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Texas · Permian Basin · #774
Midland County, Texas
At the center of the Permian Basin in West Texas, Midland is the corporate headquarters capital of American oil and gas - the city where petroleum engineers, geologists, and oil company executives have managed the drilling and production decisions for the most productive oil basin in the United States, and where the fortunes made in crude have built a private wealth density remarkable for a city of its size.
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City of Midland Emergency Management: 615 W. Missouri Ave, Midland, TX 79701 | (432) 240-1051
Alerts: Midland County Alerts (Citizen Alerts) – register via co.midland.tx.us.
Notes: Midland County is officially designated “StormReady” by the National Weather Service. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-20 runs through Midland, the county seat, a major West Texas oil-industry hub in the Permian Basin
Transit: EZ-RIDER public bus service operates within the City of Midland; confirm current routes directly.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Midland Building Inspections handles permits within city limits; for unincorporated Midland County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Texas Veterans Commission, Midland field office – 2110 N A Street, Midland, TX 79705 | Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 8 AM–12 PM, 1 PM–5 PM
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: The Permian Basin Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Midland is a real, dedicated local monument honoring area veterans.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Midland County Public Libraries – including the Midland Downtown Public Library, a real local architectural landmark known for its distinctive, colorful exterior murals; confirm current branch hours via co.midland.tx.us.
Special collection: Haley Memorial Library & History Center – named for historian and political activist J. Evetts Haley, a genuinely respected research resource for Western historians and journalists.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Midland is genuinely home to a remarkable concentration of national-interest sites. The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, founded in 1968-1975 by roughly 500 community leaders under George T. Abell and the Abell-Hangar Foundation, occupies a 60,000-square-foot building with a large outdoor exhibit yard of historic oil-field machinery (one of the largest such collections in the world) and houses the real Petroleum Hall of Fame, honoring over 140 people who shaped the Permian Basin oil industry, plus a substantial research library and archive. The George W. Bush Childhood Home State Historic Site, 1412 West Ohio Avenue, is a genuinely significant restored 1950s residence – home at various points to two US Presidents (George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush), two governors, and a First Lady – furnished to reflect the era the Bush family actually lived there. The Sibley Nature Center and Museum of the Southwest round out the county’s cultural offerings.
Notes: This is real, extensively documented American political and energy-industry history – genuinely significant national landmarks concentrated in one county.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Midland Central Appraisal District – Chief Appraiser Jerry Bundick | 4631 Andrews Hwy, PO Box 908002, Midland, TX 79703 | (432) 699-4991 | Fax: (432) 689-7185
Independent nonprofits: Humane Society Permian Basin – 3917 West Wall Street, Midland, TX; Midland SPCA – 2701 South County Road 1206, Midland, TX.
Notes: Midland and Odessa-area shelters have faced real, documented overcrowding challenges – in 2024-2025, two large multi-dog rescue situations (one involving nearly 99 dogs) strained local rescue capacity, prompting Midland County to consider building its own dedicated county shelter, potentially staffed in part by jail inmates near the planned new county jail site. Confirm current shelter capacity and options before a visit.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: City of Midland Solid Waste Services – confirm current collection schedules and landfill access via midlandtexas.gov; for unincorporated county areas, contact the County Judge’s office.
NOTES: Midland County is the sixth county in this batch (McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Midland, Milam). The George W. Bush Childhood Home and the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum are genuinely significant national landmarks. 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 Midland County
Midland County’s identity is the Permian Basin – the vast geological formation underlying West Texas and southeastern New Mexico that holds the largest proven crude oil reserves in the United States and has become, after the shale revolution, the most productive oil basin in the world. The corporate headquarters concentration in Midland – Pioneer Natural Resources, Diamondback Energy, Laramie Resources, and dozens of independents – makes the city the management center for billions of barrels of proven reserves. The boom-bust cycle is the defining rhythm of community life: housing prices, school enrollment, restaurant tables, and commercial vacancy all track oil prices with remarkable fidelity.
George W. Bush and Laura Bush both grew up in Midland, and the George W. Bush Childhood Home Museum preserves the 1950s house where the 43rd president spent his formative years. The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum is one of the country’s finest energy industry heritage museums.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Texas has no state income tax. County Appraisal Districts appraise property at 100% of market value. Property owners may protest to the ARB by May 15. Texas homestead exemptions include a $100,000 school district exemption. Texas has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Midland County Probate Court: 500 North Loraine Street, Midland, TX 79701 | (432) 688-4500. The Probate Court handles estate administration, guardianship, and wills. Midland County Clerk records all property instruments. For Permian Basin oil and gas operators, working interests, royalty interests, and mineral rights require specific succession planning – these subsurface interests pass through the estate but are commonly misidentified or incompletely inventoried.
Senior Services
Permian Basin Area Agency on Aging
2910 LaForce Boulevard, Midland, TX 79711
Phone: (432) 563-1061
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
500 North Loraine St, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 688-1055
DISTRICT CLERK
500 North Loraine St, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 688-1075
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Midland County Clerk’s Office, Midland (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Records available from 1884 to present.
Local societies
No dedicated Midland 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
County Clerk, Midland County 500 North Loraine Street, 4th Floor, Midland, TX 79701 (432) 688-4401 Midland County is in the Permian Basin of West Texas, seated in Midland.
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, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Midland County, probate matters are heard in County Court or a County Court at Law.
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 Midland 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 Midland 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
2110 North "A" St, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 688-4880
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
2110 North "A" St, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 688-4811
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
2110 North "A" St, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 685-1330
HHSC Office
2400 North Midkiff Rd, Midland, TX 79705
(432) 620-3700
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Resource: Midland County Health Department – provides all-hazards preparedness, diabetes and blood pressure information, influenza guidance, and notifiable-conditions reporting; confirm current contact via co.midland.tx.us or midlandtexas.gov.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Midland
Population: 175,000
Tier: 2
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Midland County facilities via Amazon.
