Geography of Bailey County
Bailey County is a rural county of 827 square miles and about 6,963 residents, where farms and ranches fill most of the space between Muleshoe and its smaller communities.
It lies in the West Texas region at about 34.07° N, 102.83° W and is 193rd in size among Texas's 254 counties. It is a border county, touching New Mexico. Bailey County shares boundaries with 3 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Lubbock (about 66 miles away in a straight line) and Amarillo (about 98 miles).
West Texas is a land of long horizons: rolling plains, mesas and desert grassland where cotton farms, cattle ranches and the oilfields of the Permian Basin are the main sources of work. Distances between towns are measured in hours, not minutes.
For a broader view of how Bailey County fits within the state, download our free Texas map with counties and cities PDF — a printable, high-resolution reference showing all 254 Texas counties labeled with their county seats.
Population & demographics
With approximately 6,963 residents across 827 square miles, Bailey County has a population density of about 8.4 people per square mile. Like much of West and South Texas, the county is sparsely populated, with wide-open country between settlements.
County seat: Muleshoe
Muleshoe is the county seat of Bailey County. This is where the county courthouse stands and where residents go for property records, vehicle registration, marriage licenses, court cases and voter services handled by the county clerk, district clerk and tax assessor-collector. For many residents, a trip to Muleshoe combines county business with groceries, school events and church.
History & name origin
Bailey County was established in 1876 and was named for Peter James Bailey III, a soldier and defender of the Alamo. It was carved from territory previously part of Bexar County.
Bailey County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Bailey County geography, population, county seat, neighboring counties, and how to use the maps on this page. Figures are sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau; answers are written and reviewed by the Texas County Map team.
Where is Bailey County, Texas located?+
Bailey County is located in the West Texas region of Texas at approximately 34.069° N, 102.830° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48017. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Bailey County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Bailey County in square miles?+
Bailey County covers approximately 827 square miles of land in the West Texas region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 193rd out of 254 Texas counties. The full bounding box of the county is rendered to scale on the interactive map and matches the U.S. Census TIGER 2023 polygon.
What is the population of Bailey County, Texas?+
Bailey County has a population of approximately 6,963 residents. With 827 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 8.4 people per square mile, which is sparsely populated for a Texas county. That makes Bailey County the 185th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Bailey County?+
Muleshoe is the county seat of Bailey County, Texas, which was organized in 1876 and named for Peter James Bailey III, a soldier and defender of the Alamo. Bailey County was originally carved out of Bexar County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Bailey County are located in Muleshoe.
Which Texas counties border Bailey County?+
Bailey County shares borders with Cochran, Lamb, and Parmer counties. These 3 neighboring counties are highlighted on the schematic boundary map and linked at the bottom of this page so you can quickly compare population, area, and county seats across the West Texas region.
Where can I download or print a map of Bailey County?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Bailey County map on this page to save a letter-size PDF of the county boundary, neighboring counties and incorporated places, drawn from U.S. Census Bureau 2023 boundary files. The "Official TxDOT road map" button downloads the Texas Department of Transportation county road mapbook for Bailey County. Both files are stored on this site and download directly. Our free Texas map with counties and cities PDF shows all 254 counties on one sheet.
What is the FIPS code for Bailey County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Bailey County is 48017, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 017. This is the same FIPS code used by the U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line files, the American Community Survey, and most federal datasets that key on county.