Schleicher County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Edwards Plateau in the west-central part of the state. It had a population of 2,451 at the 2020 census and covers 1,311 square miles (3,400 km2) centred near 30°54′N 100°32′W.
Eldorado is the county seat, and its postal code is 76936. The county has one incorporated city and two unincorporated communities. Texas counties have no civil townships. Schleicher County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Schleicher County
Schleicher County is thinly settled — 100% of its 2020 population is classed rural, and Eldorado is the only incorporated place. Adams and Hulldale are unincorporated crossroads communities with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eldorado | City · seat | 1,574 | 76936 |
| Adams | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hulldale | Unincorp. | — | — |
The county’s earlier online listing also carried names such as Snyder, Fluvanna, Hermleigh, Ira, Dermott and Inadale — those are Scurry County communities more than 150 miles north and are not part of Schleicher County. This page lists only the settlements Schleicher County itself contains.
ZIP Codes
- 76936 — Eldorado (covers the entire county, including Adams and Hulldale)
Schleicher County is served by a single ZIP code because Eldorado is the only post office town within its borders.
Geography
The county lies on the Edwards Plateau, a semi-arid limestone tableland of low mesquite and cedar brush cut by the North and South Concho and Dry Devils River drainages. Elevations run 2,200 to 2,600 feet, and the climate is semi-arid, with roughly 22 inches of annual rainfall, summer highs near 93°F, and winter lows near freezing. It borders Tom Green County to the north, Irion County to the northwest, Menard County to the east, Kimble County to the southeast, Sutton County to the south, and Crockett County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 2,451 residents, down 29.2 percent from 2010 — one of the largest percentage declines of any U.S. county that decade. Eldorado is by far the largest community; Adams and Hulldale are small rural clusters with no separately tabulated population. About 52 percent of county residents identify as Hispanic or Latino. Median household income runs well below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the county’s small, aging, agriculture-dependent tax base. Population density is roughly 1.9 people per square mile, and about a quarter of residents are under 18, close to the wider Texas average.
Economy & Local Life
Ranching — sheep, goats, and cattle on the Plateau’s rangeland — has anchored the local economy since the county’s founding, and Schleicher County remains one of the leading Angora-goat and mohair producers in Texas. Oil and gas royalties from wells on county school land funded a wave of public-school construction in the 1950s. Eldorado is served by Schleicher County Independent School District, and the county seat is also the seat of Schleicher County Memorial Hospital, the only hospital between San Angelo and Sonora on U.S. 277.
History
Schleicher County was created on April 1, 1887, from Crockett County territory and organized as a county government in 1901, with Eldorado named the seat. It was named for Gustav Schleicher, a German-born surveyor, engineer, and U.S. congressman from Texas. The West Texas Woolen Mills plant opened in Eldorado in February 1941 to process locally sheared wool, drawing a crowd estimated at 5,000. The county drew national attention in April 2008, when Texas authorities raided the Yearning for Zion Ranch northeast of Eldorado, home to a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints compound, and removed more than 400 children in the largest child-custody action in U.S. history.
Getting There
U.S. Route 277 runs north-south through Eldorado and U.S. Route 190 crosses the county east-west, meeting at the county seat.
- San Angelo — 43 miles north
- Sonora — 21 miles south
- Junction — about 60 miles east
- Ozona — about 30 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is San Angelo Regional Airport (Mathis Field), roughly 45 miles north of Eldorado.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Schleicher County, Texas?
It sits on the Edwards Plateau in west-central Texas, between San Angelo and Sonora along U.S. Route 277.
What is the population of Schleicher County?
2,451 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Schleicher County?
1,311 square miles (3,400 km2), one of the larger counties in west-central Texas by area but among the least densely populated.
What is the county seat of Schleicher County?
Eldorado, the county’s only incorporated city.
How many towns are in Schleicher County?
One incorporated city, Eldorado, plus the unincorporated communities of Adams and Hulldale.
What ZIP codes are in Schleicher County?
76936, covering Eldorado and the entire county.
What happened at the Yearning for Zion Ranch?
In April 2008, Texas child-welfare and law-enforcement authorities raided the FLDS compound northeast of Eldorado and removed more than 400 children, the largest child-custody action in U.S. history.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.