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Sterling County, Texas

16 topographic sheets cover 3 settlements here, and 1 property is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

1 National Register listing published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Texas within the United States
Sterling County within Texas

What the record shows

  • 22 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 1 property here is on the National Register of Historic Places, listed as a building.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 3 populated places in this county; 3 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

1

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Sterling City Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway Passenger Depotbuilding2020100005690

Bird's-eye views and land ownership maps

1

Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.

Land ownership map, 1892 - Sterling Co
Land ownership map (1892) - Sterling Co. Library of Congress.

The county from the air

26 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 362 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 26 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-12-15, scale 1:63000
1953-12-15, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-12-15, scale 1:63000
1953-12-15, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-12-15, scale 1:63000
1953-12-15, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-12-15, scale 1:63000
1953-12-15, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-05-02, scale 1:63000
1954-05-02, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-05-02, scale 1:63000
1954-05-02, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-05-02, scale 1:63000
1954-05-02, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-05-02, scale 1:63000
1954-05-02, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-12-08, scale 1:112412
1969-12-08, scale 1:112412. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-12-08, scale 1:112412
1969-12-08, scale 1:112412. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-13, scale 1:110836
1970-03-13, scale 1:110836. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-13, scale 1:110836
1970-03-13, scale 1:110836. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-13, scale 1:110836
1970-03-13, scale 1:110836. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-13, scale 1:109363
1970-03-13, scale 1:109363. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-02-08, scale 1:43500
1971-02-08, scale 1:43500. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-02-08, scale 1:43500
1971-02-08, scale 1:43500. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-02-08, scale 1:43500
1971-02-08, scale 1:43500. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-02-08, scale 1:43500
1971-02-08, scale 1:43500. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-03-14, scale 1:25600
1972-03-14, scale 1:25600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-03-14, scale 1:25600
1972-03-14, scale 1:25600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-03-14, scale 1:25600
1972-03-14, scale 1:25600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-03-14, scale 1:25600
1972-03-14, scale 1:25600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-08-21, scale 1:60170
1973-08-21, scale 1:60170. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-08-21, scale 1:59234
1973-08-21, scale 1:59234. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-08-21, scale 1:59234
1973-08-21, scale 1:59234. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-08-21, scale 1:59234
1973-08-21, scale 1:59234. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

Weather records

6 stations, 2 gages

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

5 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 216-1Justice Precinct 1: Sterling City, unincorporated (See boundaries shown on aerial photo BUQ-63-81)
  • 216-2Justice Precinct 1 - That part outside the unincorporated place of Sterling City (See aerial photo BUQ-63-81 for boundaries of Sterling City)
  • 216-3Justice Precinct 2
  • 216-4Justice Precinct 3
  • 216-5Justice Precinct 4

Wildfire, 2006 to 2020

104 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 104 of them, burning about 288,263 acres. 26 started naturally and 1 was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined34
Natural26
Equipment and vehicle use23
Power generation/transmission/distribution12
Debris and open burning7
Smoking1
Arson/incendiarism1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
25 February 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined220,000 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceGLASS
1 January 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined39,812 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceCOLE
4 July 2020Natural5,430 acresTexas A & M Forest Service7D2
19 June 2020Natural4,898 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceSLADE
27 February 2011Power generation/transmission/distribution3,500 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceMITCHELL COMPLEX - 821 FIRE
17 May 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined3,392 acresTexas A & M Forest ServicePRICE FIRE
2 June 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,800 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named
19 July 2011Equipment and vehicle use1,748 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceSTEWART FIRE

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1955 to 2025

60 of 206 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 206 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $70,610 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail132
Thunderstorm Wind40
Tornado19
Flash Flood13
Flood2

