Wise County

Wise County, Texas

Wise County, Texas

The Wise County Courthouse is located in Decatur, Texas, the county seat. Photograph by Larry D. Moore.

Wise County is in northwestern Texas, forty miles south of the Oklahoma border. Decatur, the county seat and largest town, is thirty-five miles northwest of Fort Worth on U.S. highways 81/287 and 380. The county, comprising 922 square miles, is divided from north to south between the Eastern Grand Prairie and the Western Cross Timbers regions of Texas. The topography of the eastern section consists of gently rolling hills with sandy loam topsoils and brick clay subsoils. Central Wise County has a combination of flat and undulating terrain; its waxy, light-colored surface soil covers deep layers of red clay. The western section is primarily hilly, with alluvial loam and sandy top layers over clay and limestone sublayers. Natural resources include stone, clay, gas, and oil. Vegetation ranges from natural and improved grasses to post and live oak, cottonwood, and mesquite trees. Approximately 40 percent of the total area is quality farmland, and 60 percent is forest and grazing land. The average elevation of Wise County is 800 feet above sea level, and two-thirds of the county is drained by the West Fork of the Trinity River. Two lakes, Lake Bridgeport and Eagle Mountain Lake, and numerous creeks and tributaries provide an abundant water supply and recreational facilities. The average annual rainfall is twenty-nine inches. Temperatures vary from an average low of 33° F in January to an average high of 96° F in July. The growing season lasts 248 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.

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County Map of Texas

Wise County

Highlighted:
  • Wise County

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Wise County is classified as a County

Pronunciations

  • wīz

Altitude Range

649 ft – 1180 ft

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Wise County by the Numbers

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Population Counts

Wise County
Pop. Year Source
69,984 2019 United States Census Bureau

Civilian Labor Counts

Wise County
People Year Source
31,401 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Per Capita Income (USD) Year Source
$43,752 2019 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Property Values

Wise County
USD ($) Year Source
10,893,805,585 2019 State Property Tax Board

Retail Sales

Wise County
USD ($) Year Source
805,802,209 2019 State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Wages

Wise County
USD ($) Year Source
262,355,653 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Unemployment Percentage Year Source
7.8 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Rainfall (inches) Year Source
34.7 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Min. (January Average, °F) Max. (July Average, °F) Year Source
29.7 94.2 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Land Area

Wise County
Area (square miles) Year Source
904.4 2019 United States Census Bureau

Total Area

Wise County
Area (square miles) Year Source
922.6 2019 United States Census Bureau