Big Spring, The county seat of Howard County, is at the intersection of Interstate Highway 20, U.S. highway 87, State Highway 350, Farm Road 700, and the Missouri Pacific line in southwest central Howard County. The city is in a rocky gorge between two high foothills of the Caprock escarpment in West Texas. The northern limit of the Edwards Plateau and the southern most hills of the Caprock converge in Big Spring. It derives its name from the nearby big spring in Sulphur Draw, which was a watering place for coyotes, wolves, and herds of buffalo, antelope, and mustangs; the spring was a source of conflict between Comanche and Shawnee Indians and a campsite used by early expeditions across West Texas. Signal Mountain, ten miles southeast of Big Spring, was a landmark used by early cattlemen. In 1849 Capt. Randolph B. Marcy's expedition reached Big Spring on the return trip from Santa Fe and marked it as a campsite on the Overland Trail to California. As a midpoint in West Texas, Big Spring delivers a mixture of yesterday, today, and tomorrow that welcomes the native and the newcomer alike. It is the location that brings you here, the unique beauty that gives you pause and the kindness of the community that will make you stay. 2000 Population: 25,233 (Big Spring) 33,627 (Howard County)