Sweetwater is the county seat of Nolan County, sitting at about 2,175 feet above sea level roughly 40 miles west of Abilene on Interstate 20. The climate here is semiarid, with hot summers that push toward 95°F and winters that can drop below freezing with dry, gusty winds. Wind is a defining feature of this landscape: Nolan County is home to one of the largest wind energy installations in the country, which tells you something about how consistently and forcefully the air moves across these rolling upland plains. Properties in and around Sweetwater tend to be larger than urban lots, with many homeowners and ranchers sitting on multi-acre parcels that have room for a metal building, a barndominium, or a serious outdoor living setup.