Douro, ten miles southwest of Odessa in south central Ector County, was founded when the Texas and Pacific Railway built through the area in 1881. Original plans for the settlement set aside a city lot for a future courthouse. Although developers advertised the area and sold property, the community grew little beyond a station house. Development was stimulated by the establishment of the oil industry in the late 1920s, and by 1930 Douro reported a population of twenty-five and one business. In the early 1980s Douro remained a Missouri-Pacific railroad switch, just south of Interstate Highway 20.

from the Handbook of Texas Online

Douro map from mapquest.com

Douro map from the USGS

Douro [or Duro], Texas, a vanished community, was established 10 miles southwest of Odessa, Texas, on the Texas & Pacific railroad in southwestern Ector County in 1881, when the railroad reached the county. A town plat for Douro was drawn; lots were sold; and, plans for a courthouse were made. However, no town developed at the site. One story for the origin of the name is the Spanish word, duro, meaning firm or unyielding. According to the story, a Spanish-speaking track layer found the ground difficult to work with his pick and shovel and called it duro. After oil was discovered in Penwell field on 28 December 1926 and in Harper field on 02 December 1933, Douro became a small boom town for a short time. Douro reported one business and a population of 25 from 1939 until 1947. When the boom faded, so did Douro