Stephens County

Stephens County, Texas

Stephens County, Texas

The Stephens County Courthouse is located in Breckenridge, Texas. Photograph by Renelibrary. 

Stephens County is in north central Texas, bounded on the east by Palo Pinto County, on the south by Eastland County, on the west by Shackelford County, and on the north by Young and Throckmorton counties. The center of the county lies at 32°45' north latitude and 98°50' west longitude, sixty-five miles northeast of Abilene. Originally named Buchanan County after President James Buchanan, the county was renamed in 1861 to honor Alexander H. Stephens, the vice president of the Confederate States of America. The county extends across almost 922 square miles of broken, hilly plateau country with loamy topsoils covering deep reddish, clayey, or mottled subsoils. The area is drained by the Clear Fork of the Brazos River and by other tributaries of the Brazos. Elevations range between 1,000 to 1,600 feet above sea level; outstanding physical features include summits known as Gunsight Mountain, Double Mountain, and Evans Peak. Trees include mesquite, hackberry, elm, and pecan, while broomweed, wild rye, and milkweed are some of the grasses that grow in the area. The annual average rainfall is 26.4 inches. Temperatures range from an average low of 31° F in January to an average high of 98° in July; the growing season lasts 222 days. In the 1980s the agricultural sector of the economy earned an annual average income of $12.5 million, 90 percent of which derived from livestock, including beef cattle, horses, hogs, and sheep. Crops grown in the area included wheat, oats, hay, peanuts, and sorghum. The manufacture of mobile homes, furniture, aircraft parts, petrochemicals, and oilfield equipment earned $9.7 million in 1982; almost five million barrels of oil, valued at $169,688,194, were also produced in the county that year. Major roads include U.S. Highway 180 (west to east), U.S. Highway 183 (north to south), and State Highway 67, which runs from Breckenridge to the northeast.

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

Stephens County

Highlighted:
  • Stephens County

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Stephens County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

995 ft – 1628 ft

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Stephens County by the Numbers

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Population Counts

Stephens County
Pop. Year Source
9,366 2019 United States Census Bureau

Civilian Labor Counts

Stephens County
People Year Source
3,848 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Per Capita Income (USD) Year Source
$39,289 2019 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Property Values

Stephens County
USD ($) Year Source
1,573,361,733 2019 State Property Tax Board

Retail Sales

Stephens County
USD ($) Year Source
81,963,437 2019 State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Wages

Stephens County
USD ($) Year Source
35,100,576 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
30.0 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Min. (January Average, °F) Max. (July Average, °F) Year Source
30.3 95.8 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Land Area

Stephens County
Area (square miles) Year Source
896.7 2019 United States Census Bureau

Total Area

Stephens County
Area (square miles) Year Source
921.5 2019 United States Census Bureau