Concho County in central Texas straddles the northern edge of the Edwards Plateau. The county derives its name from the Concho (or "Shell") River, which in turn was named for the large number of mussels found there.

Through the 1800s, Paleo-Indians lived in the county and left behind archaeological remains of a burned-rock midden. Athabascan-speaking Indians associated with the prehorse Plains culture live in this part of Texas. Later native inhabitants include Jumano, Tonkawa, Comanche and Lipan Apache.

The Texas Legislature formed Concho County from Bexar County in 1858.

In 1874, Ranald S. Mackenzie led a campaign to drive out remaining native peoples and established the Mackenzie Trail. The county seat was formally established and named Paint Rock after the nearby pictographs. Railroads came to the county first in 1910.

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