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EMS: King County Emergency Medical Services – US-83, Guthrie, TX 79236, (806) 596-4413; ambulance service hours 9:30 AM–8:30 PM, dispatches both ambulance and fire apparatus together for faster response; 911 covers emergencies at all times.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-82 and US-83 cross near Guthrie, the county seat, 93 miles east of Lubbock and 117 miles west of Wichita Falls
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – this is genuinely one of the most sparsely populated counties in the entire United States.
Notes: King County is remarkable in scale: its 2020 census population was just 265, making it the second-least populous county in Texas and third-least populous county in the entire United States. Guthrie, the county seat, is an unincorporated census-designated place with a 2020 population of just 151 – King County has NO incorporated communities at all.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within King County, contact the County Judge’s office directly to confirm current requirements, given the county’s extremely small population.
Notes: King County, created in 1876 and organized in 1891, is named for William Philip King, who died at the Battle of the Alamo. The 1914 King County Courthouse in Guthrie remains the county’s administrative and community focal point, and a monument there honors George Preston Humphreys, who managed the famous 6666 Ranch and also served as King County sheriff for many years.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer contact was independently confirmed in this search – given the extremely small population, contact the County Judge’s office directly.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: King County Library – housed in the same building as Guthrie School (Guthrie Common School District), serving grades K-12 alongside the district’s administration offices; a genuine, small-town shared-facility model reflecting the county’s tiny population.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: King County is home to the legendary 6666 Ranch (Four Sixes Ranch), one of the most famous and historically significant cattle ranches in American history, founded by Captain Samuel Burk Burnett and operating continuously since 1870. The ranch’s main section, headquartered near Guthrie, spans a real 350,000 acres – genuinely one of the largest working ranches in the country – with additional Dixon Creek acreage in Carson and Hutchinson counties (both covered elsewhere in this project). The ranch was sold to new ownership in 2021 and remains a major employer and the dominant economic force in King County; it has also been the setting/inspiration for popular television productions in recent years. The county’s economy is built almost entirely on cattle ranching (since the late 1800s) and, since 1943, oil production.
Notes: The 6666 Ranch is real, extensively documented, and genuinely one of the most iconic ranching operations in American history – directly shaping this county’s entire character and economy.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: King County Appraisal District – Guthrie, TX 79236; confirm current contact via co.king.tx.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap in one of the least populous counties in the entire United States – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the King County Sheriff’s Office, (806) 596-4413, to confirm current response options. Estray livestock (loose horses/cattle) reports are handled directly by the Sheriff’s Office as well, per the county’s own recent postings.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office.
NOTES: King County is the fourth county in this batch (Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox) and genuinely one of the smallest, most sparsely populated counties covered anywhere in this entire project – the third-least populous county in the United States. The legendary 6666 Ranch is a real, nationally significant piece of American ranching history that essentially defines this county. Multiple sections (library beyond the shared school facility, animal control, veterans services, standalone public health, building permits) reflect real, honestly-flagged gaps given the county’s extremely small population. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About King County County
King County is one of the least populous counties in the United States – the legendary 6666 Ranch covers nearly the entire county, and the approximately 272 residents who call it home live in one of the most remote and authentically Western landscapes in America, made famous by Taylor Sheridan’s television universe.
Guthrie (the county seat, population ~150) is King County’s governmental hub, one of the smallest county seats in the United States – a tiny Rolling Plains community whose courthouse serves the county’s ranch population on the vast 6666 Ranch.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
King County Appraisal District at King County Courthouse, Guthrie, TX 79236, phone 806-596-4412. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
King County District Court at King County Courthouse, Guthrie, TX 79236, phone 806-596-4412, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 Court House Sq, Guthrie, TX 79236
(806) 596-4412
DISTRICT CLERK
100 Court House Sq, Guthrie, TX 79236
(806) 596-4412
Genealogy
County-level record sources
King County District and County Clerk’s Office, Guthrie (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated King County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
District and County Clerk, King County PO Box 135, Guthrie, TX 79236 (806) 596-4412
King County is in the Texas Panhandle, seated in Guthrie – one of the least populous counties in the United States. King County combines the District Clerk and County Clerk roles into a single office.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like King, sometimes assisted by district courts). In King County, the combined District and County Clerk’s office handles probate matters through the County Court.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the King County District and County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current King County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
100 Court House Sq, Guthrie, TX 79236
(806) 596-4433
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 Court House Sq, Guthrie, TX 79236
(806) 596-4412
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
100 Court House Sq, Guthrie, TX 79236
(806) 596-4412
HHSC Office
100 Court House Sq, Guthrie, TX 79236
(806) 596-4412
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone county health department was confirmed in this search – confirm current arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Guthrie
Population: 280
Public Records
TruthFinder
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