Ballinger, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ballinger, Texas
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Ballinger Texas City Hall
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| Motto(s):
The Greatest Little Town in Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Runnels |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.50 sq mi (9.07 km2) |
| • Land | 3.50 sq mi (9.06 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,647 ft (502 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,619 |
| • Density | 1,020/sq mi (400/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
76821
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| Area code(s) | 325 |
| FIPS code | 48-05456 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409778 |
Ballinger is a city in Runnels County, Texas, United States. In 2020, about 3,619 people lived there. Ballinger is the main city, or county seat, of Runnels County. The downtown area has old buildings from the 1800s, which now hold shops and restaurants.
Contents
History of Ballinger
Ballinger was started in 1886. It grew because the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built a train line west from Brownwood. The first county seat, Runnels City, wanted to be the new train stop. But the spot where Ballinger is now, about five miles south, had a better water supply.
The new town was planned with large areas for buildings. There was also space set aside for a courthouse and a public park. The Santa Fe railway company even offered free land to people who moved their homes from Runnels City to Ballinger. They also gave land to any church that would build there.
The city was named after William Pitt Ballinger. He was a lawyer from Galveston and an important person in the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railway company. Ballinger officially became a city in 1892.
The Carnegie Library in Ballinger
In 1911, Ballinger opened the Ballinger Carnegie Library. This library was built with money given by Andrew Carnegie, a famous businessman who helped build many libraries. By 1975, the library building needed repairs. A local group worked to fix it up. The library is now on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a special historical site.
Where is Ballinger Located?
Ballinger is in a part of West Texas where the Edwards Plateau meets the Texas Southern Plains. The city covers about 3.5 square miles (9.07 square kilometers). Only a very small part of this area is water. Ballinger is about 70 miles (113 kilometers) south of Abilene.
What is Ballinger's Climate Like?
The weather in Ballinger has hot, humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. Ballinger has a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets a lot of rain, and the temperatures are generally warm.
| Climate data for Ballinger, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 90 (32) |
98 (37) |
100 (38) |
104 (40) |
110 (43) |
116 (47) |
112 (44) |
114 (46) |
110 (43) |
105 (41) |
98 (37) |
92 (33) |
116 (47) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 59.0 (15.0) |
63.1 (17.3) |
70.5 (21.4) |
79.4 (26.3) |
85.9 (29.9) |
92.2 (33.4) |
95.5 (35.3) |
95.1 (35.1) |
88.2 (31.2) |
79.4 (26.3) |
68.0 (20.0) |
59.9 (15.5) |
78.0 (25.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 45.1 (7.3) |
49.2 (9.6) |
56.9 (13.8) |
65.1 (18.4) |
73.3 (22.9) |
80.3 (26.8) |
83.5 (28.6) |
83.1 (28.4) |
76.2 (24.6) |
66.0 (18.9) |
54.7 (12.6) |
46.4 (8.0) |
65.0 (18.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.2 (−0.4) |
35.2 (1.8) |
43.2 (6.2) |
50.9 (10.5) |
60.7 (15.9) |
68.5 (20.3) |
71.5 (21.9) |
71.1 (21.7) |
64.1 (17.8) |
52.6 (11.4) |
41.5 (5.3) |
32.8 (0.4) |
51.9 (11.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −6 (−21) |
−4 (−20) |
8 (−13) |
24 (−4) |
33 (1) |
44 (7) |
46 (8) |
47 (8) |
35 (2) |
16 (−9) |
8 (−13) |
−3 (−19) |
−6 (−21) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.01 (26) |
1.52 (39) |
1.79 (45) |
1.56 (40) |
3.08 (78) |
3.07 (78) |
1.67 (42) |
2.41 (61) |
2.57 (65) |
2.20 (56) |
1.45 (37) |
1.04 (26) |
23.37 (594) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.2 (0.51) |
0.2 (0.51) |
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) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.6 (1.5) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.8 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 54.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People Living in Ballinger
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 1,128 | — | |
| 1910 | 3,536 | 213.5% | |
| 1920 | 2,767 | −21.7% | |
| 1930 | 4,187 | 51.3% | |
| 1940 | 4,472 | 6.8% | |
| 1950 | 5,302 | 18.6% | |
| 1960 | 5,043 | −4.9% | |
| 1970 | 4,203 | −16.7% | |
| 1980 | 4,207 | 0.1% | |
| 1990 | 3,975 | −5.5% | |
| 2000 | 4,243 | 6.7% | |
| 2010 | 3,767 | −11.2% | |
| 2020 | 3,619 | −3.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
What the 2020 Census Shows
A census is like a big count of all the people living in a place. The 2020 United States census showed that 3,619 people lived in Ballinger. These people lived in 1,449 households, which are like homes or families living together.
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 2,001 | 55.29% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 79 | 2.18% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 12 | 0.33% |
| Asian (NH) | 15 | 0.41% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 5 | 0.14% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 13 | 0.36% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 100 | 2.76% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,394 | 38.52% |
| Total | 3,619 |
Education in Ballinger
Students in Ballinger go to schools in the Ballinger Independent School District. The city is also home to the Ballinger High School Bearcats sports teams.
Famous People from Ballinger
- David W. Guion: A well-known composer who wrote and arranged American folk music.
- Hal Underwood: A professional golfer who won on the European Tour.
Sports History in Ballinger
Ballinger used to have its own minor league baseball team called the Ballinger Cats. They played from the 1920s until the late 1950s. The team was connected with the Cincinnati Reds for a few years. They also played for the old St. Louis Browns team.
Cool Places to Visit in Ballinger
The Olde Park Hotel
The Olde Park Hotel is a very old building in Ballinger. Some people say it is a haunted place! One past owner even said she found 30 different spirits in the hotel. Because of its spooky reputation, the hotel has been shown on TV shows about ghosts. In 2019, a paranormal investigator named Chad Lindberg visited it. The hotel was also featured on the Travel Channel show Fright Club.
Ballinger Park: Fun Outdoors
Ballinger Park is a huge park, about 55 acres, located by Lake Ballinger. It has many things to do!
- Sports Complex: There's a big sports area for baseball, softball, and soccer.
- Community Clubhouse: The Mickey Corso Community Clubhouse is also in the park.
- Playground: Kids can enjoy two play structures and picnic tables.
- Natural Area: A large part of the park used to be a golf course. Now, it's a natural area with walking trails, ponds, and a creek. It connects to other trails for even more outdoor fun.
Gallery
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County Building
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Historic post office in Ballinger, Texas
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Texas Theater
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Downtown Ballinger
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Downtown Ballinger
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City Hall
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Carnigie Library Ballinger
See also
In Spanish: Ballinger para niños