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 1997Thunderstorm WindSterling City$50,000Winds tore shingles off buildings in Sterling City.
March 2004Thunderstorm WindSterling City$5,000Power lines were damaged as a result of strong thunderstorm winds.
May 1999HailSterling City$5,000Baseball size hail broke an estimated 40 to 50 windows in residences just northwest of Sterling City.
May 1999Thunderstorm WindSterling City$5,000Severe thunderstorm winds downed trees and destroyed a carport just northwest of Sterling City.
March 2000Thunderstorm WindSterling City$3,000Thunderstorm winds ripped the roof off of a barn and overturned a trailer on the south side of Sterling City.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindSterling City$2,000Severe wind gusts were measured at 70 MPH in Sterling City. The winds caused tree damage and some minor building damage.
March 1993HailSterling City$500The Sterling County Sheriff's Office reported golfball-size hail in Sterling City at 1943 CST. At 2000 CST, quarter-size hail fell in the city, according to a storm spotter. Only minor damage resulted from the hail.
March 1993HailSterling City$50The Sterling County Sheriff's Office reported golfball-size hail in Sterling City at 1943 CST. At 2000 CST, quarter-size hail fell in the city, according to a storm spotter. Only minor damage resulted from the hail.
May 1982Tornado (F0)not stated$30no account filed
June 1982Tornado (F0)not stated$30no account filed
May 2025Thunderstorm WindSterling City-The Sterling City West Texas Mesonet station measured a wind gust of 59 mph.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindSterling City-A trained spotter estimated a wind gust of 70 mph.
May 2025HailSterling City Cld Ar-Public report of quarter size hail.
May 2025HailSterling City Cld Ar-Public reported half dollar size hail.
May 2025HailBroome-Public reported quarter size hail.
April 2025HailBroome-Public reported golf ball size hail. In addition, 4 inches of rain was reported as well as high winds.
April 2025HailBroome-Public reported quarter size hail.
April 2025HailBroome-Public reported quarter size hail.
April 2025HailSterling City-Public reported ping pong ball size hail.
April 2025HailSterling City-The public reported hail damage to cars and broken tree limbs. Half dollar size hail reported.
April 2025HailBroome-Public reported very large hail (larger than baseball) damaging cars and trees.
April 2025FloodSterling City Cld Ar-There was a report of road flooding along state route 163.
April 2025HailSterling City-A trained spotter reported quarter size hail.
April 2025HailSterling City-A storm chaser reported ping pong ball size hail. Time of report estimated by radar.
April 2025HailSterling City-The Sterling County Sheriff Office reported golf ball size hail in Sterling City.
September 2025Thunderstorm WindSterling City-A mesonet observation station near Sterling City measured a wind gust of 78 mph.
May 2024HailSterling City-Law enforcement reported quarter size hail.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindSterling City-Law enforcement reported a tin roof blown off a structure along Highway 158 northeast of Sterling City.
May 2024Tornado (EF3)Sterling City Cld Ar-A tornado touched down west of State Highway 163 at a ranch house|on Private Road 127. The tornado damaged the roof of the ranch|house as well as flipped over an RV trailer next to the house.|Between the ranch house and Highway 163, the tornado strengthened|destroying at least two utility poles, severely damaging trees as|well as turning over an oil pump jack. As the tornado approached|and crossed Highway 163, the tornado continued to intensify|damaging several utility poles along the highway and then moving|across a deer lease off Private Road 128, east of Highway 163. The|tornado completely stripped the rocks, the grass, the top soil, and|the caliche roads on the property. Only the stubs of the trunks of |the trees remained on the property. The estimated peak wind of|the tornado was 140 mph.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindSterling City-Law Enforcement reported winds gusts of 70 mph.
May 2023HailSterling City-The County Sheriff reported dime to ping pong ball size hail on the Sterling-Glasscock County line on US 87.
May 2021HailSterling City-The public reported hail up to 2 inches in diameter in Sterling City.
March 2021Thunderstorm WindSterling City-A NWS Employee estimated a 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust in Sterling City.
