Eldorado, TX

Eldorado is the only city and the county seat of Schleicher County in west-central Texas. The 2020 census counted 1,574 residents. U.S. 277 runs through town, about 21 miles north of Sonora and 43 miles south of San Angelo. Schleicher County Independent School District serves the county, with Eldorado High School as its comprehensive high school. The courthouse, ranching services, city utilities, and highway businesses give Eldorado a regional role across a wide stretch of ranch country.

Eldorado grew from a townsite established by W. B. Silliman in 1895, after the post office moved over from nearby Verand. The first school opened in 1897, and when Schleicher County organized in 1901, Eldorado became the county seat. A railroad reached town in 1930, and the West Texas Woolen Mills opened in 1941, making Eldorado an important wool-processing center for the region. The rail line and mill are part of the older story; the courthouse, school, ranch trade, and U.S. 277 now carry the daily load.