Alice, Texas facts for kids

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Alice, Texas

City

The water tower in Alice on Hwy 44

Flag

Seal

Nickname(s):

The Hub City of South Texas

United States

Government

• Type

Council-Manager

Area

• Total

12.58 sq mi (32.58 km²)

• Land

11.99 sq mi (31.06 km²)

• Water

0.59 sq mi (1.52 km²)

Elevation

202 ft (62 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

17,891

• Estimate

(2022)

17,697

• Density

1,491.9/sq mi (576.0/km²)

Time zone

UTC-6 (CST)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-5 (CDT)

ZIP codes

78332, 78333

Area code(s)

361

FIPS code

48-01852

GNIS feature ID

1329361

Alice is a city in Texas, United States. It is the main city of Jim Wells County. In 2020, about 17,891 people lived there.

Alice was started in 1888. It was first called "Bandana", then "Kleberg". Finally, it was named "Alice" after Alice Gertrudis King Kleberg. She was the daughter of Richard King, who started the famous King Ranch.

History of Alice
Culture and Music
Geography of Alice
Climate in Alice
Population and People
- 2020 Census Information
Alice's Economy
Getting Around Alice
Education in Alice
Notable People from Alice
Outdoor Activities
Images for kids
See also

History of Alice

Alice grew from an older town called Collins, which was about 3 miles (5 km) to the east. Around 1880, a railroad company wanted to build a line through Collins. But the people there did not want to sell their land.

So, the railroad moved its path 3 miles west. In 1883, a train station called "Bandana" was built. This new spot quickly became a busy place for shipping cattle.

People wanted a post office there. They asked for it to be named "Kleberg" after Robert Justus Kleberg. But there was already a town named Kleberg. So, they chose "Alice" instead. This name honored Alice Gertrudis King Kleberg, who was Robert Justus Kleberg Jr.'s wife and Richard King's daughter. The Alice post office opened in 1888. Soon, everyone from Collins moved to Alice, making it a busy community.

Alice was well-known for its large cattle business. But in the 1940s, petroleum (oil) was found nearby. This discovery caused the city's population to grow a lot.

Culture and Music

Alice is often called the "Birthplace of Tejano Music". This started in the mid-1940s. Armando Marroquin Sr. from Alice and Paco Betancourt created the first recording company just for Tejano artists.

This company, Ideal Records, helped Tejano groups share their music. Marroquin also owned a jukebox company. This helped spread Ideal recordings all over South Texas. These songs became very popular in places like restaurants and through Spanish-language radio shows.

Besides Ideal, Alice was also home to Freddie Records and Hacienda Records. These companies were very important in Tejano music during the 1970s and 1980s.

Alice is also the hometown of two Nobel Prize winners:

Robert F. Curl Jr. won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1996.
James P. Allison won a Nobel Prize in medicine in 2018.

Geography of Alice

Alice is located in the middle of Jim Wells County. It is part of the South Texas and Texas Coastal Bend regions. The city covers about 12.6 square miles (32.6 km²). Most of this area is land, with a small part covered by water.

Major roads near Alice include:

U.S. Highway 281 runs west of the city. It goes north to George West and south to Falfurrias.
Texas State Highway 44 goes through the center of Alice. It leads east to Robstown and west to Freer.
Texas State Highway 359 also goes through Alice. It leads northeast to Mathis and southwest to Hebbronville.

The closest big cities are Corpus Christi, about 45 miles (72 km) to the east, and Laredo, about 98 miles (158 km) to the west.

Climate in Alice

Alice has a warm climate.

The average yearly temperature is about 71.4°F (21.9°C).
January is the coolest month, averaging 55.1°F (12.8°C).
July is the warmest month, averaging 84.1°F (28.9°C).
Alice gets about 30 inches (76 cm) of rain each year.
September is usually the wettest month.
March is the driest month.
The growing season for plants lasts about 289 days.
The highest temperature ever recorded was 115°F (46°C).
The lowest temperature ever recorded was 12°F (-11°C).
Alice does not have many earthquakes. Only two small ones have happened in recent history.

The information below is from the Western Regional Climate Center, covering years from 1893 to 2008.

Climate data for Alice, TX
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	93 (34)	100 (38)	104 (40)	107 (42)	108 (42)	111 (44)	111 (44)	110 (43)	110 (43)	102 (39)	97 (36)	94 (34)	111 (44)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	67.4 (19.7)	71.9 (22.2)	78.0 (25.6)	84.3 (29.1)	89.0 (31.7)	93.9 (34.4)	96.5 (35.8)	97.4 (36.3)	92.4 (33.6)	85.9 (29.9)	76.8 (24.9)	69.2 (20.7)	83.6 (28.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	44.8 (7.1)	48.2 (9.0)	54.1 (12.3)	61.6 (16.4)	68.0 (20.0)	72.7 (22.6)	73.9 (23.3)	74.0 (23.3)	70.4 (21.3)	62.1 (16.7)	53.6 (12.0)	46.6 (8.1)	60.8 (16.0)
Record low °F (°C)	12 (−11)	15 (−9)	21 (−6)	31 (−1)	43 (6)	52 (11)	61 (16)	61 (16)	45 (7)	28 (−2)	22 (−6)	12 (−11)	12 (−11)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.30 (33)	1.49 (38)	1.31 (33)	1.54 (39)	3.10 (79)	3.12 (79)	2.23 (57)	2.32 (59)	4.56 (116)	2.87 (73)	1.56 (40)	1.43 (36)	26.83 (682)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.1 (0.25)	0.1 (0.25)
Source: https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?tx0144

