Geography of Palo Pinto County
Palo Pinto County sits at roughly 32.75° N and 98.31° W in the Central Texas region of Texas, spanning 953 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 Palo Pinto, and the county shares boundaries with 7 neighboring counties.
Population & demographics
With approximately 30,791 residents across 953 square miles, Palo Pinto County has a population density of about 32.3 people per square mile. Like much of West and South Texas, the county is sparsely populated, with wide-open country between settlements.
County seat: Palo Pinto
Palo Pinto serves as the seat of government for Palo Pinto 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
Palo Pinto County was established in 1856 and was named for The Palo Pinto Creek (Palo Pinto is Spanish for "painted stick"). It was carved from territory previously part of Bosque County and Navarro County.
Palo Pinto County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Palo Pinto 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 Palo Pinto County, Texas located?+
Palo Pinto County is located in the Central Texas region of Texas at approximately 32.753° N, 98.313° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48363. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Palo Pinto County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Palo Pinto County in square miles?+
Palo Pinto County covers approximately 953 square miles of land in the Central Texas region — a mid-sized Texas county. By land area it ranks 84th 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 Palo Pinto County, Texas?+
Palo Pinto County has a population of approximately 30,791 residents. With 953 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 32.3 people per square mile, which is rural for a Texas county. That makes Palo Pinto County the 94th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Palo Pinto County?+
Palo Pinto is the county seat of Palo Pinto County, Texas, which was organized in 1856 and named for The Palo Pinto Creek (Palo Pinto is Spanish for "painted stick"). Palo Pinto County was originally carved out of Bosque County and Navarro County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Palo Pinto County are located in Palo Pinto.
Which Texas counties border Palo Pinto County?+
Palo Pinto County shares borders with Hood, Jack, Parker, Stephens, Young, Eastland, and Erath counties. These 7 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 Central Texas region.
Where can I download or print a map of Palo Pinto County?+
A free, print-ready PDF map of Palo Pinto 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 Palo Pinto 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 Palo Pinto County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Palo Pinto County is 48363, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 363. 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.