Palo Pinto County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Cross Timbers edge of the Fort Worth ranching country west of the Dallas–Fort Worth metro. It had a population of 28,409 at the 2020 census and covers 986 square miles (2,550 km2) — 952 sq mi of land and 34 sq mi (88 km2) of water, mostly Possum Kingdom Lake — centred near 32°45′11″N 98°18′47″W.
Palo Pinto is the county seat and its postal code is 76484. The county has five incorporated cities and towns, two census-designated places, and a scatter of unincorporated communities, and it sits in the Central time zone. Mineral Wells, the county’s largest city, straddles the Palo Pinto–Parker county line and anchors the Mineral Wells micropolitan statistical area, itself part of the wider Dallas–Fort Worth combined statistical area.
Towns & Villages in Palo Pinto County
The table below lists every incorporated place, both census-designated places, and the unincorporated communities carried over from the county’s historical settlement record. City = incorporated; CDP = census-designated place with no city government; Unincorp. = an unincorporated community or crossroads with no census tract of its own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Pinto | Town · seat | 276 | 76484 |
| Mineral Wells | City | 14,820 | 76067 |
| Graford | Town | 669 | 76449 |
| Strawn | Town | 540 | 76475 |
| Gordon | Town | — | 76453 |
| Mingus | Town | — | 76463 |
| Santo | CDP | — | 76472 |
| Brazos | CDP | — | — |
| Oran | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brad | Unincorp. | — | 76067 |
| Coalville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coronados Camp | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gordon Junction | Unincorp. | — | 76453 |
| Lone Camp | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lyra | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Metcalf Gap | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Salem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Peadenville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Salesville | Unincorp. | — | 76449 |
| Sturdivant | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wolters Village | Unincorp. | — | 76067 |
Mineral Wells is the one confusable entry here — the city government and school district cross into neighboring Parker County, but the bulk of its population and its historic downtown sit on the Palo Pinto side, which is why the census still counts it as this county’s largest place.
ZIP Codes
- 76067 — Mineral Wells (also serves Brad and Wolters Village)
- 76449 — Graford (also serves Salesville)
- 76453 — Gordon (also serves Gordon Junction)
- 76463 — Mingus
- 76472 — Santo
- 76475 — Strawn
- 76484 — Palo Pinto
Mineral Wells also carries a PO Box–only ZIP, 76068. The smaller crossroads communities — Coalville, Coronados Camp, Lone Camp, Lyra, Metcalf Gap, New Salem, Oran, Peadenville, Sturdivant and Brazos — have no post office of their own and are served by mail from the nearest listed town.
Geography
Palo Pinto County lies in the western Cross Timbers, a belt of oak-and-mesquite hill country that separates the Fort Worth Prairie to the east from the drier rolling plains further west. The Brazos River crosses the northern half of the county and is dammed there to form Possum Kingdom Lake, the county’s largest body of water and a regional draw for boating and fishing. The terrain is broken and hilly in the north, flattening toward Strawn and Gordon in the southeast.
The county borders Jack County to the north, Parker County to the east, Hood County to the southeast, Erath County to the south, Eastland County to the southwest, Stephens County to the west, and Young County to the northwest.
Demographics
The county had 28,409 residents at the 2020 census, up modestly from the previous decade. Mineral Wells is by far the largest community, followed by Graford; together the two largest places account for well over half the county’s population, with the remainder spread across Palo Pinto, Strawn, Gordon, Mingus and the surrounding rural communities. Median household income runs below the Texas median of $75,780, typical for a rural county whose economy leans on ranching, quarrying and tourism rather than the metro job base a short drive east. Overall density works out to roughly 30 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Cattle ranching and hay production remain the backbone of the rural economy, alongside oil and gas production and limestone quarrying in the county’s hill country. Mineral Wells, named for the mineral springs discovered there in the 1880s, built a health-resort economy around bathhouses and the landmark Baker Hotel; today its economy runs more on retail, healthcare and light manufacturing, plus tourism tied to Lake Mineral Wells State Park. Possum Kingdom Lake, straddling the Palo Pinto–Jack county line, supports a seasonal lake-house and marina economy that draws visitors from across North Texas on summer weekends.
History
Palo Pinto County was created in 1856 out of Bosque and Navarro Counties and organized the following year, taking its name from Palo Pinto Creek. The first county seat was the settlement of Golconda, renamed Palo Pinto in 1858. Between 1883 and 1888 the county was a flashpoint in the region’s Fence Cutting Wars, as open-range ranchers clashed with newly arrived farmers stringing barbed wire across the range. Mineral Wells grew rapidly after 1877, when its well water was found to have therapeutic mineral properties, and later hosted the U.S. Army’s Camp Wolters (later Fort Wolters), a major infantry and, from the 1950s, helicopter-pilot training post that operated from 1921 to 1973. Possum Kingdom State Park opened on the new reservoir in 1950.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 180 runs east–west through Mineral Wells and Palo Pinto, linking the county to Weatherford and the Fort Worth metro; U.S. Highway 281 and State Highway 337 serve the county’s northern and southern reaches.
- Weatherford — 20 miles east
- Fort Worth — 50 miles east
- Abilene — 75 miles west
- Stephenville — 35 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, about an hour and a half east by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Palo Pinto County?
It is in north-central Texas, about 50 miles west of Fort Worth, on the western edge of the Cross Timbers.
What is the population of Palo Pinto County?
28,409 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Palo Pinto County?
986 square miles (2,550 km2), including 34 sq mi (88 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of Palo Pinto County?
Palo Pinto is the county seat.
How many towns are in Palo Pinto County?
Five incorporated cities and towns — Mineral Wells, Graford, Strawn, Gordon and Mingus — plus two census-designated places and more than a dozen smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Palo Pinto County?
76067 (Mineral Wells), 76449 (Graford), 76453 (Gordon), 76463 (Mingus), 76472 (Santo), 76475 (Strawn) and 76484 (Palo Pinto).
Is Mineral Wells in Palo Pinto County?
Most of it is. Mineral Wells straddles the Palo Pinto–Parker county line, but the greater part of the city and its population lie on the Palo Pinto side.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.