Hale County is a county in Texas, United States, on the High Plains south of Amarillo. It had a population of 32,522 at the 2020 census and covers 1,005 square miles (2,600 km2) centred near 34°04′N 101°50′W.
Plainview is the county seat, and its postal code is 79072. The county has four incorporated cities, one town, one census-designated place, and several unincorporated communities. Hale County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Hale County
Hale County has a small, tightly grouped set of communities strung along US Highway 87/Interstate 27 and the Santa Fe rail line. Plainview is by far the largest; the rest are farm towns and rail sidings serving the surrounding cotton and grain country. Type legend: City · seat, City, Town, CDP, Unincorp.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainview | City · seat | 20,187 | 79072 |
| Hale Center | City | — | 79041 |
| Petersburg | City | — | 79250 |
| Abernathy | City | — | 79311 |
| Edmonson | Town | — | 79032 |
| Seth Ward | CDP | — | 79072 |
| Cotton Center | Unincorp. | — | 79021 |
Abernathy sits astride the Hale–Lubbock county line, with part of the city in each county; the population figure above is for the whole city. Hale City, a former rail-siding community, is now a ghost town and is not listed in the table. Several names on older lists of Hale County places — Boone, Ellen, Finney, Furguson, Halfway, Happy Union, Lider, Mayfield, Six Point, Snyder, Underwood, and Wasson — are historic farm-community or school-district names rather than currently platted towns; they are omitted here for lack of a verifiable current source, per the county’s official gazetteer.
ZIP Codes
- 79072 — Plainview (also serves Seth Ward)
- 79073 — Plainview (PO Box only)
- 79041 — Hale Center
- 79250 — Petersburg
- 79311 — Abernathy (shared with Lubbock County)
- 79032 — Edmonson (PO Box only)
- 79021 — Cotton Center (PO Box only)
Geography
Hale County lies on the flat, high tableland of the Llano Estacado, drained by shallow playa lakes rather than any major river. The land is almost entirely cropland, planted in cotton, corn, and grain sorghum under center-pivot and dryland irrigation drawing on the Ogallala Aquifer. The county borders Swisher County to the north, Floyd County to the east, Lubbock County to the south, Lamb County to the west, Castro County to the northwest, Hockley County to the southwest, and Crosby County to the southeast.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 32,522 residents, most concentrated in Plainview (20,187) and, to a much smaller degree, Hale Center and Abernathy. Median household income in Hale County runs well below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the county’s agricultural economic base. Population density is roughly 32 people per square mile, low even by West Texas standards outside Plainview.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the county: cotton, corn, wheat, and sorghum farming, along with cattle feedlots, drive most local employment, supported by grain elevators and cotton gins scattered through the smaller towns. Plainview is home to Wayland Baptist University and a regional hospital, and food processing has long been a major employer — Jimmy Dean founded his sausage company in Plainview in 1969, and the county has hosted large-scale meatpacking and dairy-processing operations since. Oil production from the Anton-Irish field, discovered in 1946, remains a smaller but steady part of the local economy.
History
Hale County was created by the Texas Legislature in 1876 and formally organized in 1888, with Plainview named county seat. It is named for Lieutenant John C. Hale, who died at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. The county’s population grew slowly on cattle ranching until the Santa Fe Railway reached Plainview in 1906, which brought a wave of farm settlement and shifted the local economy toward irrigated agriculture over the following decades.
Getting There
Interstate 27 and US Highway 87 run north–south through the county via Plainview and Abernathy; US Highway 70 and State Highway 194 cross it east–west.
- Lubbock — 45 miles south
- Amarillo — 65 miles north
- Levelland — 45 miles southwest
- Floydada — 25 miles east
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, about an hour south of Plainview, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hale County, Texas?
It is on the Texas South Plains, about 45 miles north of Lubbock, centred near 34°04′N 101°50′W.
What is the population of Hale County?
32,522 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Hale County?
1,005 square miles (2,600 km2), almost entirely land.
What is the county seat of Hale County?
Plainview is the county seat.
How many towns are in Hale County?
Four incorporated cities (Plainview, Hale Center, Petersburg, Abernathy), one town (Edmonson), one CDP (Seth Ward), and the unincorporated community of Cotton Center.
What ZIP codes are in Hale County?
79072 and 79073 (Plainview), 79041 (Hale Center), 79250 (Petersburg), 79311 (Abernathy), 79032 (Edmonson), and 79021 (Cotton Center).
What is Hale County’s main industry?
Irrigated cotton, corn, and grain farming, along with cattle feeding and food processing centred on Plainview.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.