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Wichita County, Texas facts for kids

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Wichita County
The Wichita County Courthouse in downtown Wichita Falls
The Wichita County Courthouse in downtown Wichita Falls
Map of Texas highlighting Wichita 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 February 1, 1882
Seat Wichita Falls
Largest city Wichita Falls
Area
 • Total 633 sq mi (1,640 km2)
 • Land 628 sq mi (1,630 km2)
 • Water 5.3 sq mi (14 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 129,350
 • Estimate 
(2022)
129,978 Increase
 • Density 204.34/sq mi (78.90/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 13th

Wichita County is a place in the state of Texas, United States. In 2020, about 129,350 people lived there. The main city, where the county government is located, is Wichita Falls. The county was officially started in 1858 and began working in 1882. Wichita County is part of the larger Wichita Falls area.

Exploring Wichita County's Geography

Wichita County covers a total area of about 633 square miles. Most of this area is land, with only a small part (about 5.3 square miles) covered by water. The Wichita River and other smaller streams flow through the county.

Main Roads in Wichita County

Many important roads help people travel through Wichita County. These include major highways that connect the county to other parts of Texas and nearby states.

  • I-44 (TX).svg Interstate 44
  • US 82.svg U.S. Highway 82
  • US 277.svg U.S. Highway 277
  • US 281.svg U.S. Highway 281
  • US 287.svg U.S. Highway 287
  • Texas 25.svg State Highway 25
  • Texas 79.svg State Highway 79
  • Texas 240.svg State Highway 240
  • Texas 258.svg State Highway 258

Neighboring Counties

Wichita County shares its borders with several other counties. Some are in Texas, and others are in the nearby state of Oklahoma.

Discovering Wichita County's Geology

Wichita County is part of an area known as the Texas Red Beds. These are layers of red-colored rock that formed a very long time ago, during the Early Permian period.

Scientists first found fossils of ancient animals from the Permian period here in 1877. Since then, they have discovered rare fossils of amphibians, which are animals that can live both in water and on land. They have also found many fossils of other four-legged animals from that time, like the Dimetrodon and Diadectes.

Understanding Wichita County's Population

The number of people living in Wichita County has changed over the years. Here's a quick look at how the population has grown:

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 433
1890 4,831 1,015.7%
1900 5,806 20.2%
1910 16,094 177.2%
1920 72,911 353.0%
1930 74,416 2.1%
1940 73,604 −1.1%
1950 98,493 33.8%
1960 123,528 25.4%
1970 120,563 −2.4%
1980 121,082 0.4%
1990 122,378 1.1%
2000 131,664 7.6%
2010 131,500 −0.1%
2020 129,350 −1.6%
2022 (est.) 129,978 −1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010-2020

In 2000, about 131,664 people lived in the county. The population density was about 210 people per square mile. This means that, on average, 210 people lived in an area the size of one square mile.

The average household in Wichita County had about 2.49 people. The average family had about 3.04 people. About 25.2% of the people in the county were under 18 years old. The median age, which is the middle age of all the people, was 33 years old.

The average income for a household in the county was $33,780. For families, it was $40,937. About 13.2% of the people in Wichita County lived below the poverty line. This included 17.4% of those under 18 and 9.8% of those 65 or older.

Communities in Wichita County

Wichita County has several towns and cities where people live.

Cities

Town

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller areas that are not officially part of a city or town.

Education in Wichita County

Several school districts serve the students in Wichita County. These districts manage the public schools in different areas.

  • Burkburnett Independent School District
  • City View Independent School District
  • Electra Independent School District
  • Holliday Independent School District
  • Iowa Park Consolidated Independent School District
  • Wichita Falls Independent School District

For students who want to continue their education after high school, Vernon College also serves this area.

See also

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

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