Parmer County is a county in Texas, United States, on the southern Texas Panhandle’s High Plains along the Llano Estacado, bordering New Mexico. It had a population of 9,869 at the 2020 census and covers 885 square miles (2,290 km2), of which 4.4 square miles are water, centred near 34°32′N 102°47′W.
Farwell is the county seat, and its postal code is 79325. The county has three incorporated cities, one unincorporated community with its own ZIP, and several smaller unincorporated places. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Parmer County
Parmer County has three incorporated cities — Bovina, Farwell and Friona — plus Lazbuddie and a scatter of small unincorporated crossroads communities, several dating to the county’s early ranching and railroad era. Type key: City = incorporated city; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no city government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friona | City | 4,171 | 79035 |
| Bovina | City | 1,699 | 79009 |
| Farwell | City · seat | 1,425 | 79325 |
| Lazbuddie | Unincorp. | 74 | 79053 |
| Black | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clays Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hub | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lariat | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oklahoma Lane | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parmerton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rhea | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilsey | Unincorp. | — | — |
Parmerton sits immediately east of Farwell and is effectively an extension of it rather than a separate settlement; Black, Hub, Lariat, Rhea and Wilsey are farm-market crossroads with no current population count on record.
ZIP Codes
- 79325 — Farwell (also serves Parmerton)
- 79035 — Friona
- 79009 — Bovina
- 79053 — Lazbuddie, a post-office-box-only ZIP
The county’s smaller crossroads communities have no ZIP of their own and use mail service from the nearest listed town.
Geography
Parmer County lies on the flat, high-elevation Llano Estacado tableland, with shallow playa lakes rather than any major river or perennial stream draining the county. Elevations run roughly 3,700 to 4,200 feet, and the near-level terrain made the land ideal for large-scale center-pivot irrigation once groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer became accessible in the mid-20th century. The land is almost entirely given over to irrigated and dryland farming and cattle feeding, with little natural woodland cover beyond scattered playa-lake margins. Parmer County borders Deaf Smith County to the north, Castro County to the east, Bailey County to the south, and Curry County, New Mexico to the west.
Demographics
The county’s 2020 population of 9,869 is concentrated in its two largest towns, Friona (4,171) and Bovina (1,699), together holding well over half the county total. Median household income runs below the Texas median of $75,780, typical of the Panhandle’s farming counties. Population density is about 11 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county economy: irrigated corn, wheat and sorghum, plus large-scale cattle feedlots that supply the Texas Panhandle’s beef-packing industry. Grain elevators and feed yards line the rail corridor through Friona and Bovina, and many families in the county still farm land their grandparents broke out of native shortgrass prairie. Friona markets itself as the “Cheeseburger Capital of Texas” and hosts an annual Maize Days festival each September, drawing visitors from across the South Plains and eastern New Mexico.
History
Parmer County was created from the Bexar and Young land districts in 1876 and organized as a functioning county government in 1907, decades after its formal creation because the Panhandle plains had almost no permanent settlement until the railroads reached the area in the early 1900s. It is named for Martin Parmer, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and an early Republic of Texas judge, nicknamed the “Ringtailed Panther” for his combative political style. Farwell grew up as a Santa Fe Railway townsite directly on the Texas–New Mexico line, and it beat out Friona and Bovina for the county seat once the county organized. It was one of Texas’s original prohibition, or fully dry, counties, remaining dry for decades before going wet.
Getting There
U.S. Highways 60, 70 and 84 and State Highways 86 and 214 cross the county.
- Amarillo — 75 miles east
- Clovis, New Mexico — 20 miles west
- Lubbock — 90 miles southeast
- Hereford — 30 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Parmer County?
It is in the southern Texas Panhandle, on the Llano Estacado, bordering Curry County, New Mexico.
What is the population of Parmer County?
9,869 at the 2020 census.
How big is Parmer County?
885 square miles (2,290 km2), including 4.4 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Parmer County?
Farwell is the county seat.
How many towns are in Parmer County?
Three incorporated cities — Friona, Bovina and Farwell — plus Lazbuddie and several smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Parmer County?
79325 (Farwell), 79035 (Friona), 79009 (Bovina) and 79053 (Lazbuddie).
Why is Parmer County called the “Cheeseburger Capital”?
Friona, the county’s largest town, has promoted the nickname since the 1990s, tied to its cattle-feeding economy and annual Maize Days festival.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.