May 2021Tornado (EF2)Sterling City-A NWS Storm Survey was conducted for this tornado that was videotaped by many storm chasers throughout it's track across northern Sterling County. We found many snapped Mesquite tree trunks and plenty of tree limb damage. The tornado moved large wind turbine propellers at two different locations, and it snapped 16 power poles across two ranches. The tornado caused a wind mill stand to bend over. A nearby crane located about a mile south of the tornado track or in the rear flank downdraft, measured a wind speed of 109 mph. The twister destroyed a camper. ||The collective videotapes on social media from the many storm chasers, showed the tornado starting out as a multi-vortex tornado in the northwest part of Sterling County around 711 PM CDT, transitioning to a large cone near the wind farms, and then becoming rain wrapped as it struck the gas plant at around 747 PM CDT. As the tornado struck a gas plant on State Highway 163, it slung a large dumpster about 300 yards into a nearby pasture, snapped a telephone pole and threw a large Conix container about 50 feet. It also bent one of the towers on the plant. ||Many thanks to the Sterling County Sheriff's Department, the Stewart Ranch, National Weather Service Midland, other ranchers and all of the storm chasers for their excellent assistance.
May 2021HailSterling City-A storm chaser reported baseball size hail.
October 2021Thunderstorm WindSterling City-The Sterling City 4 WSW Mesonet recorded a wind gust of 61 mph.
May 2020HailSterling City Cld Ar-The public measured quarter size hail 12 miles south of Sterling City.
June 2019HailSterling City-The Sterling County Sheriffs Office reported golf ball size hail.
March 2018HailSterling City-The large hail was reported at the Lucid Energy Facility.
May 2018HailSterling City-Law enforcement reported nickel size hail in Sterling City.
May 2018Thunderstorm WindSterling City-Law enforcement reported trees down and a lot of lofted dust 10 miles north of Sterling City.
May 2018Thunderstorm WindSterling City-Law enforcement reported a power pole broken in half with the winds estimated at 80 mph.
May 2018HailSterling City Cld Ar-Social media reported large hail near two inches, 8 miles south of Sterling City along US Highway 163.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindSterling City-A 58 mph wind gust was measured at the Mesonet site located 4 miles west southwest of Sterling City.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindSterling City-The Sterling County sheriff's office reported a metal roof ripped off a home.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindSterling City-A Texas Tech West Texas Mesonet site near Sterling City measured a wind gust of 77 mph.
April 2016HailSterling City-The public reported golf ball size hail along US Highway 87 about 12.5 miles northwest of Sterling City.
May 2016HailSterling City Cld Ar-Law enforcement reported half dollar size hail along Texas Highway 163 about 6 miles west northwest of Sterling City.
May 2016Thunderstorm WindSterling City-The West Texas Mesonet near Sterling City measured a 61 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
May 2015Tornado (EF0)Sterling City-The tornado was observed by the public about 14 miles north of Sterling City to briefly touch down on State Highway 163. It was on the ground for about one minute. This report was relayed through the Sterling County Sheriff's office.
October 2015Flash FloodSterling City-Texas State Highway 163 just north of Sterling City was closed due to high water.
October 2015Flash FloodSterling City-The water was 10 feet over the Washington Street Bridge at the North Concho River just south of Sterling City. The water rose a foot every 12 minutes.
October 2015Thunderstorm WindSterling City-A NWS Cooperative observer reported several large tree limbs down about 5 to 10 feet long.
December 2015Thunderstorm WindSterling City-There was no power in Sterling City.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindSterling City-A National Weather Service employee estimated a damaging wind gust at 60 mph.
May 2014Tornado (EF0)Sterling City-A storm chaser videotaped this tornado. He was located at the intersection of State Highway 163 and FM 2139 as he was looking to the west southwest. He said it only lasted for 90 seconds before it transitioned into the rope stage.
May 2014FloodSterling City-Law enforcement reported State Highway 163 was flooded about 4 to 6 miles south of Sterling City.
May 2014Thunderstorm WindSterling City-A trained spotter estimated a 60 mph wind gust.
April 2012HailSterling City-This report was relayed through the Midland National Weather Service Forecast Office.
April 2012HailSterling City-Golf ball size hail was reported on the west side of Sterling City.

Every populated place in the county

3

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

The vanished settlements of Sterling County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.