comprises 902 square miles of level to rolling terrain, with elevations ranging from 3,000 to 3,800 feet above sea level. Its soils are mainly chocolate and red loams with some sand and clay. The area slopes to the Canadian River, which flows easterly across the northern part of Potter County; Lake Meredith, formed when the Canadian was dammed in 1965, extends about eight miles into the northwestern section of the county. Prairie grasses cover much of the county, and mesquite, hackberry, juniper, and scrub oak grow in the breaks. Temperatures range from an average low of 23° F in January to an average high of 92° in July. Annual rainfall averages 20.28 inches. The growing season lasts 190 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.