Lamesa is a city situated in Dawson County, Texas, in the United States. It serves as the county seat and is located south of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado region. The city was founded in 1903.
The local economy is primarily based on cotton farming. According to the 2020 census, Lamesa had a population of 8,674, which represented a decrease from its 2000 census population of 9,952. The Preston E. Smith prison unit, named after a former governor of Texas, is situated just outside the city limits.