Geography of Palo Pinto County
Small towns and open country define Palo Pinto County. Its 30,791 residents are spread across 953 square miles, giving the county a density typical of rural Texas.
It lies in the Central Texas region at about 32.75° N, 98.31° W and is 84th in size among Texas's 254 counties. Palo Pinto County shares boundaries with 7 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Fort Worth (about 57 miles away in a straight line) and Wichita Falls (about 81 miles).
Central Texas stretches across the Hill Country, the Blackland Prairie and the Cross Timbers. It includes some of the fastest-growing suburbs in the nation along the I-35 corridor, alongside quiet ranching counties with limestone creeks and live-oak savanna.
For a broader view of how Palo Pinto 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 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 is the county seat of Palo Pinto County, sharing its name with the county itself. 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 Palo Pinto combines county business with groceries, school events and church.
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. Figures are sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau; answers are written and reviewed by the Texas County Map team.
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?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Palo Pinto 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 Palo Pinto 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 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.