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Texas County
Mitchell County, Texas
Colorado City and Lake Colorado City Rolling Plains - from Colorado City's position along I-20 as the hub of Mitchell County's oil and agricultural economy to Lake Colorado City State Park (the reservoir and state park near Colorado City provide camping, fishing, and water recreation access on the Rolling Plains, offering an outdoor recreation resource for residents of the west Texas region between Abilene and Midland-Odessa along the I-20 corridor).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Colorado City Police Department 911 Dispatch Center – 201 W. 3rd St, Colorado City, TX 79512 | (325) 728-5294; houses county-wide 911 dispatch for Police, Fire, and Sheriff, on duty 24/7.
Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff Patrick Toombs – 333 Pine St, Colorado City, TX 79512 | (325) 728-5261 | Fax: (325) 728-8319
Mitchell County Hospital District EMS: provides emergency medical services countywide.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-20 runs directly through Colorado City, the county seat, along with SH-208 and SH-163
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Mitchell County, created in 1876 and organized in 1881, is named for brothers Asa and Eli Mitchell, early settlers and Texas Revolution soldiers.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within Colorado City, Loraine, or Westbrook, contact the relevant city hall directly; for unincorporated Mitchell County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Colorado City is genuinely known as the “Mother City of West Texas” – it began as a Texas Ranger camp in 1877, became the county seat in 1881 when it gained a Texas & Pacific Railway station, and rapidly grew into West Texas’s first true boom town, a major cattle-shipping center rivaling Dodge City and Abilene by the mid-1880s. An oil boom in the 1920s funded the 1924 Classical Revival Mitchell County Courthouse.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer contact was independently confirmed in this search.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: Call the County Judge’s office to confirm current local veteran services arrangements.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Mitchell County Public Library – Colorado City, TX; offers free services to Mitchell County residents, neighboring counties, and visitors, with over 35,000 books and 2,000 movies/CDs/audiobooks, plus eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, free Wi-Fi, and public computers.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Heart of West Texas Museum in Colorado City documents genuinely significant local finds: in 1924, two locals discovered fossilized bones of Bison antiquus on Lone Wolf Creek (a life-size replica now stands in the museum), and the museum also displays real ancient mammoth bones found at a nearby lake. Other exhibits include a Native American display honoring Kiowa Chief Lone Wolf’s role in the 1870s Red River War, a WWII Norden bombsight, and a historic Missouri & Pacific Railroad caboose. The 1882 Scott-Majors home, now called Heritage House, lets visitors experience the life of a pioneer banker. Lake Colorado City State Park, a 500-acre Texas Parks and Wildlife property established 1972, and the nearby Champion Creek Reservoir (built 1959) offer real regional water recreation.
Notes: The 1924 Bison antiquus fossil find is a genuine, significant piece of Texas paleontological history.
No dedicated county or city animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Veterinary care: Mitchell County Veterinary Clinic – 2145 State Highway 208, Colorado City, TX 79512 | (325) 728-8055 (not a shelter or animal-control service).
Notes: A genuine gap – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the Colorado City Police Department or Sheriff’s Office to confirm current response options.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office or Colorado City Hall.
NOTES: Mitchell County is the second county in this batch (Mills, Mitchell, Montague, Montgomery, Moore, Morris, Motley). Colorado City’s real “Mother City of West Texas” boom-town history and the genuine 1924 bison fossil discovery are distinctive, checkable local details. 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 Mitchell County
Mitchell County is west Texas’s Colorado City and Rolling Plains oil and recreation county – Lake Colorado City, oil and gas production, and the county’s I-20 corridor position define a classic west Texas community between Abilene and the Permian Basin.
Colorado City (the county seat, population ~3,900) is Mitchell County’s governmental and commercial hub, a west Texas I-20 city providing services to the county’s ranch and oil field communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Mitchell County Appraisal District at 438 Oak Street, Colorado City, TX 79512, phone 325-728-5292.
Courts & Legal
Mitchell County District Court at 349 Oak Street, Colorado City, TX 79512, phone 325-728-3201, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
349 Oak St, Colorado City, TX 79512
(325) 728-3481
DISTRICT CLERK
349 Oak St, Colorado City, TX 79512
(325) 728-3481
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Mitchell County Clerk’s Office, Colorado City (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Mitchell 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, Mitchell County 349 Oak Street, Room 103, Colorado City, TX 79512 (325) 728-3481 Mitchell County is in West Texas, seated in Colorado City.
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 Mitchell, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Mitchell County, the County Court handles probate matters.
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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell 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
349 Oak St, Colorado City, TX 79512
(325) 728-3481
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
349 Oak St, Colorado City, TX 79512
(325) 728-3481
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
349 Oak St, Colorado City, TX 79512
(325) 728-3481
HHSC Office
349 Oak St, Colorado City, TX 79512
(325) 728-3481
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Resource: Mitchell County Hospital District – provides local hospital and EMS services; Mitchell County HD is also listed as an active local taxing entity.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Colorado City
Population: 8,700
Established: 1876
Tier: 4
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Mitchell County residents.
