Midland

Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. At the 2010 census, the population of Midland was 111,147, and a 2013 estimate of 123,933, making it the twenty-fifth most populous city in the state of Texas. Due to the oil boom in Midland, certain officials have estimated the population to be hovering around 155,000 to 165,000. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Midland County. The population of which grew 4.6 percent, between July 1, 2011 and July 1, 2012, to 151,662, respectively, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The metropolitan area is also a component of the larger Midland-Odessa, Texas Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 295,987 on July 1, 2012. People in Midland are called Midlanders. Midland was originally founded as the midway point between Fort Worth and El Paso on the Texas and Pacific Railroad in 1881. It has received national recognition as being the hometown of former First Lady Laura Bush, and the onetime home of former Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, and former First Lady Barbara Bush.