Three Smaller Cities Anchor Different Parts of the County

Burkburnett (about 10,900 people) sits north of Wichita Falls near the Oklahoma border. It is named for rancher Samuel Burk Burnett. The 1918 oil boom there was one of the most dramatic in Texas history. Iowa Park (about 6,500) was founded in 1888 along the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway and got its name when an immigration train arrived from Iowa.

Electra (about 2,300) is in the western part of the county. It was named in 1902 for Electra Waggoner, daughter of rancher W. T. Waggoner, who built loading pens along the railroad in the 1880s. The Electra oilfield opened in 1911. Each city has its own government, schools, and utility systems separate from Wichita Falls.