Wilbarger County

Wilbarger County is in northern Texas, along the Oklahoma border. The center of the county is at 34°07' north latitude and 99°15' west longitude. Vernon, the county's seat of government and largest city, is thirty-five miles northwest of Wichita Falls. It encompasses 947 square miles of rolling plains surfaced by sandy, loam, and waxy soils that support tall grasses, mesquite, and shinnery oak trees. Altitudes range from 1,050 to 1,400 feet above sea level. The area is drained by the Red and Pease rivers. Santa Rosa Lake, a reservoir on Beaver Creek in the south central part of the county, stores water used primarily for irrigation. Annual rainfall averages 25.65 inches, and temperatures range from an average minimum of 29° F in January to an average maximum of 98° in July. The average growing season lasts 221 days. Minerals resources include volcanic ash, sand, gravel, and bituminous coal. U.S. highways 183, 283, 287, and 70 are the main transportation arteries.

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.