Delta County is a county in Texas, United States, in the northeastern part of the state between the forks of the Sulphur River. It had a population of 5,230 at the 2020 census and covers 278 square miles (720 km2), of which 257 square miles (670 km2) are land, centred near 33°23′N 95°40′W.
Cooper is the county seat, and its postal code is 75432. The county has one incorporated city (Cooper) and one incorporated town that straddles the Fannin County line (Pecan Gap), plus roughly two dozen unincorporated communities. Delta County sits in the Central time zone; its FIPS code is 48119.
Towns & Villages in Delta County
Delta County has two incorporated places and a long list of small unincorporated communities and former settlements, many dating to the county’s founding era. Pop. figures below are 2020 census counts where the community is a recognized census place; unincorporated crossroads communities without their own census designation are marked with —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper | City · seat | — | 75432 |
| Pecan Gap | Town | — | 75469 |
| Antioch | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Ben Franklin | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Charleston | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| East Delta | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Enloe | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Friendship | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Gough | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Horton | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Jot-Em-Down | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Kensing | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Klondike | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Lake Creek | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Liberty Grove | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Mount Joy | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Mount Joy Crossing | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Needmore | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Pacio | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Post Oak | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Prattville | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Price | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Rattan | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Vasco | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| West Delta | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
| Yowell | Unincorp. | — | 75432 |
Pecan Gap sits on the Delta–Fannin county line, with part of the town platted in each county; the ZIP code above covers the Delta County side. Every unincorporated community listed shares Cooper’s rural-route ZIP unless noted otherwise.
ZIP Codes
- 75432 — Cooper (also serves nearly every unincorporated community in the county)
- 75469 — Pecan Gap
Small crossroads communities such as Klondike, Ben Franklin and Enloe use Cooper’s 75432 ZIP for mail rather than a code of their own.
Geography
Delta County is Texas’s smallest county by land area and takes its name from its triangular shape, said to resemble the Greek letter delta. Meanders of the North and South Sulphur River forks form its northern and southern boundaries, meeting near the county’s eastern point; Cooper Lake (Jim Chapman Lake), a reservoir on the South Sulphur, laps the county’s southern edge and feeds Cooper Lake State Park. The terrain is gently rolling blackland-prairie farm country.
Delta County borders Lamar County to the north, Red River County to the northeast, Franklin County to the southeast, Hopkins County to the south, Hunt County to the southwest and Fannin County to the northwest. See Lamar County, Red River County, Franklin County, Hopkins County, Hunt County and Fannin County.
Demographics
Delta County had 5,230 residents at the 2020 census, spread across a land area of 257 square miles for a density of about 20 people per square mile — one of the more sparsely populated counties in Northeast Texas. Cooper is the largest community, followed by Pecan Gap. Delta County’s median household income runs well below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the county’s small rural tax base and reliance on farm and commuter income.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — cattle ranching, hay and row crops on the blackland prairie — remains the backbone of the county economy, alongside county government and small retail in Cooper. Cooper Lake State Park draws fishing and camping visitors from the Dallas–Fort Worth area, and many residents commute to jobs in Hunt or Lamar County. Cooper Independent School District and the county courthouse are the town’s largest employers.
History
Delta County was organized in 1870, carved from parts of Hopkins and Lamar Counties, and named for its triangular, delta-shaped outline between the two forks of the Sulphur River. Cooper was chosen as county seat at its founding. Delta County was one of Texas’s dry counties for over a century; voters approved alcohol sales countywide in 2015, ending that status.
Getting There
State Highways 19, 24 and 154 cross Delta County, linking Cooper to the surrounding region. Cooper sits roughly:
- Paris (Lamar County) — 20 miles north
- Sulphur Springs (Hopkins County) — 20 miles south
- Greenville (Hunt County) — 25 miles southwest
- Commerce (Hunt County) — 20 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, about 100 miles to the southwest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Delta County, Texas?
It is in Northeast Texas, between the North and South Sulphur River forks, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas.
What is the population of Delta County?
5,230 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Delta County?
278 square miles (720 km2) total, making it the smallest county in Texas by land area.
What is the Delta County seat?
Cooper is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns are in Delta County?
Two incorporated places, Cooper and Pecan Gap, plus about two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Delta County?
75432 (Cooper) covers most of the county; Pecan Gap uses 75469.
Why is it called Delta County?
For its triangular shape, said to resemble the Greek letter delta, formed by the forks of the Sulphur River.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.