Donley County is a county in Texas, United States, on the eastern edge of the Texas Panhandle. It had a population of 3,258 at the 2020 census and covers 927 square miles (2,400 km2) centred near 34°58′N 100°49′W.
Clarendon is the county seat, and its postal code is 79226. The county has three incorporated cities, one census-designated place and one unincorporated community. Donley County is in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Donley County
Donley County has five named places: three incorporated cities or towns, one CDP and one unincorporated community. Clarendon, the seat, holds roughly six in ten county residents.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarendon | City · seat | 1,877 | 79226 |
| Hedley | Town | — | 79237 |
| Howardwick | City | — | 79226 |
| Lelia Lake | CDP | — | 79240 |
| Ashtola | Unincorp. | — | 79226 |
Two older lists for the county also carried the names Giles, Jericho, McKnight and Rockledge. These are historic rural place names — former post offices, rail sidings or ranch communities — with no verifiable current population; they are not repeated in the table above because no current source confirms an active place at each site.
ZIP Codes
- 79226 — Clarendon (also serves Howardwick and Ashtola)
- 79237 — Hedley
- 79240 — Lelia Lake
Howardwick and Ashtola have no ZIP code of their own and use Clarendon’s 79226.
Geography
Donley County sits on the Caprock Escarpment, where the flat High Plains tableland to the west breaks down into the rougher, canyon-cut Rolling Plains to the east. The Salt Fork of the Red River crosses the county, and Greenbelt Lake, formed by a dam on the Salt Fork near Clarendon, is the county’s main reservoir. Of the county’s 933 square miles, 927 are land and about 6 are water.
Donley County borders Gray County to the north, Wheeler County to the northeast, Collingsworth County to the east, Hall County to the south, Briscoe County to the southwest, Armstrong County to the west and Carson County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 3,258 residents, down from 3,677 in 2010. Clarendon, with 1,877 people, and Hedley are the county’s two largest communities. Donley County’s median household income runs below the Texas median of $75,780. Population density is roughly 3.5 people per square mile, typical of the sparsely settled Panhandle.
Economy & Local Life
Ranching and dryland farming — wheat, sorghum and cotton — anchor the county economy, alongside oil and gas production. Clarendon College, a two-year community college founded in 1898, is the county’s largest employer outside agriculture. Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 287 carry truck freight and travelers through the county, supporting fuel, lodging and restaurant trade along the corridor.
History
Donley County was created from land assigned to the Bexar District in 1876 and organized as a county in 1882. It is named for Stockton P. Donley, a justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Clarendon, founded in 1878 as a Methodist colony sometimes called the “Saints’ Roost,” predates the county’s organization and became its seat. The county holds several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including buildings tied to its early ranching and rail history.
Getting There
Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 287 both cross Donley County, meeting travelers headed between Amarillo and Fort Worth/Dallas.
- Amarillo, Texas — 60 miles northwest
- Childress, Texas — 40 miles southeast
- Pampa, Texas — 45 miles north
- Wellington, Texas — 30 miles east
Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Donley County, Texas?
It sits in the eastern Texas Panhandle, along Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 287 between Amarillo and Childress.
What is the population of Donley County?
3,258 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Donley County?
927 square miles of land (2,400 km2), plus about 6 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Donley County?
Clarendon is the county seat.
How many towns are in Donley County?
Three incorporated cities or towns (Clarendon, Hedley and Howardwick), one CDP (Lelia Lake) and one unincorporated community (Ashtola).
What ZIP codes are in Donley County?
79226 (Clarendon), 79237 (Hedley) and 79240 (Lelia Lake).
What lake is in Donley County?
Greenbelt Lake, on the Salt Fork of the Red River near Clarendon, is the county’s main reservoir.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.