Cochran

Formed August 21, 1876 (179^th county)

Cochran County (2,543), Morton (1,681)

William R. Kaufman designed the Texas Renaissance 1926 courthouse.  It is located on the square at the intersection of Texas State Highways 114 and 214.  The building was enlarged in 1967 and remodeled in 1968.  It is the only courthouse the county has used since its establishment on August 21, 1876.  The county was created from Bexar County as the 179^th county.  Robert Cochran, Alamo patriarch, gave the county its name.  Morton was named for Morton Joe Smith, a selling agent for the nearby Slaughter Ranch. 

Cochran County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Cochran and Hockley counties and One County Court Judge serves Cochran County.  The county is situated in the panhandle due west of Lubbock, Texas.  Its western border is New Mexico.  The county center is 15.9 miles Southwest of Morton nearer Bledsoe.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Bailey, Lamb, Hockley, Terry, and Yoakum counties and New Mexico. 

The area of the county is 775 square miles.  It is 205 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 229 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 3.3 persons per square mile making it 216 out of 254 in the state.  Cochran County has 80.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  It is a slightly taller than wider rectangle with Morton in the northern half, just east of center.  Morton is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 66.1% of the county population.