Motley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,063, making it the 10th-least populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Matador. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1891. It is named for Junius William Mottley, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Mottley's name is spelled incorrectly because the bill establishing the county misspelled his name. Motley County was one of 30 prohibition, or entirely dry, counties in Texas, but is now a wet county.
Motley County Courthouse in Matador
Early Matador Ranch main building in Motley County
Work is proceeding in 2011 on the restoration of the old Matador jail. Pictured is former Motley County Judge Ed D. Smith.
U.S. Route 62 is a US highway that runs from the Mexico–US border at El Paso, TX to the Canada-US border at Niagara Falls, NY. In Texas, the highway exists in two segments separated by a segment in New Mexico. US 62 is a major corridor in West Texas as it connects the cities of El Paso and Lubbock.
El Capitan as seen from US 62 in Guadalupe Mountains National Park