Study Butte is located southeast of El Paso on Hwys 118 and 170 in the Christmas Mountains on the edge of Big Bend National Park, in Brewster County. Like nearby Terlingua, Study Butte owes its existence to the mercury mining industry established in the area around 1900. The town, like the nearby mountain, was named for Will Study (pronounced "Stoody"), the manager of the Big Bend or Study Butte mercury mine.
Study Butte has taken on new life as a destination for retirees and as a tourist center, thanks to its location on the western edge of the park.
In the late 1980s Study Butte consisted of a school, a new motel on the east side of State Highway 118, and scattered dwellings. Its population was 120 in 1990.