Geography of Borden County
Borden County is classic frontier Texas: 899 square miles of open land with only about 567 residents, which makes it one of the most thinly settled counties in the state (248th of 254 by density).
It lies in the West Texas region at about 32.74° N, 101.43° W and is 155th in size among Texas's 254 counties. Borden County shares boundaries with 6 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Lubbock (about 63 miles away in a straight line) and Midland (about 64 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 Borden 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 567 residents across 899 square miles, Borden County has a population density of about 0.6 people per square mile. Like much of West and South Texas, the county is sparsely populated, with wide-open country between settlements.
County seat: Gail
Gail is the county seat of Borden 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. In a county this sparsely settled, Gail may be one of only a few incorporated towns.
History & name origin
Borden County was established in 1876 and was named for Gail Borden, Jr. (1801–1874), businessman, publisher, surveyor, and inventor of condensed milk. It was carved from territory previously part of Bexar County.
Borden County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Borden 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 Borden County, Texas located?+
Borden County is located in the West Texas region of Texas at approximately 32.744° N, 101.432° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48033. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Borden County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Borden County in square miles?+
Borden County covers approximately 899 square miles of land in the West Texas region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 155th 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 Borden County, Texas?+
Borden County has a population of approximately 567 residents. With 899 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 0.6 people per square mile, which is sparsely populated for a Texas county. That makes Borden County the 250th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Borden County?+
Gail is the county seat of Borden County, Texas, which was organized in 1876 and named for Gail Borden, Jr. (1801–1874), businessman, publisher, surveyor, and inventor of condensed milk. Borden County was originally carved out of Bexar County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Borden County are located in Gail.
Which Texas counties border Borden County?+
Borden County shares borders with Howard, Lynn, Scurry, Mitchell, Dawson, and Garza counties. These 6 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 Borden County?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Borden 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 Borden 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 Borden County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Borden County is 48033, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 033. 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.