Ward County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,644. The county seat is Monahans. The county was created in 1887 and organized in 1892. It is named for Thomas W. Ward, a soldier in the Texas Revolution.

Archeological investigations conducted in northwestern Ward County have found evidence of prehistoric man in the form of occupational debris, petroglyphs, and pictographs. Tribes occupying the area include Suma-Jumano, Apache, and Comanche. The sand hills have contained native artifacts.

The Butterfield Overland Mail in 1858 used Emigrant's Crossing, where exposed rocks afford one of the few places safe for fording the Pecos River. The stage line had an adobe station and a high-walled adobe corral there.

In 1881, the Texas and Pacific Railway crossed the region and established stations at Sand Hills, Monahans, Aroya, Pyote, Quito, Quito Quarry, and Barstow.

The Texas State Legislature carved Ward County from a portion of Tom Green County in 1887. The county was organized in 1892. Barstow became the county seat. Barstow became a farming and ranching trade center by 1904. Drought plagued the area in the early part of the 20th century.

Ward County benefitted from the opening of the Hendrick oilfield Winkler County in 1926. Pipelines and railroad loading tanks were constructed at Wickett, Pyote, and Monahans. Oil was discovered at Grandfalls in 1929, and the nearby community of Royalty was established. Shell Oil Company constructed an 8-acre (32,000 m) tank that would hold a million barrels. By January 1, 1991, 668,715,000 barrels (106,317,200 m) of oil had been produced in the county since 1928.

On May 10, 1938, Monahans won a contested election to move the county seat from Barstow. The election was upheld in 1939, and the county seat moved to Monahans that year.

Pyote Air Force Station opened in 1942, becoming the largest bomber installation in the United States. The plane Enola Gay, which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, was later stored here. The base became inactive during the Korean War.

Monahans Sandhills State Park opened in 1957. The Sealy-Smith Foundation leased much of the land to the state in 1956 until 2056. An additional 900 acres (3.6 km) were leased from the Williams family of Monahans.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 836 square miles (2,170 km), of which 836 sq mi (2,170 km) are land and 0.2 sq mi (0.52 km) (0.03%) is covered by water.

• Interstate 20
• State Highway 18
• State Highway 115
• State Highway 329

• Winkler County (north)
• Ector County (northeast)
• Crane County (east)
• Pecos County (south)
• Reeves County (west)
• Loving County (northwest)

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	77		—
1900	1,451		1,784.4%
1910	2,389		64.6%
1920	2,615		9.5%
1930	4,599		75.9%
1940	9,575		108.2%
1950	13,346		39.4%
1960	14,917		11.8%
1970	13,019		−12.7%
1980	13,976		7.4%
1990	13,115		−6.2%
2000	10,909		−16.8%
2010	10,658		−2.3%
2020	11,644		9.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020

Ward County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	5,695	4,922	4,506	52.20%	46.18%	38.70%
Black or African American alone (NH)	476	474	415	4.36%	4.45%	3.56%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	48	48	41	0.44%	0.45%	0.35%
Asian alone (NH)	31	31	69	0.28%	0.29%	0.59%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	3	0	2	0.03%	0.00%	0.02%
Other race alone (NH)	3	9	22	0.03%	0.08%	0.19%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	73	100	264	0.67%	0.94%	2.27%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4,580	5,074	6,325	41.98%	47.61%	54.32%
Total	10,909	10,658	11,644	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census of 2000, 10,909 people, 3,964 households, and 2,929 families were residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km). The 4,832 housing units averaged 6 units per square mile (2.3 units/km). The racial makeup of the county was 79.79% White, 4.61% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 12.55% from other races, and 2.11% from two or more races. About 41.98% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 3,964 households, 36.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.10% were not families. About 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66, and the average family size was 3.15.

In the county, the age distribution was 30.60% under 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,386, and for a family was $36,014. Males had a median income of $31,373 versus $18,198 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,393. About 15.80% of families and 17.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.30% of those under age 18 and 20.10% of those age 65 or over.

An unincorporated area near Pyote is the site of the former Pyote Air Force Base. The facility housed the West Texas State School, operated by the Texas Youth Commission, until the youth detention facility closed in 2010.

United States presidential election results for Ward County, Texas

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	3,115	82.76%	627	16.66%	22	0.58%
2020	3,241	79.83%	764	18.82%	55	1.35%
2016	2,547	73.93%	783	22.73%	115	3.34%
2012	2,366	72.91%	841	25.92%	38	1.17%
2008	2,667	74.04%	899	24.96%	36	1.00%
2004	2,856	75.80%	901	23.91%	11	0.29%
2000	2,534	65.41%	1,256	32.42%	84	2.17%
1996	1,620	43.41%	1,644	44.05%	468	12.54%
1992	1,769	40.00%	1,695	38.33%	958	21.66%
1988	2,709	59.02%	1,858	40.48%	23	0.50%
1984	3,474	74.03%	1,188	25.31%	31	0.66%
1980	2,912	66.24%	1,405	31.96%	79	1.80%
1976	2,123	50.33%	2,046	48.51%	49	1.16%
1972	2,687	70.86%	1,049	27.66%	56	1.48%
1968	1,552	36.39%	1,331	31.21%	1,382	32.40%
1964	1,730	43.75%	2,221	56.17%	3	0.08%
1960	1,763	45.77%	2,018	52.39%	71	1.84%
1956	1,772	51.63%	1,638	47.73%	22	0.64%
1952	1,994	51.98%	1,840	47.97%	2	0.05%
1948	414	15.58%	2,119	79.72%	125	4.70%
1944	268	14.73%	1,448	79.60%	103	5.66%
1940	281	12.62%	1,931	86.71%	15	0.67%
1936	98	8.08%	1,113	91.76%	2	0.16%
1932	70	9.27%	678	89.80%	7	0.93%
1928	216	45.76%	256	54.24%	0	0.00%
1924	42	15.33%	206	75.18%	26	9.49%
1920	79	29.81%	181	68.30%	5	1.89%
1916	23	10.90%	178	84.36%	10	4.74%
1912	6	3.14%	147	76.96%	38	19.90%

• Barstow
• Monahans (county seat)

• Grandfalls
• Pyote
• Thorntonville
• Wickett

• Southwest Sandhill

• Royalty

• Three Corner Windmill

• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Ward County

• Ward County government's website
• Ward County from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Historic Ward County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.

31°31′N 103°06′W / 31.51°N 103.10°W / 31.51; -103.10