Hudspeth

Hudspeth County

Updated on: November 18, 2021
Coordinates
31 27' 0" N, 105 22' 12" W (31.45, -105.37)
State
Texas
Region
West
County Seat:
Sierra Blanca
Year Organized:
1917
Total Square Miles:
4571.829
4,571 square miles (11,840 km2) land
0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) water
Population:
4408 (2017)
Population: 4,408 est. (2017) 3,476 (2010)
Persons/Square Mile:
1
Hudspeth County Website
http://www.co.hudspeth.tx.us/

Contiguous Counties

Otero County, New Mexico (N)
Culberson (E)
Jeff Davis (SE)
Práxedis G. Guerrero, Chihuahua, Mexico (S)
El Paso (W)

County structure

Government Type:
County
Authority:
Dillon's Rule
Legislative Body:
Commisioners Court
Size of Legislative Body:
5

Demographics

2018 Population:
4408
25 to 64 Years of Age:
53.68%
65 Years of Age and Older:
15.37%

Economy, 2018

Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
$149.9 M
Labor Force:
1,666
Unemployment Rate:
4.70%

County Contact

PO BOX 68
Sierra Blanca, TX, 79851-0068

http://www.hudspethcountytexas.us/

Hudspeth is a county occupying the western part of Texas with a total area of 4,572 square miles, making it one the largest counties in the United States. The number of residents in the county was 3,476 at the 2010 census and 4,886 in 2019. Sierra Blanca is its county seat and the most populous community in Fort Hancock. Hudspeth county comprises the El Paso metropolitan statistical area.   

Hudspeth County Geography 

The total area of Hedspeth County is 4,572 square miles. A total of 4,571 square miles is land, and 0.8 square miles is occupied by water. It is bordered by:  

  • New Mexico & Otero County to the north 
  • El Paso County, on its west side 
  • Jeff Davis County to the southeast side 
  • The Mexican state of Chihuahua, Guadalupe, and Presidio Counties to the south 
  • Culberson County on its east side 

History of Hudspeth County  

The first Europeans (Spanish explorers) to visit Hudspeth County were from the Rodríguez-Sánchez expedition back in 1581 and Antonio de Espejo expedition in 1582. 

The Rodríguez-Sánchez expedition met friendly Indians near the present site of Esperanza who gave them gifts like the macaw-feather bonnets. On the other hand, the Antonio de Espejo expedition encountered 200 Otomoaco Indians at La Deseada (Spaniards’ name), located on the southeast side of Hudspeth County. 

The European explorers and travelers later encountered the Mescalero Apaches, who were hostile groups. They learned to avoid frequenting sacred places for the Apaches, especially the Indian Hot Springs, which was allegedly believed to have medicinal water that heals wounds. In 1683, Fray López and Juan de Mendoza came across the springs.   

In 1849, John Ford and Robert Neighbors were among the earliest Americans to navigate the county and stopped at a series of springs located on the Southeast side of Hudspeth County. Here is a series of springs where travelers also frequented during the 19th century: 

  • Cottonwood Springs in the northeast of the Hudspeth County 
  • Persimmon and Washburn Springs in the Cornudas Mountains  
  • Cove Spring in Sierra Tinaja Pinta north of the Hudspeth County 
  • Crow Springs in the northeast of the Hudspeth County 

However, in the 1950s, all the springs ran dry due to agricultural practices in the area. In 1917, Hudspeth County was established and organized from El Paso County.  

Hudspeth County Demographics 

As of the 2019 Census, 4,886 people were living in the county. This had increased by 1,410 compared to the 2010 Census. About 90.2% of the county’s residents identify themselves as white alone, while about 17.2% describe their race as “white but other races other than Hispanic or Latino.”  

Only 3.8% of the county’s residents identified themselves as black or African American alone. Hispanics and Latinos make up approximately 76.9% of the county’s population, as Asians alone were 1.6%. 

In terms of households, 20.8% were children under eighteen years of age; 5.4% were children under five years of age; 46.9% were female persons leaving only 53.1% from male, and 15.9% accounted for those who are 65 years or more.  

Hudspeth County Offices 

Hudspeth county government offices include the following departments: 

County and District Clerk – The county and district clerk for Hudspeth County are Brenda Sanchez. Her mailing address is P.O. Box 58 Sierra Blanca, TX 79851. You can contact her via phone at (915) 369-2301.  

County Judge – Honorable Thomas D. Neely is the county judge. The post office address of his office is P.O. Box 68, Sierra Blanca 79851. You can reach him via a phone through (915) 369-2321 or fax (915) 369-2361.  

County Commissioners – There are four commissioners elected every four years. Their names and post office addresses are: 

Commissioner Precinct One: Andrew Virdell is Commissioner Precinct 1 of Hudspeth County. His post office address is P.O. Box 179 Sierra Blanca, TX 79851. You can reach him via phone at (432) 284-9141. Send mail at [email protected] 

Commissioner Precinct Two – Sergio Quijas is Commissioner Precinct 2 of Hudspeth County. His post office address is P.O. Box 816 Fort Hancock, TX 79839. You can reach him via phone at (915) 345-2960. Send mail at [email protected].   

Commissioner District Three: Johny Sheets is Commissioner Precinct 3 of Hudspeth County. His office address is 19224 Kimberly Ave. Desert Haven, TX 79938. You can reach him via phone at (915) 493-0548. Send mail at [email protected].   

Commissioner Precinct Four: Delbert “Sonny” Berry is Commissioner Precinct 4 of Hudspeth County. His post office address is P.O. Box 262 Dell City, TX 79837. You can reach him via phone at (915) 408-5817. Send mail at [email protected] 

Sheriff Department: Sheriff Arvin West serves as sheriff of Hudspeth County. The post office address is P.O. Box 39 Sierra Blanca, TX 79851. You can also reach him via phone at (915) 369-2161 or fax (915) 369-2126. 

County Attorney – The county attorney for Hudspeth County is Mary Anne Bramblett. Her office is at 819 Rusty Bucket Ct. El Paso, TX 79932. Contact her via phone at (915) 877-4173. You can also send mail at [email protected] 

Hudspeth County Minerals 

Hudspeth county is rich in minerals, including fluorspar, zinc, coal, silver, molybdenum, copper, tungsten, feldspar, and many others. Settlers produced zinc shortly in the Eagle Mountains as of the early 1940s.  

Also, they produced 15,000 tons of fluorspar in the same area between 1942 and 1950. Settlers found zinc & other minerals like molybdenum, silver, and tungsten in the Quitman Mountains.  

In the southeast side of Hudspeth County near Allamoore, they found white amphibole asbestos, copper, richterite, feldspar, mica, and talc. Near Eagle Spring, there was coal and beryllium near Sierra Blanca. 

Conclusion 

Hudspeth County is a perfect place to live, with lots of opportunities for jobs and business growth. Several cities have great potential, such as Acala, Dell, City, Allamoore, Dell City, Etholen, Fort Hancock, Finlay, Sierra Blanca, Salt Flat, etc.  

If you want to start your own business or life, this is the right place for you because it has plenty of affordable housing plans available from small towns to big cities. So if you are looking for an affordable place to settle down, look no further than Hudspeth County!