Carson County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Panhandle plains east of Amarillo. It had a population of 5,807 at the 2020 census and covers 924 square miles (2,390 km2) centred near 35°25′N 101°21′W.
Panhandle is the county seat, and its postal code is 79068. The county has four incorporated towns, one unincorporated community, and three former ghost towns; it sits in the Central time zone and carries FIPS code 48065.
Towns & Villages in Carson County
Carson County has four incorporated towns, one active unincorporated community, and several historic sites that are no longer populated. Type key: City · seat = the county seat; Town = incorporated town; Unincorp. = unincorporated community; Ghost = a former settlement with no remaining population.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panhandle | City · seat | 2,378 | 79068 |
| White Deer | Town | 918 | 79097 |
| Groom | Town | 552 | 79039 |
| Skellytown | Town | 394 | 79080 |
| Conway | Unincorp. | — | 79039 |
| Cuyler | Ghost | — | — |
| Deal | Ghost | — | — |
| Lark | Ghost | — | — |
The old site listing also carried the names Abell, Cargray, Hillard, Lee, Masterson, McBride, Pomeroy, Wilhelm, and Yarnall as places in Carson County. These were historic railroad sidings and section-house stops along the old Southern Kansas and Pecos and Northern Texas rail lines rather than towns with any surviving population or a documented town site distinct from the ghost towns above; they are omitted here for lack of verifiable detail beyond a name on a historical rail map.
ZIP Codes
- 79068 — Panhandle (county seat)
- 79097 — White Deer
- 79039 — Groom (also serves Conway)
- 79080 — Skellytown
Carson County is served by exactly these four ZIP codes; the county’s small unincorporated and historic sites use the ZIP of their nearest post office town.
Geography
Carson County sits on the flat, high-elevation shortgrass plains of the Texas Panhandle, cut by the Canadian River breaks along its northern edge. Most of the county is level to gently rolling tableland used for wheat, sorghum, and cattle grazing; the Canadian River valley in the north brings the county’s only significant relief and its main watercourse. Water covers about 3.9 square miles (10 km2) of the county’s total.
Carson County borders Hutchinson County to the north, Roberts County to the northeast, Gray County to the east, Donley County to the southeast, Armstrong County to the south, Randall County to the southwest, Potter County to the west, and Moore County to the northwest.
Demographics
Carson County’s population was 5,807 at the 2020 census. Panhandle and White Deer are the county’s two largest communities, together home to more than half of the county’s residents. Median household income in Carson County runs above the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the area’s oil, gas, and agricultural employment base. With 924 square miles of land, the county’s overall density is roughly 6 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Oil and gas production, which began in Carson County in 1921, remains a core part of the local economy alongside wheat and grain sorghum farming and cattle ranching. The Pantex Plant, the U.S. Department of Energy’s final assembly and disassembly site for nuclear weapons, sits on the county’s western edge near Panhandle and is one of the region’s largest employers. Panhandle Independent School District and White Deer Independent School District anchor the county’s two largest towns.
History
Carson County was formed from Bexar County territory in 1876 and organized as a county government in 1888. It is named for Samuel Price Carson, first secretary of state under the Republic of Texas. Panhandle, founded along the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway, became the county seat and grew as a regional shipping point for cattle and grain. The county’s fortunes shifted in the 1920s with the discovery of oil and gas in the Panhandle Field, and again in the early 1940s with the establishment of the Pantex ordnance plant west of Panhandle, later repurposed for nuclear weapons assembly.
Getting There
Interstate 40, U.S. Highways 60 and 287, and State Highways 136, 152, and 207 all cross Carson County.
- Amarillo — 25 miles west
- Pampa — 15 miles east
- Borger — 20 miles north
- Clarendon — 25 miles southeast
Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, just west of the county in Amarillo, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Carson County, Texas?
It is in the central Texas Panhandle, directly east of Amarillo, straddling I-40 and U.S. 60.
What is the population of Carson County?
5,807 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Carson County?
924 square miles (2,390 km2), of which 3.9 square miles (10 km2) is water.
What is the county seat of Carson County?
Panhandle is the county seat.
How many towns are in Carson County?
Four incorporated towns — Panhandle, White Deer, Groom, and Skellytown — plus the unincorporated community of Conway and three historic ghost towns.
What ZIP codes are in Carson County?
79068 (Panhandle), 79097 (White Deer), 79039 (Groom), and 79080 (Skellytown).
What is Carson County known for?
The Pantex nuclear weapons assembly plant on its western edge, alongside Panhandle Field oil and gas production and Panhandle wheat and cattle farming.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.