Formed January 1, 1891 (243rd county)
Sterling County (1,143), Sterling City (888)
The Sterling County courthouse, built in 1938, is located on the square at 4th and Main streets. United States Highway 87 is Fourth Street as it passes through the city. David S. Castle designed this tan brick Texas Renaissance facility. The county was organized on January 1, 1891 as the 243rd county with Sterling City being the only site for its three courthouses the previous one dating from 1901. The county was carved from Tom Green County. Sterling County and City were named for W. S. Sterling a hunter and surveyor in the area.
Sterling County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners. One District Court Judge serves Sterling, Coke, Irion, Schleicher, and Tom Green counties and One County Court Judge serves Sterling County. The county is located in West Texas northwest of San Angelo, Texas and southeast of Odessa, Texas. The Concho River crosses through the county from west to east. The county center is 7.9 miles Southwest of Sterling City. The county is surrounded clockwise by Mitchell, Coke, Tom Green, Reagan, Glasscock, and Howard counties.
The area of the county is 923 square miles. It is 122 out of 254 in the state. It ranks 246 out of 254 in population in the state. It has a density of 1.24 persons per square mile making it 240 out of 254 in the state. Sterling County has 77.7% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 87 crosses diagonally from Glasscock County, northwest, to Coke County, southeast. The county is a tall rectangle with the southeast corner cut out. Sterling City is slightly east of center in the county. Sterling City is the county seat and, as the only incorporated city, it is the largest city. It is 77.7% of the county population.
Sterling City
