Taylor County

Taylor County, Texas
Taylor County is in west central Texas. The center of the county lies at 32°18' north latitude and 99°53' west longitude, and Abilene, the largest city, is 151 miles west of Fort Worth. Located in the Rolling Plains vegetation region, Taylor County covers 917 square miles of prairie covered by grasses, with some mesquite and live oak trees. The loamy surface soils are reddish to brownish, while the clayey subsoils often include lime accumulations; altitudes range from 1,672 to 2,410 feet above sea level. Taylor County is traversed from east to west by the Callahan Divide, a line of hills separating the Brazos River and the Colorado River watersheds. Lake Abilene, Kirby Lake, Lytle Lake, and Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir provide water and recreation. The county is semi-arid, with an average rainfall of 23.59 inches. Temperatures range from an average low of 31° F in January to an average high of 96° in July, and the average growing season lasts 225 days. Natural resources include oil and gas, stone, clays, sand, and gravel. Transportation needs are met by U.S. Highway 83/84 and 227, Interstate 20, State Highway 36, Abilene Municipal Airport, and Elmdale Airport. The Missouri Pacific Railroad serves cities such as Merkel, Tye, and Abilene. Other railroads serving the county are the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and the Burlington Northern.
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.
Taylor 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
Taylor County
- Taylor County
Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Taylor County is classified as a County
Altitude Range
1640 ft – 2490 ft
Places of Taylor County
Noteworthy | Place | Type |
---|---|---|
Abilene | Town | |
Audra | Town | |
Bagdad | Town | |
Bald Eagle | Town | |
Blair | Town | |
Borders Chapel | Town | |
Bowman | Town | |
Bradshaw | Town | |
Brewer's Station | Town | |
Buffalo Gap | Town | |
Camp Barkley | Town | |
Caps | Town | |
Caps Sides | Town | |
Coats | Town | |
Colony Hill | Town | |
Corners | Town | |
Cozart | Town | |
Delphi | Town | |
Dubwright | Town | |
Elm Creek | Town | |
Elmdale | Town | |
Fairview | Town | |
Funston | Town | |
Guion | Town | |
Hamby | Town | |
Happy Valley | Town | |
Hash Knife | Town | |
Hattie | Town | |
Hines | Town | |
Hunter's Store | Town | |
Iberis | Town | |
Impact | Town | |
Inkum | Town | |
Kincaid | Town | |
Lake Abilene | Lake | |
Lake Kirby | Lake | |
Lanius | Town | |
Lawn | Town | |
Lemons Gap | Town | |
Lent | Town | |
Lytle | Town | |
Lytle Cove | Town | |
Merkel | Town | |
Moro | Town | |
Mount Pleasant | Town | |
Ned | Town | |
North Park | Town | |
Nubia | Town | |
Oil Spring | Town | |
Ola | Town | |
Onward | Town | |
Ovalo | Town | |
Piel | Town | |
Pollard | Town | |
Potosi | Town | |
Rogers | Town | |
Sambo | Town | |
Shep | Town | |
Simpson's Ranch | Town | |
Stanley | Town | |
Tebo | Town | |
The Flat | Town | |
Trent | Town | |
Tuscola | Town | |
Tye | Town | |
Vance | Town | |
View | Town | |
Windmill Town | Town | |
Wylie | Town |
Photos of Taylor County and surrounding areas

Taylor County, Texas
The new Taylor County Courthouse is located in Abilene, Texas, the county seat. Photograph by Larry D. Moore.

Taylor County, Texas
Map of Taylor County, Texas. Map Credit: Robert Plocheck.

Taylor County, Texas
Wind Turbines along FM 126 in Taylor County, Texas.
Photograph Image by Robert Plocheck.

Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas, Skyline Abilene
-
Sunset on Lake Abilene
Photo by Jason Hunter, Flickr, CC2 Lake Abilene

Sunset on Lake Kirby
Photo by CoreBurn, CC2 Lake Kirby

Proud to call Texas home?
Put your name on the town, county, or lake of your choice.
Search Places »
Taylor 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
Taylor County
Pop. | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
138,034 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Civilian Labor Counts
Taylor County
People | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
65,090 | 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 |
---|---|---|
$45,333 | 2019 | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |
Property Values, Retail Sales, and Wages
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Property Values
Taylor County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
9,996,258,558 | 2019 | State Property Tax Board |
Retail Sales
Taylor County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
2,357,794,714 | 2019 | State Comptroller of Public Accounts |
Wages
Taylor County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
779,678,008 | 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 |
---|---|---|
6.3 | 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 |
---|---|---|
24.8 | 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 |
---|---|---|---|
30.2 | 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
Taylor County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
915.6 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Total Area
Taylor County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
919.3 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |