Moore

Formed August 21, 1876 (209^th county)

Moore County (21,362), Dumas (14,501)                

The Modern looking tan brick structure, built in 1930, has the normal West Texas appearance.  It sits on a square on United States Highways 87/287 (715 South Dumas Avenue) as it passes through the center of the city.  The original building’s architects were Berry & Hatch.  Two county courthouses have been located in Dumas since the August 21, 1876 county organization.  The county was originally part of Bexar County and the 209^th county.  Moore County is named for Commodore Edwin W. Moore of the Texas Navy.  Dumas got its name for the president of the land company that founded the city. 

Moore County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Moore, Dallam, Hartley, and Sherman counties and Two County Court Judges serve Moore County.  The county is north of Amarillo, Texas in the northern panhandle.  The county center is 5.9 miles East-Southeast of Dumas.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Sherman, Hansford, Hutchinson, Carson, Potter, Oldham, Hartley, and Dallam counties. 

The area of the county is 900 square miles.  It is 153 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 111 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 23.7 persons per square mile making it 118 out of 254 in the state.  Moore County has 90.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 87 enters from the west, Hartley County, and exits to the south, Potter County.  United States Highway 287 comes from Sherman County (north), joins United States Highway 87, and exits into Potter County (south.)  The county is square shaped with the Canadian River slicing through the southeast corner.  Dumas is in the western half of Moore County.  Dumas is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 67.9% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced DOO-MAS.  This county is in the Dumas Micropolitan Statistical Area.

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