Lynn County is a county in Texas, United States, on the South Plains southwest of Lubbock. It had a population of 5,596 people at the 2020 census and covers 892 square miles (2,310 km2) of mostly flat farmland centred near 33°11′N 101°49′W.
Tahoka is the county seat, and its postal code is 79373. The county has four incorporated cities and towns plus two unincorporated communities. Lynn County observes Central time and carries FIPS code 48305.
Towns & Villages in Lynn County
Lynn County has a small, dispersed population spread across four incorporated places and two unincorporated communities. Every incorporated place here is classed Town under Texas municipal law; the two unincorporated communities are marked Unincorp. below. A large scrape of Lubbock County places (Lubbock, Idalou, Shallowater, Wolfforth, Slaton, Ransom Canyon, Buffalo Springs, Slide, Woodrow, Acuff, Abernathy, New Deal, Reese Village, Canyon) had been wrongly attached to this page in an earlier version and has been removed — those places sit in neighboring Lubbock County, not Lynn County.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tahoka | Town · seat | — | 79373 |
| O’Donnell | Town | — | 79351 |
| Wilson | Town | — | 79381 |
| New Home | Town | — | 79383 |
| Grassland | Unincorp. | — | 79373 |
| Wayside | Unincorp. | — | — |
O’Donnell straddles the Lynn–Dawson county line, with part of the town in each county. Grassland is a farming community northeast of Tahoka; Wayside is a rural crossroads community with no dedicated ZIP code of its own.
ZIP Codes
- 79373 — Tahoka (also serves Grassland)
- 79381 — Wilson
- 79351 — O’Donnell
- 79383 — New Home
Wayside has no standalone ZIP code and is served through a neighboring post office.
Geography
Lynn County sits on the South Plains of West Texas, a flat-to-gently-rolling table of shortgrass prairie and farmland with almost no natural surface water beyond scattered playa lakes. Elevation runs close to 3,000 feet above sea level across the county, with no major river crossing it.
Lynn County borders Lubbock County to the north, Garza County to the east, Borden County to the southeast, Dawson County to the south, Terry County to the west, and Hockley County to the northwest.
Demographics
Lynn County had 5,596 residents at the 2020 census. Tahoka and O’Donnell are the county’s two largest communities. County-level median household income figures are not independently verified here, but Lynn County’s rural, agriculture-based economy places it below the Texas median of $75,780. Population density is roughly 6 people per square mile, among the sparser counties on the South Plains.
Economy & Local Life
Cotton farming and cattle ranching are the backbone of Lynn County’s economy, aided by center-pivot irrigation drawing on the Ogallala Aquifer. Oil production has run alongside agriculture since crews first struck oil in the county in 1950; by 1983 cumulative production topped 10.6 million barrels. Tahoka serves as the county’s retail and school-district hub.
History
Lynn County was created from Bexar County territory in 1876 and formally organized as a county government in 1903. Early settlement followed the arrival of ranching operations on the open plains, with farm towns like Tahoka, Wilson, and New Home platted as branch rail lines and county roads reached the area in the early 20th century. Cotton farming took hold on the South Plains in the 1910s and 1920s as settlers broke the native grassland for row crops, a shift that reshaped the county’s economy for the rest of the century. The discovery of oil in 1950 added a second economic pillar without displacing agriculture, and Lynn County has remained a farming-and-ranching county through booms and busts in both industries.
Getting There
US Highway 87 runs north–south through the county and US 84 crosses it diagonally, both meeting near Tahoka; US 380 and Loop 76 also serve the county.
- Lubbock — 30 miles north
- Post, Garza County — 25 miles east
- Brownfield, Terry County — 25 miles west
- Big Spring — 65 miles southeast
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, about 30 miles north of Tahoka, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lynn County, Texas?
It is on the South Plains of West Texas, southwest of Lubbock, centred near 33°11′N 101°49′W.
What is the population of Lynn County?
Lynn County had a population of 5,596 at the 2020 census.
How big is Lynn County?
The county covers 892 square miles (2,310 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Lynn County?
Tahoka is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lynn County?
Four incorporated towns — Tahoka, O’Donnell, Wilson, and New Home — plus the unincorporated communities of Grassland and Wayside.
What ZIP codes are in Lynn County?
79373 (Tahoka), 79381 (Wilson), 79351 (O’Donnell), and 79383 (New Home).
Is Lynn County part of the Lubbock metro area?
Yes. Lynn County is included in the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.