Athens, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Athens, Texas
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City Hall in Athens, 508 E. Tyler St.
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| Motto(s):
"Hamburgers – Heritage – Texas"
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Henderson |
| Incorporated | 1856 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 20.20 sq mi (52.31 km2) |
| • Land | 17.83 sq mi (46.19 km2) |
| • Water | 2.37 sq mi (6.13 km2) |
| Elevation | 482 ft (147 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,857 |
| • Density | 715.13/sq mi (276.11/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
75751-75752
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| Area codes | 430, 903 |
| FIPS code | 48-04504 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409747 |
Athens is a city in Texas, USA. It's the main city of Henderson County. In 2020, about 12,857 people lived there.
Athens is known as the "Black-Eyed Pea Capital of the World." It was also one of the first places in Texas chosen as a "Certified Retirement Community," meaning it's a good place for older people to live. The city started in 1856. It was named after Athens, the capital city of Greece.
Contents
Geography of Athens, Texas
Athens is located in eastern Texas. The city covers about 20.20 square miles (52.31 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but some is covered by water.
Water Features in Athens
Lake Athens is a large lake in the eastern part of the city. It covers about 1,799 acres. This lake is a popular spot for fishing and other water activities.
Nearby Cities and Towns
Athens is surrounded by several other cities and towns.
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Dallas (72 miles) Kaufman (40 miles) |
Canton (25 miles) |
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| Corsicana (37 miles) |
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Tyler (36 miles) |
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 Athens  |
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| Cayuga (20 miles) |
Palestine (34 miles) |
Frankston (23 miles) |
Climate in Athens
Athens has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. The city was affected by a tornado in November 2022.
| Climate data for Athens, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1903–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
93 (34) |
95 (35) |
95 (35) |
98 (37) |
104 (40) |
109 (43) |
108 (42) |
109 (43) |
100 (38) |
90 (32) |
86 (30) |
109 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 75.4 (24.1) |
79.2 (26.2) |
83.5 (28.6) |
86.5 (30.3) |
91.2 (32.9) |
95.6 (35.3) |
99.6 (37.6) |
101.0 (38.3) |
97.7 (36.5) |
90.8 (32.7) |
81.6 (27.6) |
76.9 (24.9) |
102.2 (39.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 57.9 (14.4) |
62.0 (16.7) |
69.0 (20.6) |
76.4 (24.7) |
83.2 (28.4) |
90.1 (32.3) |
94.1 (34.5) |
95.1 (35.1) |
89.2 (31.8) |
79.1 (26.2) |
67.6 (19.8) |
59.3 (15.2) |
76.9 (25.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.2 (7.9) |
50.2 (10.1) |
57.1 (13.9) |
64.8 (18.2) |
72.9 (22.7) |
80.2 (26.8) |
83.3 (28.5) |
83.7 (28.7) |
77.4 (25.2) |
66.8 (19.3) |
55.9 (13.3) |
47.9 (8.8) |
65.5 (18.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.5 (1.4) |
38.5 (3.6) |
45.2 (7.3) |
53.1 (11.7) |
62.6 (17.0) |
70.3 (21.3) |
72.6 (22.6) |
72.3 (22.4) |
65.7 (18.7) |
54.6 (12.6) |
44.1 (6.7) |
36.5 (2.5) |
54.2 (12.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 18.9 (−7.3) |
23.6 (−4.7) |
27.5 (−2.5) |
37.0 (2.8) |
47.0 (8.3) |
61.4 (16.3) |
66.1 (18.9) |
64.8 (18.2) |
52.4 (11.3) |
37.6 (3.1) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −5 (−21) |
−6 (−21) |
15 (−9) |
25 (−4) |
34 (1) |
41 (5) |
53 (12) |
51 (11) |
38 (3) |
26 (−3) |
10 (−12) |
−2 (−19) |
−6 (−21) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.54 (90) |
3.88 (99) |
4.08 (104) |
3.82 (97) |
4.30 (109) |
4.09 (104) |
2.53 (64) |
2.64 (67) |
2.97 (75) |
5.09 (129) |
3.49 (89) |
4.32 (110) |
44.75 (1,137) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.3 (0.76) |
0.3 (0.76) |
trace | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.8 (2.03) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.2 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 7.5 | 77.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Source 1: NOAA (snow/snow days 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
People of Athens, Texas
The number of people living in Athens has grown over the years.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 240 | — | |
| 1870 | 545 | 127.1% | |
| 1880 | 368 | −32.5% | |
| 1890 | 1,035 | 181.3% | |
| 1910 | 2,261 | — | |
| 1920 | 3,176 | 40.5% | |
| 1930 | 4,342 | 36.7% | |
| 1940 | 4,765 | 9.7% | |
| 1950 | 5,194 | 9.0% | |
| 1960 | 7,086 | 36.4% | |
| 1970 | 9,582 | 35.2% | |
| 1980 | 10,197 | 6.4% | |
| 1990 | 10,967 | 7.6% | |
| 2000 | 11,297 | 3.0% | |
| 2010 | 12,710 | 12.5% | |
| 2020 | 12,857 | 1.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population and Households
In 2020, Athens had 12,857 people. There were 4,095 households, which are groups of people living together. About 2,733 of these were families.
The average household had about 2.55 people. The average family had about 3.13 people.
Age Groups in Athens
The population of Athens includes people of all ages:
- About 26.4% of the people were under 18 years old.
- About 11.6% were between 18 and 24 years old.
- About 25.0% were between 25 and 44 years old.
- About 19.1% were between 45 and 64 years old.
- About 17.9% were 65 years or older.
The average age in Athens was 35 years.
Income in Athens
In Athens, the average income for a household was about $29,372. For families, the average income was about $35,359.
Education in Athens
Students in Athens are mostly served by the Athens Independent School District. The high school for this district is Athens High School, home of the Hornets. A small part of Athens is also in the Brownsboro Independent School District.
Athens is also home to the main campus of Trinity Valley Community College. This college offers many different programs for students.
Arts and Culture in Athens
Athens has several interesting places related to arts and culture.
- The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is located east of the city, near Lake Athens. It's run by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and teaches people about fish and aquatic life.
- The East Texas Arboretum and Botanical Society is in the northwest part of the city. It's a beautiful place to see different plants and trees.
Besides Lake Athens, two other large lakes are nearby:
- Cedar Creek Reservoir is northwest of Athens. It's a popular vacation spot, especially for people from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Many people have lake homes there.
- Lake Palestine is located to the east of Athens.
Notable People from Athens
Many interesting people have connections to Athens, Texas. Some of them include:
- Fred Agnich, a Texas businessman and state lawmaker.
- Fletcher Davis, who some say invented the modern hamburger.
- Pete Donohue, a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
- Jakeem Grant, an NFL wide receiver.
- William Wayne Justice, a former United States District Court judge.
- Terrence McGee, a former NFL cornerback.
- Clint Murchison, Jr., a businessman who founded the Dallas Cowboys football team.
- Sid W. Richardson, an oilman and generous giver to charities.
See also
In Spanish: Athens (Texas) para niños
