Sterling City, TX

Sterling City is the only city and county seat of Sterling County, sitting on the North Concho River where U.S. 87 and State Highway 158 cross the ranch country of west-central Texas. W.S. Sterling, an early buffalo hunter and Indian fighter, supplied the name, and the town was laid out in 1891 when the county was created. The courthouse, city offices, school, and local businesses serve a county spread across long distances. The town had 1,121 residents in the 2020 census.

Sterling City was once known for its windmills: local histories counted roughly 150 within the city, pumping water for homes and ranch work. The older wooden towers have given way to modern turbines on ridges around the county, visible from U.S. 87 and tied to the newer energy economy. Ranching and petroleum production remain part of the county’s working landscape, while Sterling City Independent School District keeps K–12 education local and Howard College’s service area covers the county. It is the kind of West Texas seat where one school, one courthouse, and roads to distant ranches define the daily map.