Formed August 21, 1876 (224th county)
Yoakum County (7,695), Plains (1,354), Denver City (4,466)
Wyatt C. Hedrick designed the Modern yellow brick structure in Plains. It was built in 1949 on the square at 10th and Avenue G. Tenth Street is the combined United States Highways 82 and 380 coming through the city. The building was enlarged in 1975. Plains have been the only county seat, three courthouses the previous one dating 1926, since the August 21, 1876 county organization. The county was cut from Bexar County as the 224th county. The county was named for Texas lawyer, Henderson King Yoakum. Plains is a geographic term for the surrounding country.
Yoakum County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners. One District Court Judge serves Yoakum and Terry counties and One County Court Judge serves Yoakum County. The county is in the panhandle southwest of Lubbock, Texas and north of Odessa, Texas. The Sulphur Springs River, a branch of the Concho River, flows through the county. The county center is 5.6 miles Southwest of Plains. The county is surrounded clockwise by Cochran, Hockley, Terry, and Gaines counties and New Mexico.
The area of the county is 800 square miles. It is 197 out of 254 in the state. It ranks 179 out of 254 in population in the state. It has a density of 9.6 persons per square mile making it 169 out of 254 in the state. Yoakum County has 75.6% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 82 comes from the east, Terry County, and goes to the west, New Mexico. United States Highway 380 is joined with United States Highway 82 from Terry County, splits at Plains, and goes separately into New Mexico. This square county has New Mexico on its western border. Plains is located in the center of the county. Denver City is on the southern border of the county and extends into Gaines County. Plains is the county seat and Denver City is the largest city. Plains is 17.6% of the county population while Denver City is 58.0% of the county population. The county is pronounced YOE-KUM.
Plains
Denver City
