Coke County

Coke County, Texas

Coke County, Texas

Photograph of Historical Building of the 19th Century Coke County Jail located in the Town of Robert Lee, Texas. Photograph by Billy Hathorn.
Coke County, Texas

Coke County, Texas

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

Coke County, Texas

Landscape across Coke County, Texas.
Photograph Credit: Robert Plocheck.

Coke County (F-12), in West Central Texas, is bounded on the east by Runnels County, on the south by Tom Green County, on the west by Sterling County, and on the north by Mitchell and Nolan counties. It was named for Richard Coke, a Texas governor. The county center is at 31°54' north latitude and 100°33' west longitude, about thirty miles north of San Angelo. The terrain includes prairie, hills, and the Colorado River valley; sandy loam and red soils predominate. The elevation varies from 1,800 feet in the south to 2,600 feet in the north, where Nipple Mountain, Meadow Mountain, Horse Mountain, and Hayrick Mountain are located. Its 911-square-mile area is drained by the north branch of the Colorado River and Yellow Wolf Creek. Native grasses include mesquite grass, needlegrass, sideoats, bunchgrass, and crabgrass. Ninety percent of Coke County's agricultural income of $10 million comes from cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. The rest is from cotton, sorghum, small grains, hay, fruits, and peanuts. Coke County is among the leading counties in sheep ranching. Extraction of sand and gravel is a minor industry, though the county has no manufacturing; county oil production of 2,249,804 barrels in 1982 earned almost $77 million. The annual rainfall is 20.48 inches. The average minimum temperature in January is 29° F; the maximum in July is 97°. The growing season lasts 226 days.

From about 1700 to the 1870s, Comanche Indians ranged the area that is now Coke County. They competed with the Tonkawa Indians to the east and the Lipans to the west for dominance of the Edwards Plateau and Colorado River valley. In 1851 Fort Chadbourne, in the northeast part of the future county, was established by the United States Army to protect the frontier; the fort was manned until the Civil War. The Butterfield Overland Mail ran through the area from 1858 to 1861.

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William R. Hunt, John Leffler | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Coke County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

1700 ft – 2608 ft

Size

Land area does not include water surface area, whereas total area does

  • Land Area: 911.5 mi²
  • Total Area: 928.0 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 28.4°F
July mean maximum: 96.7°F

Rainfall, 2019

22.8 inches

Population Count, 2019

3,387

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

1,379

Unemployment, 2019

6.3%

Property Values, 2019

$1,022,873,060 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$41,895 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$20,588,478 USD

Wages, 2019

$8,109,694 USD

Coke County

Highlighted:
  • Coke County
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Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
Town
Town 254 (2021) Yes
Town
Town 945 (2021) Yes
Town
Lake Yes
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Town
Town
Town
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Lake Yes
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Town 1,022 (2021) Yes
Town 15 (2009) Yes
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Town 34 (2009) Yes
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Town
Town 46 (2009) Yes
Town

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