Stanton is located northeast of Odessa between Midland and Big Spring along I-20, in Martin County, where it is county seat.
Settled in 1881 by German Catholics, and originally named Marienfeld (field of Mary). The town's name changed in 1890 to honor Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton.
In 1977 the Texas and Pacific Railway discontinued service to Stanton, but two bus lines and a municipal airport continued to serve the town. In 1980 Stanton had 2,302 inhabitants and sixty-six commercially rated businesses. In 1990 the population was 2,576.