Regions of Texas
Texas is so vast that geographers, historians, and Texans themselves divide it into eight broad regions — from the High Plains of the Panhandle to the subtropical Rio Grande Valley. Browse counties by region below.
Why Texas is divided into regions
Texas covers 268,597 square miles — bigger than France — and spans coastal marshes, piney woods, blackland prairie, desert mountains, and high plains. Regional divisions help organize counties by shared climate, economy, and cultural history. Each region below links to a dedicated page listing every county within it.
How Texas regions are defined
Texas has no single official set of regions. Geographers divide the state by physical landforms (the Gulf Coastal Plains, North Central Plains, Great Plains and Basin and Range); state agencies use their own planning regions; and Texans themselves use familiar names like the Panhandle or the Hill Country. On this site we group the 254 counties into 8 broad regions that combine landscape, climate and culture, so each county page can be read in context. Boundaries between regions are gradual, and a few counties could reasonably be placed in more than one.
Big Bend
4 counties · 15,578 sq mi · about 63,428 residents (0.2% of Texas) · median county population 7,446
Landscape. Chihuahuan Desert, the Chisos, Davis and Chinati mountains, and the canyons of the Rio Grande.
Economy. Ranching, tourism to Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park, astronomy (McDonald Observatory), art (Marfa) and border crossings.
Culture. Remote, independent communities, borderlands culture and some of the darkest night skies in the continental U.S.
Well-known towns: Alpine, Marfa, Fort Davis, Presidio, Terlingua.
Most populous counties: Val Verde (47,835), Brewster (9,458), Presidio (5,433), Terrell (702).
Central Texas
76 counties · 69,635 sq mi · about 6,157,232 residents (19.4% of Texas) · median county population 20,600
Landscape. The Hill Country's limestone hills and spring-fed rivers, the fertile Blackland Prairie along I-35, and the Post Oak Savannah and Cross Timbers.
Economy. Government, technology and education around Austin; military at Fort Cavazos near Killeen; agriculture; and fast-growing suburbs.
Culture. German and Czech heritage towns such as Fredericksburg, New Braunfels and West; live music; and a mix of college towns and ranch communities.
Well-known towns: Austin, Waco, Killeen, San Marcos, Fredericksburg.
Most populous counties: Travis (1,389,670), Williamson (752,827), Cameron (433,946), Bell (402,248), Nueces (352,992).
East Texas
44 counties · 32,553 sq mi · about 2,859,145 residents (9.0% of Texas) · median county population 36,658
Landscape. Dense pine and hardwood forests (the Piney Woods), rolling red-clay hills, reservoirs such as Toledo Bend and Lake Sam Rayburn, and the Big Thicket's biologically diverse bottomlands. Annual rainfall often exceeds 45 inches.
Economy. Timber and paper, poultry, oil and gas (the East Texas oil field of 1930 was among the largest ever found), healthcare, and lake tourism and retirement.
Culture. Strong Southern roots, historic courthouse squares, and some of the oldest Anglo-American settlements in Texas; Nacogdoches claims to be the oldest town in the state.
Well-known towns: Tyler, Longview, Nacogdoches, Lufkin, Texarkana.
Most populous counties: Montgomery (781,194), Smith (252,549), Gregg (126,095), Liberty (121,364), Bowie (92,696).
Gulf Coast
7 counties · 7,007 sq mi · about 7,159,882 residents (22.6% of Texas) · median county population 372,207
Landscape. Coastal prairie and marsh, barrier islands, bays and estuaries along the Gulf of Mexico.
Economy. Ports, refining and petrochemicals, shipping, commercial fishing, rice farming and coastal tourism.
Culture. Port-city history, seafood traditions and a shared experience of hurricanes and recovery.
Well-known towns: Galveston, Corpus Christi, Port Arthur, Freeport, Port Lavaca.
Most populous counties: Harris (5,045,026), Fort Bend (975,191), Brazoria (419,080), Galveston (372,207), Jefferson (254,321).
