Upton

Formed February 26, 1887 (235^th county)

Upton County (3,355), Rankin (778), McCamey (1,887)

The tan brick Modern courthouse, located on the square at 10^th and Grand streets, was built in 1926.  The location is two blocks north of United States Highway 67.  David S. Castle designed the building.  The building was enlarged in 1958.  Upland was the county seat at the February 26, 1887 organization of the county.  Rankin succeeded Upland in 1926.  The county was cut from Tom Green County as the 235^th county.  Upton County got its name from Civil War heroes William Felton Upton and John Cummingham Upton.  Rankin’s namesake is local landowner, F. E. Rankin. 

Upton County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Upton, Crockett, Pecos, Reagan, and Sutton counties and One County Court Judge serves Upton County.  The county is situated in far southwest Texas southeast of Odessa, Texas and west of San Angelo, Texas.  One of the forks of the Concho River originates in the county.  The county center is 10.9 miles Northwest of Rankin.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Midland, Glasscock, Reagan, Crockett, Crane, and Ector counties. 

The area of the county is 1242 square miles.  It is 39 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 223 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.70 persons per square mile making it 224 out of 254 in the state.  Upton County has 79.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 67 crosses the south part east to west from Reagan County to Crane County.  United States Highway 385 enters from the west (Crane County), joins United States Highway 67, and exits back into Crane County.  The county is a tall rectangle shape and Rankin is in the southeast corner of the county.  McCamey is located in the southwest corner of the county.  Rankin is the county seat and McCamey is the largest city.  Rankin is 23.2% of the county population while McCamey is 56.2% of the county population.