West Texas map
Region · ~115,000 sq mi · 26°–36° N · Mountain & Central Time
West Texas is the largest and emptiest region of the state: desert mountains, oil fields and ranches bigger than some counties. Where it begins is argued about; where it ends is the Rio Grande and the New Mexico line.
From El Paso east to the Concho Valley. The Pecos River separates the Trans-Pecos from the Permian Basin.
Where West Texas starts
Most Texans put the line somewhere between Abilene and San Angelo, roughly along the 100th meridian, where average rainfall drops below 20 inches and trees give out. Geographers use the Pecos River: everything west of it is the Trans-Pecos, the only mountainous part of Texas and the part that is unambiguously "West Texas." El Paso, Lubbock and Midland all call themselves West Texas even though Lubbock is also the South Plains and Midland is the Permian Basin.
Sub-regions
| Sub-region | Cities | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Big Bend / Trans-Pecos | Marfa, Alpine, Fort Davis, Terlingua | Chihuahuan Desert, Chisos and Davis Mountains, Big Bend National Park |
| El Paso / Upper Rio Grande | El Paso, Fabens, Van Horn | Franklin Mountains, border metro, Mountain Time |
| Permian Basin | Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, Pecos | Largest oil-producing region in the U.S. |
| Concho Valley | San Angelo | Edge of the Edwards Plateau, sheep and goat country |
| Big Country | Abilene, Sweetwater | Rolling plains, wind farms along I-20 |
Cities of West Texas
- El Paso
678,815 people, the far western corner of the state. Franklin Mountains State Park sits inside the city limits, and the crossing to Ciudad Juárez is at the end of downtown.
- Lubbock
257,141, on the flat Llano Estacado above the Caprock. Texas Tech University and the cotton trade run the local economy.
- Midland
132,524. The office half of the Permian Basin oil business, on I-20 with the region's main airport shared with Odessa.
- Abilene
125,182, on I-20 where the rolling plains begin. Three private universities and Dyess Air Force Base.
- Odessa
114,428. The field half of the Permian: service yards, pipe racks and rigs, 20 miles west of Midland.
- San Angelo
99,893, where the North, Middle and South Concho rivers meet at the northwest edge of the Edwards Plateau.
- Del Rio
34,673, a border city on US-90 next to Lake Amistad and the crossing to Ciudad Acuña.
- Big Spring
26,144, on I-20 at the foot of the Caprock, named for the spring below Scenic Mountain.
- Alpine
6,035, the Brewster County seat and the usual base for Big Bend trips. Sul Ross State University is on the hill above US-90.
- Marfa
1,788, the Presidio County seat on US-90, 26 miles west of Alpine, with the Chinati Foundation and the Marfa lights viewing area.
Counties of West Texas
| County | Seat | Pop. 2020 | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso | El Paso | 865,657 | 1,015 sq mi |
| Lubbock | Lubbock | 310,639 | 901 sq mi |
| Midland | Midland | 169,983 | 902 sq mi |
| Ector | Odessa | 165,171 | 902 sq mi |
| Taylor | Abilene | 143,208 | 920 sq mi |
| Tom Green | San Angelo | 120,003 | 1,540 sq mi |
| Val Verde | Del Rio | 47,586 | 3,233 sq mi |
| Pecos | Fort Stockton | 15,193 | 4,765 sq mi |
| Brewster | Alpine | 9,546 | 6,193 sq mi |
| Presidio | Marfa | 6,131 | 3,856 sq mi |
| Hudspeth | Sierra Blanca | 3,202 | 4,572 sq mi |
| Culberson | Van Horn | 2,188 | 3,812 sq mi |
| Jeff Davis | Fort Davis | 1,996 | 2,265 sq mi |
| Terrell | Sanderson | 760 | 2,358 sq mi |
| Loving | Mentone | 64 | 677 sq mi |
The five largest counties in Texas by area are all here: Brewster at 6,193 sq mi, Pecos at 4,765, Hudspeth at 4,572, Presidio at 3,856 and Culberson at 3,812. Brewster on its own is larger than the state of Connecticut, and it held 9,546 people in 2020. The emptiest are Loving with 64 residents, Terrell with 760 and Jeff Davis with 1,996. Against that, El Paso County packs 865,657 people into 1,015 sq mi — more residents than the other fourteen counties in the table combined.
Highways across West Texas
- I-10 – 500+ miles from El Paso to Kerrville; the longest empty stretch is Van Horn to Fort Stockton (130 miles, 80 mph).
- I-20 – branches from I-10 near Kent and runs through Pecos, Odessa, Midland, Big Spring and Abilene.
- US-90 – the scenic southern route: Van Horn, Marfa, Alpine, Sanderson, Del Rio.
- US-385 / US-67 – south to Big Bend from Fort Stockton and Marfa.
- US-62/180 – El Paso to Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns.
What driving it is actually like
Rural stretches of I-10 and I-20 west of the Hill Country are posted at 80 mph, the highest limit on any Texas interstate, and the road is straight and empty enough that the limit is the real travel speed. Even so the distances win: El Paso to San Antonio on I-10 is roughly 550 miles, about eight hours without stops, and Odessa to El Paso is about 280 miles by I-20 and I-10. Lubbock to Midland is around 120 miles on US-87; Big Spring to Abilene is about 105 miles on I-20.
Towns come far apart, and so does fuel. Van Horn to Fort Stockton on I-10 is 130 miles with almost nothing between. On US-90 the gaps are longer in feel if not always in miles: Alpine to Marathon is about 30 miles, Marathon to Sanderson about 55, and Sanderson to Del Rio roughly 120, with no town of any size in between. From Marathon it is about 40 miles south on US-385 to the north entrance of Big Bend National Park at Persimmon Gap, and the park headquarters is well beyond that. The usual rule is to fill the tank in every town whether you need to or not, and to carry water.
Two counties in Texas keep Mountain Time: El Paso and Hudspeth. Driving east on I-10, the clock jumps forward an hour at the Hudspeth–Culberson county line, just west of Van Horn; westbound you get the hour back at the same sign. It is the only time-zone change inside the state, and it catches people out on flight and hotel bookings in El Paso.
Cell coverage is patchy through the Trans-Pecos, and Border Patrol checkpoints operate on US-90, US-385 and I-10 east of El Paso.
Records
| Highest point in Texas | Guadalupe Peak, 8,751 ft (Culberson County) |
| Largest county | Brewster, 6,193 sq mi |
| Least populous county in the U.S. | Loving, 64 people (2020) |
| Largest national park in Texas | Big Bend, 801,163 acres |
| Darkest skies | McDonald Observatory, Davis Mountains |