Reagan County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Edwards Plateau in the west-central part of the state. It had a population of 3,385 at the 2020 census and covers 1,175 square miles (3,040 km2) of land, centred near 31°22′N 101°31′W.
Big Lake is the county seat, and its postal code is 76932. The county has one incorporated city, two unincorporated communities, and a ghost town, with no civil townships (Texas counties do not use the township system). Reagan County sits in the Central time zone, and its FIPS code is 48383.
Towns & Villages in Reagan County
Reagan County has a single incorporated place — Big Lake, the seat — along with a handful of unincorporated communities and a former settlement now largely abandoned. Type key: City · seat = incorporated county seat; Unincorp. = unincorporated community; Ghost town = no active population.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake | City · seat | — | 76932 |
| Best | Unincorp. | — | 76932 |
| Texon | Unincorp. | — | 76932 |
| Stiles | Ghost town | — | 76932 |
Best and Texon grew up as oilfield camps for the Big Lake and Texon Oil & Land Company operations in the 1920s; both persist as small unincorporated clusters rather than towns with their own governments. Stiles, the county’s first seat before Big Lake took over the role in 1925, is now a ghost town with only scattered ruins remaining. Two names from older lists — “Crossroads” and “Four Corner Windmill” — are informal ranch-road landmarks rather than verified populated places and are omitted here pending a firmer source; “Witco” could not be corroborated against any current gazetteer and is likewise left out.
ZIP Codes
- 76932 — Big Lake (also serves Best, Texon and the rest of the county)
Reagan County is served by a single ZIP code centered on the post office in Big Lake; there is no separate delivery office anywhere else in the county.
Geography
Reagan County lies on the Edwards Plateau in west-central Texas, a flat-to-rolling landscape of grassland and mesquite scrub cut by shallow draws. The county has very little surface water — about 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2), or 0.06% of its area — and no major river runs through it; ranching and oil-field roads dominate the terrain. Reagan County borders Glasscock County to the north, Sterling County to the northeast, Tom Green County and Irion County to the east, Crockett County to the south, Upton County to the west, and Midland County to the northwest.
Bordering counties: Glasscock County (north), Sterling County (northeast), Tom Green County and Irion County (east), Crockett County (south), Upton County (west), and Midland County (northwest).
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 3,385 residents of Reagan County, most of them in Big Lake, the largest community, followed by the smaller oilfield settlements of Texon and Best. Reagan County is a sparsely populated frontier county — with 1,175 square miles of land and 3,385 residents, density works out to roughly 2.9 people per square mile. Median household income runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the boom-and-bust income swings typical of a single-industry oil economy.
Economy & Local Life
Oil and gas drive Reagan County’s economy almost entirely. Most of the county sits atop the Spraberry Trend, one of the largest oil fields in the United States by remaining reserves, and drilling, well servicing, and oilfield trucking employ a large share of the workforce. Reagan County Independent School District and county government are the leading non-energy employers in Big Lake. Cattle and sheep ranching remain a secondary presence on the county’s rangeland, a legacy of the area’s pre-oil economy.
History
Reagan County organized in 1903 and was named for John Henninger Reagan (1818–1905), postmaster general of the Confederate States, a U.S. senator and representative, and the first chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas. Stiles served as the original county seat until Big Lake, benefiting from its position on the railroad and, soon after, from major oil discoveries, took over the role in 1925. The 1923 Santa Rita No. 1 well nearby (just over the county line in Reagan) helped touch off the broader Permian Basin oil boom that reshaped West Texas.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 67 and State Highway 137 cross the county, with Ranch to Market Road 33 providing local connections.
- San Angelo — 65 miles east
- Midland — 60 miles northeast
- Odessa — 55 miles north
- Sonora — 60 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Midland International Air & Space Port.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Reagan County?
It is in west-central Texas, on the Edwards Plateau, about 60 miles southwest of Midland.
What is the population of Reagan County?
3,385 as of the 2020 census.
How big is Reagan County?
1,175 square miles (3,040 km2) of land area.
What is the county seat of Reagan County?
Big Lake is the county seat.
How many towns are in Reagan County?
One incorporated city (Big Lake), two unincorporated communities (Best and Texon), and the ghost town of Stiles.
What ZIP codes are in Reagan County?
76932, covering Big Lake and the entire county.
Why is Reagan County important to the oil industry?
Most of the county overlies the Spraberry Trend, one of the largest oil fields in the United States by remaining reserves.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.