Dallam County, Texas

History

Dallam County was formed in 1876 from portions of Bexar County. It was named after James Wilmer Dallam, the lawyer who made the first digest of Texas laws. The first settlement in the area followed in 1870, which resulted in the Red River War of 1874 and 1875 with the native Comanche and Kiowa tribes. In 1900–01, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad company built a stretch from Liberal, Kansas, to Tucumcari, New Mexico, which ran through the county. The location where the tracks met those of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway was named Dalhart. The name is taken from the first letters of Dallam County and Hartley County, between which the town's area is divided. Within a short time, the small railroad stop turned into a sizable town and was named county seat in 1903.

Dallam County was one of the hardest-hit areas in the Dust Bowl.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1505 sqmi, of which 1503 sqmi are land and 2.0 sqmi (0.1%) are covered by water.

Dallam County is one of only three counties in Texas to border two other U.S. states (the others being Bowie and Cass). Dallam County forms part of the tripoint—of Texas-Oklahoma-New Mexico.

Major highways

• [[Image:US 54.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 54
• [[Image:US 87.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 87
• [[Image:US 287.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 287
• [[Image:US 385.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 385
• [[Image:Texas 102.svg|20px]] State Highway 102

Adjacent counties

• Cimarron County, Oklahoma (north)
• Sherman County (east)
• Moore County (southeast)
• Hartley County (south)
• Union County, New Mexico (west)

National protected area

• Rita Blanca National Grassland (part)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–2010 2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,115. The median age was 32.3 years. 29.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 112.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 117.7 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 54.5% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 1.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian,

76.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 23.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,546 households in the county, of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.1% were married-couple households, 24.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 3,039 housing units, of which 16.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 57.8% were owner-occupied and 42.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 6,222 people, 2,317 households, and 1,628 families were residing in the county. The population density was 4 /mi2. The 2,697 housing units had an average density of 2 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 82.64% White, 1.64% Black or African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 12.41% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. About 28.38% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. About 19.6% were German, 8.2% were Irish, 7.1% were English, 5.5% were American, 2.8% were French, 2.7% were Scotch-Irish, and 1.6% were Dutch in ancestry.

Of the 2,317 households, 39.0% had children under 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were not families. About 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the county, the age distribution was 31.8% under 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.00 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 101.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,946, and for a family was $33,558. Males had a median income of $27,244 versus $19,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,653. About 11.3% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under 18 and 24.8% of those 65 or over.

Politics

Dallam County is located within District 86 of the Texas House of Representatives. The seat has been held by Amarillo attorney John T. Smithee, a Republican, since 1985. Dallam County as a whole is heavily Republican in orientation. Kamala Harris's 10.50% showing in the 2024 election was the lowest percentage of the vote a Democrat has received in the county since its organization in 1891.

Education

The following school districts serve Dallam County:

• Dalhart Independent School District
• Stratford Independent School District
• Texline Independent School District

Dallam County is in the service area of Frank Phillips College (known in legislation as Borger Junior College).

Communities

City

• Dalhart (county seat) (partly in Hartley County)

Town

• Texline

Unincorporated communities

• Coldwater
• Conlen
• Kerrick

Ghost towns

• Chamberlin
• Perico
• Ware

Gallery

File:XIT Museum 27Oct2002.jpg|XIT Museum in Dalhart File:Map of states and counties affected by the Dust Bowl, sourced from US federal government dept. (NRCS SSRA-RAD).svg|Area affected by 1930s Dust Bowl

References

References

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2. "Dallam County, Texas".
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. (2008). "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". [[Newberry Library.
5. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". Govt. Print. Off..
6. Abbe, Donald R.. "Dallam County". Texas State Historical Association.
7. Laskin, David. (December 17, 2005). "Laying Bare Dust Bowl's Scar Tissue". The New York Times.
8. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
9. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". [[US Census Bureau]].
10. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010". Texas Almanac.
11. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Dallam County, Texas".
12. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Dallam County, Texas".
13. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Dallam County, Texas".
14. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
15. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
16. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
17. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
18. https://data.census.gov/profile/Dallam_County,_Texas?g=050XX00US48111
19. (August 2025)
20. (August 2025)
21. https://data.census.gov/profile/Dallam_County,_Texas?g=050XX00US48111
22. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
23. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".
24. Geography Division. (December 22, 2020). "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Dallam County, TX". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
25. [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.198. SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.]