Eastland County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eastland County
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Eastland County Courthouse
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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 | 1873 |
| Seat | Eastland |
| Largest city | Eastland |
| Area | |
| • Total | 932 sq mi (2,410 km2) |
| • Land | 926 sq mi (2,400 km2) |
| • Water | 5.4 sq mi (14 km2) 0.6% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 17,725 |
| • Density | 19.018/sq mi (7.343/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 25th |
Eastland County is a county located in central West Texas. It is a place where about 17,725 people live, according to the 2020 census. The main town, or county seat, is Eastland.
The county was started in 1858 and officially organized in 1873. It is named after William Mosby Eastland. He was a soldier during the Texas Revolution. He was also an officer who sadly died during the "Black Bean executions" of the Mier Expedition.
Eastland County is home to two junior colleges. These are in the towns of Cisco and Ranger.
Contents
Geography
Eastland County covers a total area of about 932 square miles. Most of this land is dry, but about 5.4 square miles are covered by water.
Major Roads
You can get around Eastland County using several important roads:
Interstate 20
U.S. Highway 183
State Highway 6
State Highway 16
State Highway 36
State Highway 112
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Neighboring Counties
Eastland County shares its borders with these other counties:
- Stephens County (north)
- Palo Pinto County (northeast)
- Erath County (east)
- Comanche County (southeast)
- Brown County (south)
- Callahan County (west)
- Shackelford County (northwest)
Population Information
The number of people living in Eastland County has changed over the years.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 99 | — | |
| 1870 | 88 | −11.1% | |
| 1880 | 4,855 | 5,417.0% | |
| 1890 | 10,373 | 113.7% | |
| 1900 | 17,971 | 73.2% | |
| 1910 | 23,421 | 30.3% | |
| 1920 | 58,505 | 149.8% | |
| 1930 | 34,156 | −41.6% | |
| 1940 | 30,345 | −11.2% | |
| 1950 | 23,942 | −21.1% | |
| 1960 | 19,526 | −18.4% | |
| 1970 | 18,092 | −7.3% | |
| 1980 | 19,480 | 7.7% | |
| 1990 | 18,488 | −5.1% | |
| 2000 | 18,297 | −1.0% | |
| 2010 | 18,583 | 1.6% | |
| 2020 | 17,725 | −4.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
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In 2000, there were 18,297 people living in the county. The population density was about 20 people per square mile. Most people were White, with smaller numbers of African American, Native American, and Asian residents. About 10.80% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Eastland Complex Fires of 2022
| Eastland Complex fires of 2022 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Central Texas |
| Statistics | |
| Total fires | 382 |
| Total area | 54,463 acres (22,040 ha) |
| Cost | Unknown |
| Date(s) | March 17, 2022 |
| Buildings destroyed | 50 |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 1 |
On March 17, 2022, a group of wildfires started near Romney. These fires were made worse by dry conditions. The biggest fire was called the Kidd fire, which burned about 42,333 acres of land. In total, 382 fires burned over 54,463 acres and destroyed 50 buildings. Sadly, one person died and one person was injured. Smoke from these fires traveled as far as Houston.
Education
Students in Eastland County attend schools in several different districts:
- Cisco Independent School District
- Cross Plains Independent School District
- De Leon Independent School District
- Eastland Independent School District
- Gorman Independent School District
- Huckabay Independent School District
- Lingleville Independent School District
- Ranger Independent School District
- Rising Star Independent School District
Even though the county is not very big, it has two community colleges. These are Cisco College and Ranger College.
Media
Eastland County is part of the TV viewing area that includes Abilene, Sweetwater, and Brownwood. Local TV news channels include KRBC-TV, KTXS-TV, KXVA, and KTAB-TV. People with Suddenlink Cable TV can also watch channels from the Dallas/Fort Worth area, like WFAA-TV and KERA-TV.
The county also has four local newspapers:
- the Eastland Telegram
- the Rising Star
- Ranger Times
- Cisco Press
Communities
Eastland County has several towns and cities:
Cities
Towns
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially organized as cities or towns:
Ghost Towns
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Eastland para niños
