Hockley

Formed August 21, 1876 (198^th county)

Hockley County (21,543), Levelland (12,655)

The Classical Revival stone and concrete structure that is the Hockley County courthouse was built in 1928.  It is on the square at the intersection of Houston, Austin, Avenues G and H.  United States Highway 385 is seven blocks east and Texas State Highway 114 is six blocks north of the square.  The building’s designer was Preston Lee Walker.  Levelland has housed both courthouses for the county since its August 21, 1876 founding.  The building was renovated in 1977 and an Annex was added in 1997.  Hockley County was taken from Bexar County as the 198^th county.  The county was named for George W. Hockley, commander of artillery at the Battle of San Jacinto.  Levelland is a geographical term describing the surrounding countryside. 

Hockley County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Hockley and Cochran counties and One County Court Judge serves Hockley County.  The county is in the western panhandle straight west of Lubbock, Texas.  Forks of the Colorado River and the Brazos River cross this county.  The county center is 4 miles Northeast of Levelland.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Lamb, Hale, Lubbock, Lynn, Terry, Yoakum, Cochran, and Bailey counties. 

The area of the county is 908 square miles.  It is 132 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 110 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 23.7 persons per square mile making it 119 out of 254 in the state.  Hockley County has 74.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 62 cuts the southeast corner from Lubbock County (east) to Terry County (south.)  United States Highway 82 is joined with United States Highway 62 across the county from Lubbock County to Terry County.  United States Highway 84 crosses the northwest corner from Lamb County in the north to Lubbock County in the east.  United States Highway 385 goes north to south from Lamb County to Terry County.  One of the square shaped panhandle counties, Levelland is at the county’s center.  Levelland is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 58.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Levelland Micropolitan Statistical Area.