Eldorado (, -) is the only city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Schleicher County,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States. The population was 1,574 at the 2020 census. Eldorado is located on U.S. Highway 277, some north of

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

and south of San Angelo, Texas.

Geography

Eldorado is located at (30.860746, −100.598329). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km), all land.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,574 people, 791 households, and 544 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, 1,951 people, 712 households, and 513 families resided in the city. The population density was . There were 838 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 70.63% White, 2.15% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 24.24% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 53.92% of the population. Of the 712 households, 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were not families. About 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.26. In the city, the population was distributed as 30.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,682, and for a family was $30,781. Males had a median income of $26,172 versus $18,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $12,994. About 20.8% of families and 26.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 35.6% of those under age 18 and 26.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The City of Eldorado is served by the Schleicher County Independent School District. At the end of the 2007–2008 school year, the state of Texas ruled Eldorado High School as "Academically Unacceptable". However, in 2010 the school was determined to be "Academically Acceptable".

Yearning for Zion Ranch

Eldorado was the nearest city to the Yearning for Zion Ranch (YFZ Ranch), the headquarters of the

Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (abbreviated to FLDS Church or FLDS) is a Mormon fundamentalist group whose members practice polygamy. It is variously defined as a cult, a sect or a new religious movement. The ...

headed by convicted sex offender felon Warren Jeffs. More than 400 children were removed from the compound in April 2008 by Texas Child Protective Services. Hundreds of children were taken into custody and temporarily placed into foster homes. The children were returned to their mothers shortly afterward. In 2018, the YFZ Ranch was sold off and closed.

Media portrayals

The movie ''

El Dorado El Dorado () is a mythical city of gold supposedly located somewhere in South America. The king of this city was said to be so rich that he would cover himself from head to foot in gold dust – either daily or on certain ceremonial occasions � ...

'', starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

and

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...

, takes place in a fictional "El Dorado" during the late 1800s. The real town of Eldorado did not exist until 1895, well after the date of John Wayne's fictional adventure. Eldorado, and '' The Eldorado Success'' was shown in the 2022 Netflix documentary " Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey" about the FLDS community.

Gallery

Notes

References

External links

The Eldorado Success Newspaper
– Official website {{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Schleicher County, Texas County seats in Texas Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Latter Day Saint movement in Texas Populated places established in 1895