Cottle County is a county in Texas, United States, on the southern edge of the Rolling Plains just below the Panhandle. It had a population of 1,380 at the 2020 census and covers 902 square miles (2,340 km2), centred near 34°05′N 100°16′W.
Paducah is the county seat, and its postal code is 79248. The county has one incorporated town, five unincorporated communities, and five recorded ghost towns. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Cottle County
Cottle County has one incorporated town — Paducah — plus a scatter of small unincorporated communities and former settlements now reduced to a crossroads or a cemetery. The table below marks each place’s status.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paducah | City · seat | 1,063 | 79248 |
| Cee Vee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chalk | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Delwin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dunlap | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hackberry | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ginsite | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Narcisso | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ogden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sneedville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Swearingen | Unincorp. | — | — |
Ginsite, Narcisso, Ogden, Sneedville, and Swearingen are documented ghost towns — each was once a rail siding, gin stop, or ranch-supply point that never grew past a store and a few houses, and none carries its own ZIP code today.
ZIP Codes
- 79248 — Paducah (also serves the rest of Cottle County)
Every other community in the county uses Paducah’s ZIP code for mail.
Geography
Cottle County lies on the Rolling Plains, cut by the Pease River and its tributary creeks, with mesquite grassland, red clay breaks, and low mesas typical of the country just south of the Texas Panhandle. Elevation ranges from roughly 1,700 feet along the Pease River valley to over 2,000 feet on the county’s higher divides. The land supports rangeland grazing and dryland row crops rather than irrigated farming, since groundwater here is limited compared with counties farther west over the Ogallala Aquifer. It borders Childress County to the north, Hardeman County to the northeast, Foard County to the east, King County to the south, Dickens County to the southwest, Motley County to the west, and Hall County to the northwest.
Demographics
Cottle County had 1,380 residents at the 2020 census, the great majority of them in Paducah (1,063). The county’s small remaining population is spread across the unincorporated communities and open ranch country. Median household income in Cottle County runs well below the Texas median of $75,780, typical of a sparsely populated agricultural county. Population density is roughly 1.5 people per square mile, among the lowest in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Ranching and dryland cotton and wheat farming drive the local economy, alongside oil and gas production in the surrounding Rolling Plains fields. Cattle grazing has shaped Cottle County since before the county even organized — the Matador Ranch, one of the historic large cattle spreads of West Texas, once extended into the county from neighboring Motley County, and stock raising remains the backbone of most family operations here. Paducah Independent School District, home of the Paducah Dragons, is the county’s main public institution and one of its largest employers, alongside the county government itself and a small cluster of farm-supply and oilfield-service businesses along U.S. 83. The county’s population has declined steadily since its mid-20th-century peak, a pattern typical across the Rolling Plains as farm consolidation reduced the number of households the land could support.
History
Cottle County was formed in 1876 and organized in 1892, named for George Washington Cottle, who died defending the Alamo in 1836. Paducah became county seat the same year it organized, after settler Richard Potts — a transplant from Paducah, Kentucky — offered land to residents who backed the town’s name and its bid for the courthouse. Paducah incorporated in 1910. Cottle was one of 46 Texas counties that once banned alcohol sales outright; it now permits beer and wine.
Getting There
U.S. Highways 62/70 and 83 cross at Paducah, the county’s main travel routes.
- Childress — 30 miles northeast
- Matador — 25 miles west
- Vernon — 45 miles east
- Lubbock — 100 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cottle County, Texas?
It is in the Rolling Plains region of West Texas, just south of the Panhandle, about 100 miles northeast of Lubbock.
What is the population of Cottle County?
1,380 people at the 2020 census, most of them in Paducah.
How big is Cottle County?
902 square miles (2,340 km2), almost entirely land.
What is the county seat of Cottle County?
Paducah is the county seat.
How many towns are in Cottle County?
One incorporated town (Paducah), five unincorporated communities, and five ghost towns.
What ZIP codes are in Cottle County?
The whole county is served by ZIP code 79248, Paducah.
Who is Cottle County named after?
George Washington Cottle, who died defending the Alamo in 1836.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.