Geography of Briscoe County
Few places in Texas are as wide open as Briscoe County. Only around 1,474 people live in its 900 square miles, and ranchland stretches for miles between settlements.
It lies in the West Texas region at about 34.53° N, 101.21° W and is 149th in size among Texas's 254 counties. Briscoe County shares boundaries with 6 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Amarillo (about 59 miles away in a straight line) and Lubbock (about 75 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 Briscoe 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 1,474 residents across 900 square miles, Briscoe County has a population density of about 1.6 people per square mile. Like much of West and South Texas, the county is sparsely populated, with wide-open country between settlements.
County seat: Silverton
Silverton is the county seat of Briscoe 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, Silverton may be one of only a few incorporated towns.
History & name origin
Briscoe County was established in 1876 and was named for Andrew Briscoe (1810–1849), a signatory of the Texan Declaration of Independence and soldier during the Texan Revolution. It was carved from territory previously part of Bexar County.
Briscoe County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Briscoe 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 Briscoe County, Texas located?+
Briscoe County is located in the West Texas region of Texas at approximately 34.530° N, 101.209° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48045. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Briscoe County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Briscoe County in square miles?+
Briscoe County covers approximately 900 square miles of land in the West Texas region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 149th 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 Briscoe County, Texas?+
Briscoe County has a population of approximately 1,474 residents. With 900 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 1.6 people per square mile, which is sparsely populated for a Texas county. That makes Briscoe County the 238th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Briscoe County?+
Silverton is the county seat of Briscoe County, Texas, which was organized in 1876 and named for Andrew Briscoe (1810–1849), a signatory of the Texan Declaration of Independence and soldier during the Texan Revolution. Briscoe County was originally carved out of Bexar County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Briscoe County are located in Silverton.
Which Texas counties border Briscoe County?+
Briscoe County shares borders with Hall, Armstrong, Floyd, Swisher, Motley, and Donley 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 Briscoe County?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Briscoe 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 Briscoe 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 Briscoe County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Briscoe County is 48045, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 045. 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.