Deaf Smith County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Deaf Smith County
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Deaf Smith County Courthouse in Hereford
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Location within the U.S. state of Texas
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Texas's location within the U.S. |
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Country | United States |
State | Texas |
Founded | 1890 |
Named for | Deaf Smith |
Seat | Hereford |
Largest city | Hereford |
Area | |
• Total | 1,498 sq mi (3,880 km2) |
• Land | 1,497 sq mi (3,880 km2) |
• Water | 1.5 sq mi (4 km2) 0.1% |
Population
(2020)
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• Total | 18,583 |
• Density | 12.405/sq mi (4.7897/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 13th |
Deaf Smith County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,583. The county seat is Hereford, which is known as the "Beef Capital of the World". The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1890.
The Hereford, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Deaf Smith County.
Contents
History
In 1876 the state legislature identified and named the county, but it was not organized until 1890, with the town of LaPlata as the original county seat. The county was named for Erastus "Deaf" Smith (1787–1837), a partially deaf scout and soldier who served in the Texas Revolution and was the first to reach the Alamo after its fall. The pronunciation of "Deaf", like that of Smith himself, is DEEF; however most residents pronounce it DEFF.
This county was also selected as an alternate site for a possible nuclear waste disposal repository but was later dropped. Jesse Frank Ford, founder of Arrowhead Mills, led the opposition to the Deaf Smith site on grounds of contamination of the Ogallala Aquifer, the source of much of the water supply for West Texas.
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The Deaf Smith County Historical Museum in Hereford
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The Deaf Smith County Library formerly housed the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame on the ground floor. The museum is now located in a new building in the Historic District of Fort Worth, Texas.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,498 square miles (3,880 km2), of which 1,497 square miles (3,880 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) (0.1%) is water.
Major highways
- Interstate 40
- U.S. Highway 60
- U.S. Highway 385
- State Highway 214
Adjacent counties
- Oldham County (north)
- Randall County (east)
- Castro County (southeast)
- Parmer County (south)
- Curry County, New Mexico (southwest)
- Quay County, New Mexico (west)
Demographics
Historical population | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1880 | 38 | — | |
1890 | 179 | 371.1% | |
1900 | 843 | 370.9% | |
1910 | 3,942 | 367.6% | |
1920 | 3,747 | −4.9% | |
1930 | 5,979 | 59.6% | |
1940 | 6,056 | 1.3% | |
1950 | 9,111 | 50.4% | |
1960 | 13,187 | 44.7% | |
1970 | 18,999 | 44.1% | |
1980 | 21,165 | 11.4% | |
1990 | 19,153 | −9.5% | |
2000 | 18,561 | −3.1% | |
2010 | 19,372 | 4.4% | |
2020 | 18,583 | −4.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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White alone (NH) | 5,939 | 4,233 | 30.66% | 22.78% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 158 | 107 | 0.82% | 0.58% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 52 | 47 | 0.27% | 0.25% |
Asian alone (NH) | 56 | 44 | 0.29% | 0.24% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 2 | 0 | 0.01% | 0.00% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 29 | 40 | 0.15% | 0.22% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 97 | 187 | 0.50% | 1.01% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 13,039 | 13,925 | 67.31% | 74.93% |
Total | 19,372 | 18,583 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
Communities
City
- Hereford (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
- Dawn
- Glenrio (partly in Quay County, New Mexico)
Education
School districts:
- Friona Independent School District
- Hereford Independent School District
- Vega Independent School District
- Walcott Independent School District
- Wildorado Independent School District
All of the county is in the service area of Amarillo College.
Infrastructure
The headquarters of the Deaf Smith Electric Cooperative are located in Hereford. The cooperative provides electricity for Deaf Smith, as well as Castro, Parmer, and Oldham Counties.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Deaf Smith para niños