Trans-Pecos | |
|---|---|
 Ocotillo in theChihuahuan Desert of the Trans-Pecos | |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Largest city | El Paso |
| Area | |
| • Land | 31,479 sq mi (81,530 km2) |
| Population (2020) | 919,421 |
TheTrans-Pecos, as originally defined in 1887 by the Texas geologistRobert T. Hill, is the distinct portion ofTexas that lies west of thePecos River.[1] The term is consideredsynonymous withFar West Texas, a subdivision ofWest Texas.[2] The Trans-Pecos is part of theChihuahuan Desert, thelargest desert in North America. It is the most mountainous and arid portion of the state, and most of its vast area (outside the city ofEl Paso) is sparsely populated. Among the nine counties in the region are the five largest counties by area in Texas and eight of the eleven largest in the state. The area is known for the natural environment of theBig Bend and the gorge of theRio Grande, part of which has been designated aNational Wild and Scenic Rivers System. With the notable exceptions ofBig Bend Ranch State Park,Big Bend National Park and theGuadalupe Mountains National Park, the vast majority of the Trans-Pecos region consists of privately ownedranchland. However, most of the region's population reside in theEl Paso metropolitan area. Besides El Paso and its metropolitan area, the major cities arePecos (12,916),Fort Stockton (8,466), andAlpine (6,035). All other settlements have under 5,000 people.
The Trans-Pecos region consists of nine counties:Brewster,Culberson,El Paso,Hudspeth,Jeff Davis,Pecos,Presidio,Reeves, andTerrell. Brewster County, the largest, has a land area of 6,193 sq mi (16,040 km2). The land area of Brewster County is about 10% larger than the state ofConnecticut, yet it has a population density of only 1.4 persons per square mile compared to the 723 persons per square mile who reside in Connecticut.Terrell County, which borders both thePecos River and theRio Grande, is the least-populated county in the Trans-Pecos region. According to theUnited States Census of 2000, Terrell County had a total population of 984 residents occupying a land area of 2,358 sq mi (6,107 km2), resulting in a population density less than 0.5 persons per square mile.
The Trans-Pecos is a region of extremes, and at the opposite extreme from sparsely populated Terrell County is El Paso County, which is the smallest but most populated of the nine counties. El Paso County has a land area of only 1,015 sq mi (2,629 km2), yet it has a population of 800,647 individuals, resulting in a population density of 789 persons per square mile, a value that exceeds that of Connecticut. El Paso County makes up 93.5 percent of the region's total population.
Overall, the total population of the Trans-Pecos amounts to 856,187 residents occupying an area of 31,479 sq mi (81,530 km2), resulting in a population density around 27 persons per square mile (10 persons per km2), less than a third of the population density of the state as a whole. If the Trans-Pecos were to become a state, it would rank 45th in population (more than Delaware, less than Montana), 40th in total area (larger than South Carolina, smaller than Maine), and 42nd in population density (higher than Nevada, lower than Kansas).
The region as a whole has voted for the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in every election since 1988, including Joe Biden, who received 65.7 percent of the vote in 2020. This is in large part because of El Paso County, which also has been solidly Democratic sinceRonald Reagan won the countyin 1984. However, Presidio is the most consistently Democratic county in the Trans-Pecos, being likeSouth Texas the longest-established Democratic stronghold in the nation.[3]
Jeff Davis is the most Republican county in the region, last being won for the Democratic Party byJimmy Carter in 1976,[3] although evenGeorge W. Bush’s 66.79 percent of the votein 2000[4] stands modest compared to the 90 percent or more Republican vote common inPanhandle counties since the turn of the millennium. Hudspeth, Pecos and Terrell Counties, last won for the Democrats byBill Clinton in 1996,[3] have become comparably Republican to Jeff Davis in the past couple of elections. The remaining three counties, especially Brewster County, have been “swing” counties since the 1970s, although Hillary Clinton consolidated Democratic majorities in Culberson and Reeves counties in 2016.
The city of El Paso and its environs formTexas's 16th congressional district, currently represented by CongressmanVeronica Escobar (D-El Paso). The remainder of the region is located entirely withinTexas's 23rd congressional district, currently represented by CongressmanTony Gonzales (R-San Antonio).
In theTexas Senate, El Paso County forms a single district,Senate District 29, represented byJosé R. Rodríguez (D-El Paso), while the remainder of the region is included inSenate District 19, represented byPete Flores (R-Pleasanton). In theTexas House of Representatives, El Paso County is divided between House Districts 75–79, while the remainder of the region is included in House District 74.
| Year | GOP | DEM | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 43.1%115,960 | 55.6%143,156 | 1.29%3,289 |
| 2020 | 33.6%95,294 | 65.7%186,053 | 0.67%1,905 |
| 2016 | 27.4%63,892 | 66.8%155,729 | 5.75%13,399 |
| 2012 | 27.3%65,173 | 71.5%170,816 | 1.22%2,914 |
| 2008 | 34.6%69,839 | 64.4%129,907 | 1.01%2,046 |
| 2004 | 44.0%83,034 | 54.0%102,086 | 1.99%3,767 |
| 2000 | 40.9%65,910 | 56.5%91,131 | 2.66%4,288 |
| 1996 | 32.6%49,176 | 61.5%92,786 | 5.98%9,025 |
| 1992 | 34.7%52,943 | 49.9%76,068 | 15.5%23,593 |
| 1988 | 46.8%63,716 | 52.7%71,817 | 0.52%703 |
| 1984 | 56.0%76,913 | 43.5%59,720 | 0.40%549 |
| 1980 | 53.6%62,365 | 40.8%47,509 | 5.63%6,557 |
| 1976 | 47.45%50,070 | 51.2%54,036 | 1.34%1,411 |
| 1972 | 60.9%59,007 | 38.4%37,184 | 0.75%774 |
| 1968 | 43.4%35,476 | 47.3%38,692 | 9.32%7,626 |
| 1964 | 36.8%25,403 | 62.9%43,444 | 0.31%212 |
| 1960 | 48.1%30,664 | 51.6%32,867 | 0.32%202 |
Interstates10 and20 are the largestfreeways in the Trans-Pecos region. Majorfederal highways includeUS Highway 90 andUS Highway 67, which are partiallycosigned; Highway 90 continues fromAlpine east toDel Rio, while Highway 67 runs south fromMarfa to theMexico–United States border atPresidio/Ojinaga, after which it continues asMexican Federal Highway 16.State Highway 17 begins inPecos and traversesBalmorhea State Park before joining Route 67 in Marfa, whileState Highway 118 begins shortly after thejunction of Interstates 10 and 20 nearKent and continues south toStudy Butte at the entrance ofBig Bend National Park.
The Trans-Pecos region contains threeAmerican Viticultural Areas: theEscondido Valley AVA, theTexas Davis Mountains AVA, and a portion of theMesilla Valley AVA, most of which is inNew Mexico.