Parker County, Texas

Not to be confused with Parmer County, Texas.

Parker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 148,222.^[1] The county seat is Weatherford.^[2] The county was created in 1855 and organized the following year.^[3] It is named for Isaac Parker, a state legislator who introduced the bill that established the county in 1855.^[4] Parker later fought in the Texas Brigade.^[5]

Parker County
County
The Parker County courthouse in Weatherford
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°47′N 97°49′W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1856
Named after	Isaac Parker, Texas legislator
Seat	Weatherford
Largest city	Weatherford
Area
• Total	910 sq mi (2,400 km2)
• Land	903 sq mi (2,340 km2)
• Water	6.6 sq mi (17 km2)  0.7%
Population  (2020)
• Total	148,222
• Density	160/sq mi (60/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	12th, 25th
Website	www.parkercountytx.com

Parker County is included in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan statistical area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 910 square miles (2,400 km²), of which 903 square miles (2,340 km²) are land and 6.6 square miles (17 km²) (0.7%) are covered by water.^[6] The county is intersected by the Brazos River.^[7]

Highest point

Main article: Slipdown Mountain

Slipdown Mountain and Slipdown Bluff, at a height of 1,368 feet (417 m), are the highest points in Parker County.^[8] They are located just east of the Advance community, southwest of Poolville.

Major highways

• I-20
• I-30
• US 180
• US 377
• FM 5
• FM 51
• FM 52
• FM 113
• SH 171
• SH 199
• SH 312
• FM 920

Adjacent counties

• Wise County (north)
• Tarrant County (east)
• Johnson County (southeast)
• Hood County (south)
• Palo Pinto County (west)
• Jack County (northwest)

Communities

Cities (multiple counties)

• Azle (mostly in Tarrant County)
• Cresson (partly in Hood and Johnson counties)
• Fort Worth (mostly in Tarrant County, with small parts in Denton, Johnson, Wise, and Parker counties)
• Mineral Wells (mostly in Palo Pinto County)
• Reno (small part in Tarrant County)

Cities

• Aledo
• Hudson Oaks
• Weatherford (county seat)
• Willow Park

Towns

• Annetta
• Annetta North
• Annetta South
• Brock
• Cool
• Millsap
• Sanctuary
• Springtown

Census-designated places

• Briar (partly in Wise and Tarrant counties)
• Carter
• Dennis
• Garner
• Horseshoe Bend
• Western Lake

Unincorporated communities

• Goshen
• Poolville
• Whitt
• Peaster

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	4,213		—
1870	4,186		−0.6%
1880	15,870		279.1%
1890	21,682		36.6%
1900	25,823		19.1%
1910	26,331		2.0%
1920	23,382		−11.2%
1930	18,759		−19.8%
1940	20,482		9.2%
1950	21,528		5.1%
1960	22,880		6.3%
1970	33,888		48.1%
1980	44,609		31.6%
1990	64,785		45.2%
2000	88,495		36.6%
2010	116,927		32.1%
2020	148,220		26.8%
2023 (est.)	173,494		17.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1850–2010[10] 2010[11] 2020[12]

Parker 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)	78,980	99,698	117,747	89.25%	85.27%	79.44%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,559	1,842	1,636	1.76%	1.58%	1.10%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	518	768	878	0.59%	0.66%	0.59%
Asian alone (NH)	298	631	990	0.34%	0.54%	0.67%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	19	35	97	0.02%	0.03%	0.07%
Other race alone (NH)	58	64	470	0.07%	0.05%	0.32%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	852	1,479	6,585	0.96%	1.26%	4.44%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	6,211	12,410	19,819	7.02%	10.61%	13.37%
Total	88,495	116,927	148,222	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

In 2000, the county had a population of 88,495; by 2020, its population increased to 148,222.^[12] Among the 2020 census population, the racial and ethnic makeup was 79.44% non-Hispanic white, 13.37% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 4.44% multiracial, 1.10% Black or African American, 0.67% Asian alone, 0.59% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.32% some other race, and 0.07% Pacific Islander.

American Community Survey 2023 Data

The United States Census Bureau estimated that in 2023, Parker County’s population was 173,494. It was also estimated that the county was 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, 79.6% NH White, 1.8% NH Black, 0.9% NH Asian, 0.7% NH Native American, 0.1% NH Pacific Islander, 1.8% NH Multiracial.^[14]

Race	Total	Percentage
Hispanic or Latino	26,265	15.1%
NH White	138,142	79.6%
NH Black	3,164	1.8%
NH Asian	1,587	0.9%
NH Native American	1,037	0.7%
NH Pacific Islander	139	0.1%
NH Multiracial	3,064	1.8%

Politics

Parker County, like most suburban counties in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Republicans have held all public offices since 1999 and the county has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1976.

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

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	75,168	82.75%	14,872	16.37%	800	0.88%
2020	62,045	81.50%	13,017	17.10%	1,066	1.40%
2016	46,473	81.79%	8,344	14.69%	2,000	3.52%
2012	39,243	82.28%	7,853	16.47%	598	1.25%
2008	36,974	77.11%	10,502	21.90%	475	0.99%
2004	31,795	77.63%	8,966	21.89%	196	0.48%
2000	23,651	71.18%	8,878	26.72%	696	2.09%
1996	14,580	54.29%	9,447	35.18%	2,828	10.53%
1992	10,321	37.54%	7,934	28.86%	9,239	33.60%
1988	14,090	62.01%	8,517	37.48%	116	0.51%
1984	13,647	69.07%	6,050	30.62%	62	0.31%
1980	8,505	52.65%	7,336	45.41%	314	1.94%
1976	4,692	36.18%	8,186	63.12%	91	0.70%
1972	7,152	69.11%	3,184	30.77%	13	0.13%
1968	3,068	32.98%	4,301	46.23%	1,934	20.79%
1964	2,175	29.16%	5,270	70.66%	13	0.17%
1960	3,467	48.50%	3,629	50.77%	52	0.73%
1956	3,390	51.46%	3,165	48.04%	33	0.50%
1952	3,523	50.50%	3,434	49.23%	19	0.27%
1948	806	19.75%	3,061	75.02%	213	5.22%
1944	559	12.27%	3,503	76.90%	493	10.82%
1940	558	13.12%	3,687	86.69%	8	0.19%
1936	375	12.95%	2,493	86.08%	28	0.97%
1932	372	10.68%	3,074	88.28%	36	1.03%
1928	2,178	66.24%	1,110	33.76%	0	0.00%
1924	438	14.70%	2,391	80.26%	150	5.04%
1920	488	20.60%	1,765	74.50%	116	4.90%
1916	173	7.77%	1,797	80.69%	257	11.54%
1912	135	5.62%	1,700	70.72%	569	23.67%

Notable people

• Oliver Loving, developer of the Loving-Goodnight Cattle Trail
• Bose Ikard, trusted cattle driver of Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight
• Mary Martin, star of stage and screen
• S.W.T. Lanham, last Confederate veteran to serve as governor of Texas
• Jim Wright, youngest mayor of Weatherford, Texas, and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

See also

• Texas portal

• List of museums in North Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Parker County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Parker County