Dallam County, Texas

Not to be confused with Dallas County, Texas.

Dallam County is the north-westernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 7,115.^[1][2] Its county seat is Dalhart.^[3] The county was founded in 1876 and later organized in 1891.^[4] It is named for James Wilmer Dallam, a lawyer and newspaper publisher.

Dallam County
County
1922 Dallam County Courthouse in Dalhart
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°17′N 102°35′W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1891
Seat	Dalhart
Largest city	Dalhart
Area
• Total	1,505 sq mi (3,900 km2)
• Land	1,503 sq mi (3,890 km2)
• Water	2.0 sq mi (5 km2)  0.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,115
• Density	4.7/sq mi (1.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	13th
Website	www.dallam.org

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.^[5] 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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^[6]

Dallam County was one of the hardest-hit areas in the Dust Bowl.^[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,505 square miles (3,900 km²), of which 1,503 square miles (3,890 km²) are land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.1%) are covered by water.^[8]

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.^{[citation needed]}

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 54
• U.S. Highway 87
• U.S. Highway 287
• U.S. Highway 385
• 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

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	112		—
1900	146		30.4%
1910	4,001		2,640.4%
1920	4,528		13.2%
1930	7,830		72.9%
1940	6,494		−17.1%
1950	7,640		17.6%
1960	6,302		−17.5%
1970	6,012		−4.6%
1980	6,531		8.6%
1990	5,461		−16.4%
2000	6,222		13.9%
2010	6,703		7.7%
2020	7,115		6.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1850–2010[10] 2010[11] 2020[12]

Dallam County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[13]	Pop 2010[11]	Pop 2020[12]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	4,257	3,726	3,119	68.42%	55.59%	43.84%
Black or African American alone (NH)	100	81	74	1.61%	1.21%	1.04%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	35	34	51	0.56%	0.51%	0.72%
Asian alone (NH)	13	37	10	0.21%	0.55%	0.14%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	5	3	0.00%	0.07%	0.04%
Other race alone (NH)	1	17	10	0.02%	0.25%	0.14%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)	50	86	141	0.80%	1.28%	1.98%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,766	2,717	3,707	28.38%	40.53%	52.10%
Total	6,222	6,703	7,115	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census^[14] of 2000, 6,222 people, 2,317 households, and 1,628 families were residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km²). The 2,697 housing units had an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77/km²). 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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. Joe Biden's 12.24% showing in the 2020 election is the lowest amount of the vote received by a Democrat since the county's organization in 1891.^{[citation needed]}

United States presidential election results for Dallam County, Texas^[15]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,285	88.80%	152	10.50%	10	0.69%
2020	1,389	86.33%	197	12.24%	23	1.43%
2016	1,261	81.67%	222	14.38%	61	3.95%
2012	1,248	81.36%	253	16.49%	33	2.15%
2008	1,269	79.86%	302	19.01%	18	1.13%
2004	1,473	82.66%	305	17.12%	4	0.22%
2000	1,385	79.42%	341	19.55%	18	1.03%
1996	970	59.36%	483	29.56%	181	11.08%
1992	922	54.78%	434	25.79%	327	19.43%
1988	1,205	64.72%	645	34.64%	12	0.64%
1984	1,594	75.80%	496	23.59%	13	0.62%
1980	965	58.88%	632	38.56%	42	2.56%
1976	936	46.64%	1,029	51.27%	42	2.09%
1972	1,271	78.02%	327	20.07%	31	1.90%
1968	990	49.30%	588	29.28%	430	21.41%
1964	700	39.80%	1,058	60.15%	1	0.06%
1960	961	53.15%	835	46.18%	12	0.66%
1956	1,018	48.41%	1,074	51.07%	11	0.52%
1952	1,464	54.77%	1,197	44.78%	12	0.45%
1948	399	20.54%	1,504	77.41%	40	2.06%
1944	323	20.06%	1,118	69.44%	169	10.50%
1940	427	21.63%	1,539	77.96%	8	0.41%
1936	220	12.74%	1,436	83.15%	71	4.11%
1932	341	14.83%	1,935	84.13%	24	1.04%
1928	618	53.00%	539	46.23%	9	0.77%
1924	254	24.31%	506	48.42%	285	27.27%
1920	195	26.49%	478	64.95%	63	8.56%
1916	81	16.53%	363	74.08%	46	9.39%
1912	18	5.28%	247	72.43%	76	22.29%

United States Senate election results for Dallam County, Texas1^[16]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,229	86.25%	158	11.09%	38	2.67%

Education

The following school districts serve Dallam County:^[17]

• 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).^[18]

Communities

City

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

Town

• Texline

Unincorporated communities

• Coldwater
• Conlen
• Kerrick

Ghost towns

• Chamberlin
• Perico
• Ware

Gallery

• 
  XIT Museum in Dalhart
• 
  Area affected by 1930s Dust Bowl

See also

• Texas portal

• List of museums in the Texas Panhandle
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dallam County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Dallam County