Midland is located in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, on the Southern Plains of the state’s western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of the 2010 census, the population of Midland was 111,147, and a 2011 estimate of 113,931, making it the twenty-eighth most populous city in Texas. 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 274,002 as of July 1, 2010. People in Midland are called Midlanders.

The per capita income for Midland in 2007 was $52,294.

Nicknamed “The Tall City”, Midland has long been known for its downtown skyline. Most of downtown Midland’s major office buildings were built during a time of major Permian Basin oil and gas discoveries. The surge in energy prices in the mid-1980s set about a building boom for Downtown Midland. For many years, the 22-story Wilco Building in downtown Midland was the tallest building between Fort Worth and Phoenix. Today, Midland’s tallest building is the 24-story Bank of America Building which stands at a height of 332 feet (101 m).