Midland

Formed January 1, 1885 (226^th county)

Midland County (169,984), Midland (132,524)

A Modern skyscraper describes the 1982 courthouse of Midland County.  The building was originally the Texaco Building which was remodeled for the courthouse in 2010.  The 1930 courthouse still stands in the city but is scheduled to be demolished.  This large structure takes up a square at Michigan and Lorraine in downtown Midland.  Interstate Highway Business 20 is Wall Avenue through this part of the city, five blocks south of the courthouse.  The architects were Parker Smith & Cooper for the structure.  Organized on January 1, 1885 the current courthouse is the fourth one to serve the county (1885, 1905, 1930 and 1982,) all from the City of Midland.  The county was originally part of Tom Green County and the 226^th county.  Midland County and city were named as being the midpoint between El Paso and Fort Worth. 

Midland County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  Four District Court Judges and Three County Court Judges serve Midland County.  The county is located in the southern panhandle.  Odessa, Texas is straight west and Lubbock, Texas is north.  The county center is 13.5 miles Southeast of Midland.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Martin, Glasscock, Reagan, Upton, Ector, and Andrews counties. 

The area of the county is 900 square miles.  It is 152 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 28 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 188.9 persons per square mile making it 32 out of 254 in the state.  Midland County has 80.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 20 goes on a diagonal from Martin County, north, to Ector County, west.  The county is square with Midland in the north third of the county.  Midland is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 78.0% of the county population.  This county is in the Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area.