Lamb County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Llano Estacado northwest of Lubbock. It had a population of 13,045 at the 2020 census and covers 1,018 square miles (2,640 km2), of which 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) is water, centred near 34°04′N 102°21′W.
Littlefield is the county seat, and its postal code is 79339. The county has five incorporated cities, one town, one census-designated place, and several unincorporated communities. Lamb County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Lamb County
Thirteen named places appear on maps of Lamb County, from the county seat of Littlefield down to small farm-service communities that never incorporated. The table below marks each place’s legal status: cities are incorporated municipalities, Springlake is an incorporated town, Spade is a Census Bureau-defined CDP with no city government, and the rest are unincorporated communities without formal boundaries.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Littlefield | City · seat | 5,943 | 79339 |
| Olton | City | 1,989 | 79064 |
| Sudan | City | — | 79371 |
| Earth | City | — | 79031 |
| Amherst | City | — | 79312 |
| Springlake | Town | — | 79082 |
| Spade | CDP | — | 79369 |
| Fieldton | Unincorp. | — | 79326 |
| Bainer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Circle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Corry | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Friendship | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hart Camp | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lums Chapel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
Texas does not use civil townships, so places here are organized only into incorporated cities and towns plus unincorporated rural communities tied to old cotton gins, schools, or rail sidings.
ZIP Codes
- 79339 — Littlefield
- 79064 — Olton
- 79371 — Sudan
- 79031 — Earth
- 79312 — Amherst
- 79082 — Springlake
- 79326 — Fieldton
- 79369 — Spade (post office box delivery only)
The unincorporated communities of Bainer, Beck, Circle, Corry, Friendship, Hart Camp, Lums Chapel, and Pleasant Valley have no ZIP code of their own; residents use the code of the nearest post office town.
Geography
Lamb County lies on the flat, high tableland of the Llano Estacado in the Texas South Plains, drained by playa lakes rather than a defined river system. Elevation across the county runs roughly 3,400 to 3,700 feet, and the land is almost entirely given over to irrigated and dryland farming.
Lamb County borders Castro County to the north, Hale County to the east, Lubbock County to the southeast, Hockley County to the south, Cochran County to the southwest, Bailey County to the west, and Parmer County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 13,045 residents, down from a peak of 21,896 in 1960 as the county’s economy mechanized and its groundwater table declined. Littlefield and Olton are the two largest communities, together holding well over half the county’s population. Hispanic and Latino residents make up 57.1 percent of the population and White residents 56.5 percent, with a median age of 38.0 years. Median household income runs well below the Texas median of $75,780, typical for a farm-dependent Panhandle county. Population density is about 12.8 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county, especially cotton, along with grain sorghum, corn, and cattle feeding, all supported by irrigation drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer. Littlefield anchors the county’s retail, medical, and school-district services, and Bill W. Clayton, who served as Speaker of the Texas House from 1975 to 1983, made his home there.
History
The Texas Legislature created Lamb County in 1876, but it remained attached to neighboring counties for administration until it organized its own government in 1908. The county is named for George A. Lamb, a soldier killed at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. Country music star Waylon Jennings was born in Littlefield in 1937, and the town still marks his connection to the area.
Getting There
U.S. Route 84 runs through Littlefield toward Lubbock, and U.S. Route 385 crosses the county north–south through Sudan and Springlake.
- Lubbock — 34 miles southeast
- Plainview — 26 miles east
- Muleshoe — 25 miles west
- Amarillo — 100 miles north
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, about 35 miles southeast of Littlefield, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lamb County?
It is in the South Plains region of the Texas Panhandle, northwest of Lubbock.
What is the population of Lamb County?
13,045 people lived there at the 2020 census.
How big is Lamb County?
It covers 1,018 square miles (2,640 km2), of which 1.5 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Lamb County?
Littlefield is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lamb County?
Five incorporated cities, one incorporated town, one CDP, and eight unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Lamb County?
79031, 79064, 79082, 79312, 79326, 79339, 79369, and 79371.
Who was Lamb County named after?
George A. Lamb, a soldier who died at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.