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Lamar County, Texas facts for kids

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Lamar County
U.S. county
The Lamar County Courthouse in Paris
The Lamar County Courthouse in Paris
Map of Texas highlighting Lamar County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Texas
Founded 1841
Named for Mirabeau B. Lamar
Seat Paris
Largest city Paris
Area
 • Total 933 sq mi (2,420 km2)
 • Land 907 sq mi (2,350 km2)
 • Water 26 sq mi (70 km2)  2.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 50,088
 • Density 53.685/sq mi (20.728/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Lamar County (/ləˈmɑːr/) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is found in the Northeast Texas region. In 2020, about 50,088 people lived there.

The main city and county seat is Paris. The county was created by the government of the Republic of Texas on December 17, 1840. It started working the next year. Lamar County is named after Mirabeau B. Lamar. He was the second president of the Republic of Texas. The county is also part of the Paris, TX micropolitan area.

Exploring Lamar County's Geography

Lamar County covers a total area of about 933 square miles. Most of this area, about 907 square miles, is land. The rest, about 26 square miles, is water. This means about 2.8% of the county is covered by water.

Main Roads in Lamar County

These are the major highways that run through Lamar County:

  • US 82.svg U.S. Highway 82
  • US 271.svg U.S. Highway 271
  • Texas 19.svg State Highway 19
  • Texas 24.svg State Highway 24
  • Texas Loop 286.svg Loop 286

Neighboring Counties

Lamar County shares its borders with these other counties:

Communities in Lamar County

Lamar County has several towns and communities. Some are cities, and others are smaller places.

Cities in Lamar County

Special Census Place

  • Powderly is a census-designated place. This means it's a community that the U.S. Census Bureau identifies for statistics.

Smaller Communities (Unincorporated)

Population Changes Over Time

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 3,978 —
1860 10,136 154.8%
1870 15,790 55.8%
1880 27,193 72.2%
1890 37,302 37.2%
1900 48,627 30.4%
1910 46,544 −4.3%
1920 55,742 19.8%
1930 48,529 −12.9%
1940 50,425 3.9%
1950 43,033 −14.7%
1960 34,234 −20.4%
1970 36,062 5.3%
1980 42,156 16.9%
1990 43,949 4.3%
2000 48,499 10.4%
2010 49,793 2.7%
2020 50,088 0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010–2020

In 2000, Lamar County had 48,499 people living there. By the 2020 census, the population grew slightly to 50,088.

The people living in Lamar County come from many backgrounds. In 2020, about 70.58% of the people were non-Hispanic white. About 12.73% were Black or African American. Around 1.50% were American Indian or Alaska Native. About 0.95% were Asian. Also, about 5.14% were of mixed races. About 8.81% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Education in Lamar County

Several school districts serve the students of Lamar County. These districts help make sure kids get a good education.

School Districts

  • Chisum ISD (a small part is in Delta County)
  • Fannindel ISD (mostly in Delta and Fannin Counties; a small part is in Hunt County)
  • Honey Grove ISD (mostly in Fannin County)
  • North Lamar ISD
  • Paris ISD
  • Prairiland ISD (a small part is in Red River County)

The Roxton ISD used to serve a part of the county. However, it closed in 2019. Its students then joined Chisum ISD.

Higher Education

For students looking for college, Paris Junior College is available. It serves the entire county.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Lamar (Texas) para niños

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