Midland is a town in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States on the western portion of the state's Southern Plains. A small portion of the city extends out into Martin County. Estimates have provided a total population of 142,344, making it the twenty-fourth most populous city in Texas. Residents are called Midlanders in Midland. Midland was founded in 1881 as the halfway point on the Texas and Pacific Railroad between Fort Worth and El Paso. It is former First Lady Laura Bush's hometown, and former President George H. W. Bush's once home.