Texas is split into four federal judicial districts: the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas. Which one you fall under depends entirely on your county, with every Texas county assigned by statute to exactly one district and one division within it.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S.C. 124 – Texas Congress drew those boundaries under 28 U.S.C. § 124 so federal courts stay within reasonable travel distance in a state that runs roughly 800 miles across.
How to Find Your District
The fastest way to check is the U.S. Department of Justice’s county lookup tool, which returns the correct judicial district when you search by county name.2U.S. Department of Justice. Identify Your County’s Judicial District The complete county-by-county list is written into 28 U.S.C. § 124, which names every county in every division.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S.C. 124 – Texas
The division matters as much as the district. Each district is broken into divisions anchored by courthouses in different cities, and your county is assigned to a specific one. That assignment usually determines which courthouse you file in and travel to.
What Each District Covers
Northern District
The Northern District covers north-central Texas, from the Panhandle down through the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It has seven divisions with courthouses in Dallas, Fort Worth, Abilene, San Angelo, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, and Lubbock.3U.S. Department of Justice. Northern District of Texas – Divisions The Dallas Division alone takes in Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, and Rockwall counties.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S.C. 124 – Texas
Southern District
The Southern District runs along the Gulf Coast and down to the Mexican border, headquartered in Houston. Its seven divisions sit in Houston, Galveston, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, and Victoria.4United States District Court Southern District of Texas. Divisional Office Histories The Houston Division covers Harris County and a dozen surrounding counties.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S.C. 124 – Texas
Eastern District
The Eastern District covers the eastern side of the state bordering Louisiana and Oklahoma, with court held in Tyler. Courthouses sit in Tyler, Beaumont, Marshall, Sherman, Lufkin, Texarkana, and Plano.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S.C. 124 – Texas
Western District
The Western District is the largest by area, covering everything from Austin through Big Bend country out to El Paso, with headquarters in San Antonio. Its seven divisions hold court in San Antonio, Austin, Waco, El Paso, Del Rio, Midland, and Pecos.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S.C. 124 – Texas
Why Your District Matters
For a civil lawsuit, federal venue rules generally require you to file in the district where the defendant lives (if all defendants live in Texas), or in the district where a substantial part of the events giving rise to the claim took place.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S.C. 1391 – Venue Generally Filing in the wrong district can get your case transferred or dismissed, so it pays to confirm the correct one before you file.
Bankruptcy follows its own venue rule. Each federal district includes a bankruptcy court covering the same counties as its parent district, and you file where you have lived or maintained your principal place of business for the greater part of the 180 days before filing.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S.C. 1408 – Venue of Cases Under Title 11 A recent move across the state does not automatically shift the correct filing court; the 180-day calculation controls.
Federal district courts handle criminal prosecutions under federal law, civil lawsuits involving federal statutes or constitutional questions, and disputes between residents of different states where more than $75,000 is at stake. Matters outside those categories generally belong in Texas state court, not federal court, regardless of which federal district your county sits in.
Where Appeals Go
All four Texas districts appeal to the same court: the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, based in New Orleans, which also hears federal appeals from Louisiana and Mississippi.7Library of Congress. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S.C. 41 – Circuits and Judges A three-judge panel reviews the trial court’s decision and can uphold it, reverse it, or send it back. Above the Fifth Circuit is the U.S. Supreme Court, which grants review in fewer than 100 cases per year nationwide, so for most Texas litigants a Fifth Circuit ruling is the last word.