Formed January 1, 1905 (245th county)
Terrell County (760), Sanderson* (664)
The tile roof and white stucco outside provides uniqueness to the 1906 Mediterranean structure. It is on the square at Hackberry and 2nd streets. The location is two blocks north of United States Highway 90 as it passes through this small community. W. M. Martin provided the designs. The building was renovated and enlarged in 1930 and remodeled in 1983. Sanderson has had the only courthouse since the January 1, 1905 organizing of the county. Terrell County was taken from Pecos County as the 245th county. The county was named for Confederate officer and Texas legislator, Alexander Watkins Terrell. Sanderson got its name from Thomas P. Sanderson who was a local construction engineer.
Terrell County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners. One District Court Judge serves Terrell, Edwards, Kinney, and Val Verde counties, One District Court Judge serves Terrell, Pecos, and Val Verde counties, and One County Court Judge serves Terrell County. The county is in the far southwest part of the state. San Antonio, Texas is east, San Angelo, Texas is northeast, and El Paso, Texas is northwest. The Rio Grande is the southern border and the Pecos River is the northeastern border of the county. The county center is 31.5 miles Northeast of Sanderson nearer Dryden. The county is surrounded clockwise by Crockett and Val Verde counties and Mexico and Brewster and Pecos counties.
The area of the county is 2358 square miles. It is 10 out of 254 in the state. It ranks 248 out of 254 in population in the state. It has a density of 0.3 persons per square mile making it 251 out of 254 in the state. Terrell County has 0.0% of its population in its incorporated areas since there are no incorporated cities. United States Highway 90 crosses east to west, from Val Verde County into the southern tip of Pecos County. United States Highway 285 enters from Pecos County on the northwest and terminates in the county. The county has multiple shapes starting as a rectangle, adding steps on the western side, slicing the southwest corner off, and finishing with the wandering Rio Grande on the south. Sanderson is located in the far southwest quarter of the county. Sanderson is the county seat and the largest populated area. It is 87.4% of the county population.
Sanderson (unincorporated)
