Texas Porch
Panhandle / High Plains

Silverton, Texas

Set on the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle, Silverton is the seat of Briscoe County, roughly 60 miles southeast of Amarillo. The town sits near the eastern Caprock escarpment, where the flat Llano Estacado breaks apart into the rugged canyons and red-rock country of nearby Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, home to a state bison herd. The surrounding land is given over to dryland farming and ranching typical of the Panhandle plains.

Property here runs through the Briscoe Central Appraisal District and the county tax office — the homestead exemption, the appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level. The Briscoe County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.

Briscoe County notes

What to know around Silverton

Property tax

How the Briscoe County Appraisal District Works

Your land gets a value from one office and a bill from another, both at 415 Main in Silverton, and if the house is where you actually live, a homestead exemption knocks the taxable value down.

Agricultural appraisal

Ag Valuation: How Farmland Gets Taxed in Briscoe County

A Briscoe County tract can carry two values on the tax roll: what it might sell for, and what qualifying agricultural land can actually produce.

Water / Groundwater

The Ogallala Aquifer: Briscoe County's Underground Water Supply

Briscoe County sits on the Ogallala Aquifer. Eastern Briscoe has Mesquite Groundwater Conservation District rules, while part of western Briscoe has been flagged by TCEQ as a priority area without a groundwater district.

State park / Wildlife

Caprock Canyons State Park: Canyons, Bison, and Dark Skies

Caprock Canyons State Park in Quitaque sits along the eastern edge of the High Plains and is home to the official Texas State Bison Herd, nearly 90 miles of trails, a designated Dark Sky area, and a bat colony in a historic railroad tunnel.

Wildfire / Fire safety

Wildfire Risk and Burn Bans in Briscoe County

Dry Panhandle wind and cured grass can make fire move fast in Briscoe County. Burn bans are current-condition rules, so check the county or Texas A&M Forest Service before outdoor burning.

History

Tule Canyon and the End of the Comanche Era

Tule Canyon in Briscoe County was the site of a key 1874 military campaign. That campaign ended Comanche and Kiowa control of the Southern Plains and opened the door to the ranching and farming era that shaped the county.

Nearby

Places near Silverton

Nearby counties

Local notes for nearby counties

Next steps for Silverton