Hemphill County is a county in Texas, United States, on the eastern edge of the Texas Panhandle along the Canadian River. It had a population of 3,382 at the 2020 census and covers 912 square miles (2,360 km2) centred near 35°50′N 100°17′W.
Canadian is the county seat and the only incorporated city in the county. Hemphill County has one incorporated city, one census-designated place, and a handful of smaller unincorporated communities. The county observes Central time and carries FIPS code 48211.
Towns & Villages in Hemphill County
Hemphill County’s population is concentrated almost entirely in Canadian, the sole incorporated municipality; the rest of the county is open ranchland dotted with small unincorporated places and a single census-designated place (CDP). The table below uses Unincorp. for places with no municipal government and no official census-place status.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian | City · seat | 2,222 | — |
| Glazier | CDP | — | — |
| Gem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mendota | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clear Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dreyfoos | Unincorp. | — | — |
Geography
Hemphill County sits in the eastern Texas Panhandle, where the Canadian River cuts a broad, wooded valley across otherwise open shortgrass prairie and mesquite range. The terrain rises from the river breaks in the north to rolling tableland in the south, and ranching remains the dominant land use across the county’s roughly 906 square miles of land and 5.9 square miles of water.
Hemphill County borders Lipscomb County to the north, Wheeler County to the south, Roberts County to the west, and Gray County to the southwest, all in Texas; across the state line to the east it borders Ellis County and Roger Mills County, Oklahoma.
Demographics
Hemphill County recorded 3,382 residents at the 2020 census. Canadian is by far the largest community, with the CDP of Glazier a distant second. The county’s median household income runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting its small, ranching-based tax base. Population density is light, at roughly four people per square mile, typical of the ranching counties of the eastern Panhandle.
Economy & Local Life
Cattle ranching and oil and gas production anchor the local economy, a pattern set by the county’s 1955 oil discoveries. Canadian ISD and the county government are among the largest local employers, and Canadian’s downtown, restored around its early-1900s brick storefronts, supports a small but active tourism trade tied to hunting, fishing on the Canadian River, and the annual Fall Foliage Festival.
History
Hemphill County was created from the Bexar Land District in 1876 and formally organized in July 1887, with Canadian as its seat. It is named for John Hemphill, an early Texas Supreme Court chief justice and Confederate congressman. The county lies within the historical range of the 1874–1875 Red River War, and the arrival of the Southern Kansas Railway (Santa Fe system) in 1887 fixed Canadian’s role as the county’s commercial center. Hemphill is one of a small number of Texas counties that has remained entirely dry, prohibiting the sale of alcohol countywide.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 60/83 runs through Canadian, linking the county to the wider Panhandle highway network.
- Amarillo — 100 miles west
- Pampa — 60 miles southwest
- Woodward, Oklahoma — 55 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hemphill County?
It is in the eastern Texas Panhandle, on the Canadian River near the Oklahoma state line.
What is the population of Hemphill County?
3,382 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Hemphill County?
912 square miles (2,360 km2), of which 906 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Hemphill County?
Canadian is the county seat and only incorporated city.
How many towns are in Hemphill County?
One incorporated city (Canadian), one census-designated place (Glazier), and a few small unincorporated communities.
Can you buy alcohol in Hemphill County?
No. Hemphill County is one of the few remaining entirely dry counties in Texas.
Who is Hemphill County named for?
John Hemphill, an early Texas Supreme Court chief justice and Confederate congressman.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.