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	2,136	—
1920	1,880	−12.0%
1930	4,239	125.5%
1940	7,792	83.8%
1950	16,449	111.1%
1960	20,861	26.8%
1970	20,121	−3.5%
1980	20,961	4.2%
1990	19,788	−5.6%
2000	19,010	−3.9%
2010	19,104	0.5%
2020	17,891	−6.3%
2022 (est.)	17,697	−7.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

The city of Alice grew by adding the nearby area of Alice Southwest before 1980.

2020 Census Information

The 2020 United States census counted 17,891 people living in Alice. There were 6,129 households and 4,362 families.

**Alice racial makeup in 2020**
(NH = Not Hispanic)
Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	2,120	11.85%
Black or African American (NH)	106	0.59%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	10	0.06%
Asian (NH)	110	0.61%
Pacific Islander (NH)	7	0.04%
Some Other Race (NH)	40	0.22%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	146	0.82%
Hispanic or Latino	15,352	85.81%
Total	17,891

Alice's Economy

The Jim Wells County Courthouse

A photo shop in Alice

Today, Alice's economy mainly depends on the oil industry. There are over 100 different oil field companies in and around Alice.

Alice is known as the "Hub City". This is because it is located between big cities like Corpus Christi, McAllen, Laredo, and San Antonio. Its location makes it a good place for businesses to send and receive goods.

In 2009, the unemployment rate in Alice was 6.30%. This was lower than the U.S. average of 8.50% at that time.

Getting Around Alice

Highways

U.S. Highway 281
Interstate 69C (This highway will run along U.S. Highway 281.)
State Highway 44
State Highway 359
FM 665

Air Travel

Alice International Airport is a general airport. It is used for private planes and does not have regular passenger flights.

Railways

The Texas Mexican Railway runs through Alice. It is now owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City. This railway connects Monterrey, Mexico, to the Port of Corpus Christi.

Education in Alice

The city of Alice is served by the Alice Independent School District.

Higher Education

Coastal Bend College offers classes for job training and college degrees. It also works with local businesses to create special training for employees.

Public Schools

High school (grades 9–12): Alice High School
Junior high (grades 6–8): William Adams Middle School
Elementary schools (grades K–5): Dubose, Noonan, Saenz, and Schallert

Private Schools

St. Elizabeth School (grades Pre-K3–6)
Alice Christian School (grades K–12)
Agape House (grades PreK–12)
Alice Migrant Head Start

Notable People from Alice

Many interesting people have connections to Alice:

James P. Allison: A scientist who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on cancer treatments.
Chris Brazzell: A football player who played in the Canadian Football League and the NFL. He was born in Alice and played for Alice High School.
Marv Brown: An NFL player for the Detroit Lions in 1957.
Sonny Brown: A college football star who helped his team, the Oklahoma Sooners, win a national championship. He graduated from Alice High in 1982.
Lois Chiles: A famous fashion model and actress from the 1970s. She is well-known for her role as a "Bond girl" in the movie Moonraker.
John Donald Wesley Corley: A retired four-star general in the United States Air Force. He graduated from Alice High School in 1969.
Robert F. Curl Jr.: A Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry (1996). He was born in Alice and is a professor at Rice University.
J. Frank Dobie: An award-winning author who taught at UT Austin. He moved to Alice when he was 16.
Bill Henry: A Major League Baseball pitcher who played for many teams, including the Houston Astros.
Raymond L. Johnson: A mathematician and the first African American student to be accepted into Rice University for a PhD.
Richard Raymond: A politician who represents District 42 in the Texas House of Representatives. He was born in Alice.
Brigadier General Angela Salinas: The first woman to lead the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
Jim and Wayne Tyrone: Brothers who both played in Major League Baseball. They were born in Alice.

Outdoor Activities

Alice and the areas around it have a lot of wildlife. This makes hunting, fishing, and bird watching popular activities. You can find places to hunt wild game through Texas Parks and Wildlife.

For golfers, Alice has two courses:

The Alice Municipal Golf Course is larger with 18 holes.
The Alice Country Club golf course has nine holes and is located east of town.

Images for kids

The water tower in Alice on Hwy 44
Flag of Alice
Seal of Alice
The Jim Wells County Courthouse
A photo shop in Alice