Palo Pinto

Formed January 1, 1856 (114^th county)

Palo Pinto County (28,408), Palo Pinto* (333), Mineral Wells (14,817)

The classic tan sandstone 1940 Texas Renaissance courthouse is in the center of this very small community.  United States Highway 180 passes in front of the structure that is on the square at 5^th Street.  Preston M. Geren and M. A. Howell designed this facility.  There have been three courthouses all in the community of Palo Pinto, the last one dating from 1882.  Organized on January 1, 1856, the county came from Bosque and Navarro counties as the 114^th county.  Palo Pinto County and town are named for the spotted oak native to the area.  Palo is Spanish for “trunk or post” and Pinto is Spanish for “spotted.” 

The area of the county is 953 square miles.  It is 84 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 97 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 29.8 persons per square mile making it 107 out of 254 in the state.  Palo Pinto County has 58.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 20 crosses the southeast corner from Parker County, east, to Erath County, south.  United States Highway 190 goes east to west, Parker County to Stephens County.  United States Highway 281 enters from Jack County on the north and exits into Erath County on the south.  The county is a rectangle with a slight cut out on the north border toward the west border.  Palo Pinto is at the center of the county.  Mineral Wells is located on the eastern border of the county and extends into Parker County.  Palo Pinto is the county seat and Mineral Wells is the largest city.  Palo Pinto is 1.2% of the county population although it is unincorporated.  Mineral Wells is 52.2% of the county population.  The Brazos River crosses the county from north to south and is joined by a fork in the county. 

Palo Pinto County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge and One County Court Judge serve Palo Pinto County.  Palo Pinto County is west of Fort Worth, Texas, southeast of Wichita Falls, Texas, and northeast of Abilene, Texas in north central Texas.  The county center is 1.2 miles Southeast of Palo Pinto.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Jack, Parker, Hood, Erath, Eastland, Stephens, and Young counties.  The county and the county seat are pronounced PAL-O PIN-TOE.  This county is in the Mineral Wells Micropolitan Statistical Area.