North Texas
36 counties · 29,960 sq mi · about 9,088,115 residents (28.7% of Texas) · median county population 20,060
Landscape. The Grand Prairie and Cross Timbers around Dallas–Fort Worth, giving way to the Rolling Plains and the Red River valley.
Economy. Finance, logistics, aviation, corporate headquarters and healthcare in the Metroplex; wheat, cattle and oil farther west.
Culture. A blend of big-city DFW, historic Fort Worth stockyards, and small Red River towns.
Well-known towns: Dallas, Fort Worth, Denton, Sherman, Wichita Falls.
Most populous counties: Dallas (2,661,397), Tarrant (2,248,466), Collin (1,297,179), Denton (1,069,346), Ellis (240,867).
Panhandle
10 counties · 8,988 sq mi · about 56,961 residents (0.2% of Texas) · median county population 3,148
Landscape. The Llano Estacado (Staked Plains), one of the flattest large regions in North America, broken by the Canadian River breaks and Palo Duro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the United States.
Economy. Wheat, sorghum and corn, cattle feedlots and meatpacking, natural gas, and one of the country's strongest wind-energy belts.
Culture. Cowboy and farm heritage, Route 66 history in Amarillo, and four true seasons including winter snow.
Well-known towns: Amarillo, Pampa, Borger, Hereford, Dalhart.
Most populous counties: Gray (20,919), Ochiltree (9,284), Childress (6,643), Wheeler (4,773), Donley (3,213).
South Texas
26 counties · 32,935 sq mi · about 4,100,117 residents (12.9% of Texas) · median county population 20,850
Landscape. The South Texas Plains (brush country) of mesquite and thorn scrub, and the subtropical Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Economy. International trade through Laredo, the busiest U.S. inland port; citrus and vegetables in the Valley; ranching, including the historic King Ranch; and Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas.
Culture. Deep Tejano and Mexican-American heritage, Spanish widely spoken, and some of the oldest ranching traditions in North America.
Well-known towns: San Antonio, Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville, Harlingen.
Most populous counties: Bexar (2,160,088), Hidalgo (921,549), Webb (281,224), Comal (209,166), Starr (66,319).
West Texas
51 counties · 65,306 sq mi · about 2,224,941 residents (7.0% of Texas) · median county population 6,963
Landscape. Rolling Plains, the Edwards Plateau's western reaches and the Permian Basin — mostly flat to gently rolling grassland and mesquite, with low rainfall and big skies.
Economy. Oil and gas from the Permian Basin, cotton (the Lubbock area is one of the largest cotton-growing regions in the world), cattle, wind energy and universities.
Culture. Friday-night football, ranch heritage, and towns that rose and fell with railroads and oil booms.
Well-known towns: Midland, Odessa, Abilene, San Angelo, Big Spring.
Most populous counties: El Paso (877,858), Lubbock (328,906), Midland (187,855), Ector (173,801), Randall (152,351).
Comparing regions
| Region | Counties | Sq mi | Population | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bend | 4 | 15,578 | 63,428 | 4.1 |
| Central Texas | 76 | 69,635 | 6,157,232 | 88.4 |
| East Texas | 44 | 32,553 | 2,859,145 | 87.8 |
| Gulf Coast | 7 | 7,007 | 7,159,882 | 1021.8 |
| North Texas | 36 | 29,960 | 9,088,115 | 303.3 |
| Panhandle | 10 | 8,988 | 56,961 | 6.3 |
| South Texas | 26 | 32,935 | 4,100,117 | 124.5 |
| West Texas | 51 | 65,306 | 2,224,941 | 34.1 |
The contrast is striking: the most urban regions pack hundreds of people into each square mile, while the far-western regions average only a few. Climate follows a similar gradient — rainfall falls steadily from more than 50 inches a year on the Louisiana border to under 10 inches near El Paso, which explains much of the difference in how land is used.
Written and reviewed by Colton Boudreau, editor of Texas County Map (Austin, Texas). Last reviewed October 3, 2026. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line, Gazetteer, population estimates) and the Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas. Found an error? Tell us.