Midland is a city in Midland County, and its county seat, located on the Southern Plains of the western area of the U.S. state of Texas. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2008, the population of Midland was 106,561. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Midland County. The metropolitan area is also a component of the larger Midland–Odessa, Texas Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 261,435 as of July 1, 2008. People in Midland are called Midlanders. Midland was originally founded as the midway point between Fort Worth and El Paso on the Texas and Pacific Railroad in 1881. The city has received national recognition as the hometown of former First Lady Laura Bush and the childhood home of former President George W. Bush.