This county was born where two railroads met

In the 1870s two rail lines were racing toward each other. The Southern Pacific built east from California. The Texas and Pacific built west from Central Texas. They met near Sierra Blanca Mountain on December 15, 1881. That connection completed what was called the nation's second transcontinental rail link. Sierra Blanca quickly became a ranching and shipping hub at that junction.

Hudspeth County was carved out of eastern El Paso County. It was officially organized in February 1917. The county was named for state senator Claude Benton Hudspeth of El Paso.

The county covers 4,566 square miles. It sits between New Mexico, the Mexican state of Chihuahua, and neighboring Texas counties. Today ranching is still the main economic activity.