Reeves County, Texas

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Reeves County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,748,<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> and was estimated to be 11,956 in 2024.<ref name="QF"/> Its county seat and most populous city is Pecos.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county was created on April 14, 1883 and organized on November 4, 1884.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is named for George R. Reeves, a Texas state legislator and colonel in the Confederate Army. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. Reeves County comprises the Pecos micropolitan statistical area.

History

Native Americans

Prehistoric Clovis culture peoples<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in Reeves County lived in the rock shelters and caves nestled near water supplies. These people left behind artifacts and pictographs as evidence of their presence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jumano Indians led the Antonio de Espejo<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association</ref> 1582–1583 expedition near Toyah Lake on a better route to the farming and trade area of La Junta de los Ríos. Espejo's diary places the Jumano along the Pecos River and its tributaries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Mescalero Apache<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> frequented San Solomon Springs to irrigate their crops. In 1849, John Salmon "RIP" Ford<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas</ref> explored the area between San Antonio and El Paso, noting in his mapped report the productive land upon which the Mescalero Indians farmed.

County established and growth

The state legislature formed Reeves from Pecos County on April 14, 1883, and named it after Texas legislator and soldier George Robertson Reeves.<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county was organized on November 4, 1884. The town of Pecos<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was named as county seat.

Toyah Valley farmers George B. and Robert E. Lyle were the first Anglo settlers 1871. White settlers started arriving in the area four years later, lured by open-range ranching.<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas</ref> For the remainder of the century, the county economy was dependent upon farming and ranching as it moved into the manufacturing and oil industries of the 20th century.

The Texas and Pacific Railway built through Reeves County in 1881, with stations at Pecos<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Toyah.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By 1890, the Pecos River Railway<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas</ref> had built from Pecos to New Mexico. Toyahvale,<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas</ref> which means "flowing water", became the western terminus of the railroad.

Balmorhea State Park was built at Toyahvale by the Civilian Conservation Corps.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The park was deeded to the State of Texas in 1934 and opened to the public in 1968.

Pecos Army Air Field was one of the 120 airbases that trained the pioneer Women Airforce Service Pilots<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> to fly military aircraft. At the Pecos installation, WASP flew AT-6, UC-78, and AT-17 aircraft in engineering tests, administrative duties, and transporting freight. The base was activated in 1942 as a World War II pilot school.<ref>Template:Handbook of Texas</ref> The base was deactivated in 1945. At its peak, the base population of 4,034 rivaled the town of Pecos in size. Portions of the base were sold off over the years, with Pecos Municipal Airport retaining the remainder.

Pecos is the site of the largest private prison in the world, the Reeves County Detention Complex, operated by the GEO Group.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.25%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the 9th largest county in Texas by total area.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Eddy County, New Mexico (north/Mountain Time Zone)
Loving County (northeast)
Ward County (east)
Pecos County (southeast)
Jeff Davis County (south)
Culberson County (west)

Demographics

Template:US Census population

As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Reeves County was $117,940.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 4,145 estimated households in Reeves County with an average of 2.94 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $56,056. Approximately 17.6% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Reeves County has an estimated 58.1% employment rate, with 6.9% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 71.3% holding a high school diploma.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref>

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (38.5%), Spanish (61.3%), Indo-European (0.0%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.2%), and Other (0.0%).

The median age in the county was 34.4 years.

Reeves County, Texas – racial and ethnic composition
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Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic)	Pop. 1980<ref name=1980CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop. 1990<ref name=1990CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>
White alone (NH)	5,561 (35.19%)	3,909 (24.66%)	3,131 (23.83%)	2,690 (19.52%)	1,697 (11.51%)
Black or African American alone (NH)	358 (2.27%)	340 (2.14%)	238 (1.81%)	672 (4.88%)	224 (1.52%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	23 (0.15%)	26 (0.16%)	34 (0.26%)	21 (0.15%)	27 (0.18%)
Asian alone (NH)	33 (0.21%)	31 (0.20%)	46 (0.35%)	118 (0.86%)	165 (1.12%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	—	—	0 (0.00%)	2 (0.01%)	3 (0.02%)
Other race alone (NH)	36 (0.23%)	1 (0.01%)	3 (0.02%)	20 (0.15%)	39 (0.26%)
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)	—	—	45 (0.34%)	27 (0.20%)	83 (0.56%)
[[Hispanic and Latino Americans\|Template:Font color]] Template:Font color	9,790 (61.96%)	11,545 (72.83%)	9,640 (73.38%)	10,233 (74.24%)	12,510 (84.83%)
Total	15,801 (100.00%)	15,852 (100.00%)	13,137 (100.00%)	13,783 (100.00%)	14,748 (100.00%)

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 14,748 people, 4,178 households, and 2,895 families residing in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 5,068 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 54.74% White, 1.97% African American, 0.68% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 16.48% from some other races and 24.96% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Template:Font color]] Template:Font color.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 13,783 people, 3,839 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 4,640 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 77.23% White, 5.01% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 14.85% from some other races and 1.54% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Template:Font color]] Template:Font color.

Communities

Cities

Balmorhea
Pecos (county seat)

Towns

Toyah

Census-designated places

Lindsay

Unincorporated communities

Ghost town

Orla

Politics

Education

Two school districts serve sections of the county:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

All of the county is in the service area of Odessa College.<ref>Texas Education Code, Section 130.193, "Odessa College District Service Area".</ref>

Notes

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References

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External links

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