Panhandle / High Plains
Randall County, Texas
A porch-side guide to the county: the stories that give it a shape, practical local checks, and a few things worth knowing before they surprise you. Every note points to its source.
10 stories · 15 practical · 2 good to know
The practical part
Randall County offices and deadlines
Appraisal district & tax office →
The Comptroller's official directory for Randall County: who sets your value and who sends the bill.
Homestead exemption →
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district. It is free. The regular deadline is April 30, and late filing is allowed for up to two years.
Protest your appraisal →
The usual deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice arrives, whichever is later.
Estimate a tax bill →
Model a bill from local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Start here
A little of what makes this place itself
Canyon, Randall County · County Seat
Canyon Is the County Seat of Randall County
Canyon, founded in 1889, is the county seat of Randall County and home to West Texas A&M University and the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.
Canyon, Randall County · History Museum
The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon
The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon is a state museum focused on the natural and cultural history of the Texas Panhandle.
Canyon, Randall County · Higher Education
West Texas A&M University Anchors Canyon's Economy
West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) in Canyon has been a central part of Randall County's economy and community life since it opened in 1910.
Practical Drawn Hunts Inside Palo Duro Canyon State Park TPWD offers limited, drawn hunts inside Palo Duro Canyon State Park for exotic species like aoudad sheep and feral hogs. Practical Deer, Pheasant, and Quail Hunting in Randall County Randall County sits in Texas Panhandle hunting territory with seasons for white-tailed deer, mule deer, pheasant, quail, dove, and waterfowl. Good to know Palo Duro Canyon State Park: The County's Crown Outdoor Feature Palo Duro Canyon State Park, located just east of Canyon in Randall County, is a massive canyon that offers hiking, camping, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
All 27 local notes
The full county shelf is mixed so stories and useful checks travel together. Use the filters when you need one kind.
Showing all 27 notes.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Canyon Is the County Seat of Randall County Canyon, founded in 1889, is the county seat of Randall County and home to West Texas A&M University and the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. Canyon, Randall County
- Practical Outdoors Drawn Hunts Inside Palo Duro Canyon State Park TPWD offers limited, drawn hunts inside Palo Duro Canyon State Park for exotic species like aoudad sheep and feral hogs.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon is a state museum focused on the natural and cultural history of the Texas Panhandle. Canyon, Randall County
- Practical Outdoors Deer, Pheasant, and Quail Hunting in Randall County Randall County sits in Texas Panhandle hunting territory with seasons for white-tailed deer, mule deer, pheasant, quail, dove, and waterfowl.
- Good to know Outdoors Palo Duro Canyon State Park: The County's Crown Outdoor Feature Palo Duro Canyon State Park, located just east of Canyon in Randall County, is a massive canyon that offers hiking, camping, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
- Stories & local character History & Culture West Texas A&M University Anchors Canyon's Economy West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) in Canyon has been a central part of Randall County's economy and community life since it opened in 1910. Canyon, Randall County
- Practical Money & Taxes Ag Valuation Can Sharply Cut Your Land Tax Bill Land used for farming, ranching, or wildlife management in Randall County may qualify for a special low appraisal that is based on productivity, not market value.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge Near Umbarger Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a 7,664-acre federal refuge about 10 miles west of Canyon that now hosts grassland wildlife, though the lake itself has been dry for decades.
- Practical Rules & Licenses City Limits vs. Unincorporated Land in Randall County Most of Randall County is unincorporated land governed by the county, not a city, which affects zoning, building permits, and what you can do on your property.
- Good to know Home & Property Flash Floods Can Strike Fast in Randall County Even in a dry region like the Panhandle, intense thunderstorms can cause dangerous flash flooding in draws, canyons, and low-lying areas of Randall County.
- Stories & local character Outdoors What Wildlife Lives in Palo Duro Canyon? Palo Duro Canyon's varied habitats support a surprising range of wildlife, including two threatened species found only in this area.
- Practical Money & Taxes Extra Property Tax Breaks for Older and Disabled Randall County Homeowners Turning 65 or qualifying as disabled adds a $60,000 school-tax exemption on top of the regular Randall County homestead break, but you have to file for it.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Coronado May Have Camped in Palo Duro Canyon in 1541 The area that is now Randall County has been inhabited for roughly 10,000 years, and the Spanish expedition led by Coronado likely passed through in 1541.
- Practical Money & Taxes How to Lower Your Property Tax with a Homestead Exemption If your home in Randall County is your main residence, you may qualify for a homestead exemption that reduces your taxable property value.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Palo Duro Canyon: A 800-Foot-Deep Gash in the High Plains Palo Duro Canyon, carved by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River, runs through Randall County and reaches depths of up to 800 feet.
- Practical Money & Taxes How to Protest Your Randall County Appraisal If your Randall County appraised value looks high, you have until May 15 to protest it through the Potter-Randall Appraisal District.
- Stories & local character History & Culture TEXAS Outdoor Musical Runs Summers in Palo Duro Canyon A professional outdoor musical drama about Panhandle history runs Tuesday through Sunday each summer at the Pioneer Amphitheater inside Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
- Practical Home & Property Rural Homes in Randall County Need a Septic Permit If your property outside city limits is not connected to a public sewer, you need a permitted on-site sewage facility (OSSF), commonly called a septic system.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Wheat and Cattle Drive Randall County's Farm Economy Randall County shifted from open-range ranching to mixed farming after 1900, with wheat becoming the top crop and cattle remaining a key part of the economy.
- Practical Cars & Driving The Best and Worst Times to Hit the Randall County Tax Office The Randall County tax office is busiest the last day of January and at month-ends; skip those, or renew your registration online or by mail and never stand in line at all.
- Stories & local character History & Culture How Randall County Was Founded — and How It Got Its Name Randall County was created in 1876 and named after a Confederate general, with a misspelling of his name that stuck.
- Practical Home & Property The Ogallala Aquifer: Where Randall County Gets Its Water Randall County sits above the Ogallala Aquifer, the main source of water for drinking and farming, and levels have been dropping for decades.
- Practical Cars & Driving Vehicle Inspections and Registration in Randall County As of January 1, 2025, Texas eliminated safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles in most counties. In Randall County, a non-emissions county, no inspection is required before you register your vehicle.
- Practical Cars & Driving Where to Get a Disabled Parking Placard in Randall County A disabled parking placard or plate in Randall County starts with TxDMV Form VTR-214, filed at the county tax office in Canyon or the Amarillo annex.
- Practical Money & Taxes Who Appraises Your Property in Randall County Randall County shares an appraisal district with Potter County, called the Potter-Randall Appraisal District (PRAD), which sets the taxable value of your property.
- Practical Money & Taxes Why Two Randall County Homes a Mile Apart Pay Different Taxes A Randall County tax bill stacks the county on top of a school district, sometimes a city, and special districts like a hospital, college, water, or road district, and the mix changes from one tract to the next.
- Practical Home & Property Randall County Has No Significant Oil or Gas Production Unlike many Texas counties, Randall County has no significant mineral deposits, so oil and gas royalties are not a common consideration for property buyers here.
Nearby counties