Wink, Texas
Wink lies in Winkler County on the flat, sandy plains of the Permian Basin in West Texas, about 47 miles west of Odessa. The town grew up as an oil boomtown after crude was discovered in the surrounding Hendrick field in the 1920s, and petroleum has shaped it ever since. It is best remembered as the boyhood hometown of singer Roy Orbison, who spent part of his youth there and formed his first band in the area.
Property here runs through the Winkler 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 Winkler County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Winkler County notes
What to know around Wink
Property Tax
Two Offices Handle Your Property Taxes in Winkler County
In Winkler County, the value side and the collection side of property tax are separate, even though both offices are in Kermit.
Geologic Hazard
Two Large Sinkholes Near Wink Are Still Growing
Two giant sinkholes, Wink Sink 1 and Wink Sink 2, formed near Wink in 1980 and 2002, and researchers say the ground around them is still sinking.
Mineral Rights
Surface and Mineral Rights Are Often Owned Separately Here
In Winkler County's oil country, the person who owns the land surface may not own the oil and gas underneath it, and Texas law gives mineral owners the upper hand.
Water Wells
Winkler County Has No Groundwater Conservation District
Unlike many Texas counties, Winkler County is not inside a groundwater conservation district, so there is no local agency overseeing well permits or pumping limits.
Local History
One Oil Well in 1926 Changed Everything in Winkler County
Before oil was discovered on July 16, 1926, Winkler County was nearly empty; after it, the region became one of Texas's leading petroleum producers.
Nearby
Places near Wink
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Ward County
5 local notes · West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos
Loving County
6 local notes · West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos
Ector County
25 local notes · West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos
Reeves County
5 local notes · Big Bend / Far West
Crane County
7 local notes · West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos
Andrews County
7 local notes · West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos
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