Geography of Donley County
Donley County sits at roughly 34.97° N and 100.81° W in the Panhandle region of Texas, spanning 930 square miles of terrain that includes the landscape characteristic of the area — from open ranchland and farmland to small-town main streets. The county's centroid is near Clarendon, and the county shares boundaries with 5 neighboring counties.
Population & demographics
With approximately 3,213 residents across 930 square miles, Donley County has a population density of about 3.5 people per square mile. Like much of West and South Texas, the county is sparsely populated, with wide-open country between settlements.
County seat: Clarendon
Clarendon serves as the seat of government for Donley County. The county courthouse, commissioners court, district clerk, and primary public records are located here. As with all 254 Texas counties, the county seat is the anchor of civic life and the principal address for elections, permits, and court filings.
History & name origin
Donley County was established in 1876 and was named for Stockton P. Donley, a frontier lawyer and Texas Supreme Court justice. It was carved from territory previously part of Bexar County.
Donley County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Donley County geography, population, county seat, neighboring counties, and how to use the maps on this page. Every answer is generated from the official U.S. Census data backing this site.
Where is Donley County, Texas located?+
Donley County is located in the Panhandle region of Texas at approximately 34.965° N, 100.814° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48129. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Donley County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Donley County in square miles?+
Donley County covers approximately 930 square miles of land in the Panhandle region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 100th 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 Donley County, Texas?+
Donley County has a population of approximately 3,213 residents. With 930 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 3.5 people per square mile, which is sparsely populated for a Texas county. That makes Donley County the 215th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Donley County?+
Clarendon is the county seat of Donley County, Texas, which was organized in 1876 and named for Stockton P. Donley, a frontier lawyer and Texas Supreme Court justice. Donley County was originally carved out of Bexar County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Donley County are located in Clarendon.
Which Texas counties border Donley County?+
Donley County shares borders with Hall, Armstrong, Briscoe, Collingsworth, and Gray counties. These 5 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 Panhandle region.
Where can I download or print a map of Donley County?+
A free, print-ready PDF map of Donley County is available from the "Download PDF" button at the top of this page. The printable layout uses authentic U.S. Census TIGER boundary geometry for Donley County, includes a Texas locator inset, and is sized for standard 8.5" × 11" Letter paper. For interactive use, the live Leaflet map on this page supports OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, Esri topographic, and Carto light basemaps with zoom, scale bar, and fullscreen.
What is the FIPS code for Donley County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Donley County is 48129, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 129. 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.