Matador is a town in and the county seat of Motley County, Texas, United States. Its population was 569 at the 2020 census. In 1891, it was established by and named for the Matador Ranch. It is located 95 miles (153 km) east of Lubbock, Texas.

The Matador Ranch was consolidated in 1882 by a Scottish syndicate, and a post office opened at Matador in 1886.

At the end of the 19th century, townspeople freed the community from domination by the Matador Ranch, which was liquidated in 1951, by relocating nonranch families there and electing their own slate of officials.

The community was incorporated in 1912 and made the county seat. The state required that a town have at least 20 businesses. Local ranch hands hence established fraudulent, temporary businesses using ranch supplies. The only real business in Matador at the time was a saloon.

Its highest population, 1,376, was reached in 1940.

On June 21, 2023, the town was severely damaged by a powerful, high-end EF3 tornado, causing four deaths and ten injuries. At least 20 homes and business were destroyed on the western side of town.

Matador is located at 34°0′50″N 100°49′18″W / 34.01389°N 100.82167°W / 34.01389; -100.82167 (34.013996, –100.821646).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land.