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Childress, Texas
Veterans Memorial at the Childress County Courthouse (built 1939)
Veterans Memorial at the Childress County Courthouse (built 1939)
Motto(s): 
Gateway to the Panhandle
Location of Childress, Texas
Location of Childress, Texas
Country United States
State Texas
County Childress
Incorporated 1890
Area
 • Total 8.31 sq mi (21.53 km2)
 • Land 8.26 sq mi (21.39 km2)
 • Water 0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Elevation
1,949 ft (594 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 5,737
 • Density 732.20/sq mi (282.71/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code
79201
Area code(s) 940
FIPS code 48-14668
GNIS feature ID 2409449

Childress (/ˈɪldrɪs/ CHIL-driss) (established 1887; incorporated 1890) is a city in and the county seat of Childress County, Texas, United States. Its population was 5,737 at the 2020 census.

The city and county were named in honor of George Campbell Childress, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, who was the principal author of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The county and city were incorporated more than four decades after Childress' death.

History

Old map-Childress-1890
Map of the city in 1890
Childress Hotel IMG 0684
The large Childress Hotel operates with limited clientele.

Demographics

2020 U.S. Census

Childress racial composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 3,023 52.69%
Black or African American (NH) 560 9.76%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 20 0.35%
Asian (NH) 51 0.89%
Pacific Islander (NH) 2 0.03%
Some other race (NH) 14 0.24%
Mixed/multiracial (NH) 173 3.02%
Hispanic or Latino 1,894 33.01%
Total 5,737

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,737 people, 1,936 households, and 1,316 families residing in the city.

2000 U.S. Census

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 692
1910 3,818 451.7%
1920 5,003 31.0%
1930 7,163 43.2%
1940 6,464 −9.8%
1950 7,619 17.9%
1960 6,399 −16.0%
1970 5,408 −15.5%
1980 5,817 7.6%
1990 5,055 −13.1%
2000 6,778 34.1%
2010 6,105 −9.9%
2020 5,737 −6.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, 6,778 people, 2,116 households, and 1,369 families wereresiding in the city. The population density was 821.8 inhabitants per square mile (317.3/km2). The 2,554 housing units had an average density of 309.7 per square mile (119.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 64.52% White, 15.65% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 17.13% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 22.37% of the population.

Of the 2,116 households, 31.3% had children under 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were not families. About 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37, and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city, the age distribution was 21.7% under 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 147.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 157.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,536, and for a family was $33,323. Males had a median income of $25,365 versus $19,442 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,708. About 14.6% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.3 square miles (21 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) is covered by water.

Childress is bordered on the west by Hall County, on the southeast by Hardeman County, on the northeast by Harmon County, Oklahoma, on the north by Collingsworth County, and on the south by Cottle County.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Childress has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Childress was 117 °F (47.2 °C) on June 27, 1994 and June 26, 2011, while the coldest temperature recorded was −13 °F (−25.0 °C) on January 17, 1930.

Climate data for Childress, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 87
(31)
95
(35)
100
(38)
106
(41)
111
(44)
117
(47)
114
(46)
115
(46)
108
(42)
103
(39)
94
(34)
88
(31)
117
(47)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 78.2
(25.7)
82.3
(27.9)
89.9
(32.2)
95.7
(35.4)
99.5
(37.5)
103.0
(39.4)
104.9
(40.5)
103.4
(39.7)
98.1
(36.7)
93.3
(34.1)
83.9
(28.8)
77.5
(25.3)
107.0
(41.7)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 54.4
(12.4)
57.6
(14.2)
67.0
(19.4)
75.6
(24.2)
83.6
(28.7)
91.7
(33.2)
96.0
(35.6)
95.1
(35.1)
87.3
(30.7)
76.6
(24.8)
64.4
(18.0)
54.8
(12.7)
75.3
(24.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 40.8
(4.9)
43.8
(6.6)
52.5
(11.4)
61.0
(16.1)
70.2
(21.2)
78.8
(26.0)
83.3
(28.5)
82.2
(27.9)
74.4
(23.6)
62.7
(17.1)
51.0
(10.6)
41.9
(5.5)
61.9
(16.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 27.2
(−2.7)
30.1
(−1.1)
38.0
(3.3)
46.4
(8.0)
56.8
(13.8)
65.9
(18.8)
70.5
(21.4)
69.2
(20.7)
61.4
(16.3)
48.8
(9.3)
37.6
(3.1)
29.0
(−1.7)
48.4
(9.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 14.7
(−9.6)
17.6
(−8.0)
23.4
(−4.8)
32.9
(0.5)
44.4
(6.9)
58.4
(14.7)
64.0
(17.8)
61.8
(16.6)
48.8
(9.3)
33.4
(0.8)
22.0
(−5.6)
15.7
(−9.1)
9.8
(−12.3)
Record low °F (°C) −13
(−25)
−10
(−23)
2
(−17)
22
(−6)
27
(−3)
44
(7)
53
(12)
52
(11)
34
(1)
19
(−7)
6
(−14)
−5
(−21)
−13
(−25)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.84
(21)
1.03
(26)
1.52
(39)
2.72
(69)
3.91
(99)
4.04
(103)
2.32
(59)
2.92
(74)
2.49
(63)
1.93
(49)
1.40
(36)
0.98
(25)
26.10
(663)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.4
(1.0)
1.6
(4.1)
0.4
(1.0)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
0.7
(1.8)
1.3
(3.3)
4.6
(11.7)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 3.4 4.8 5.5 5.6 7.9 7.0 5.8 7.0 6.0 5.8 3.9 4.1 66.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.5 0.9 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.4 1.0 3.2
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: National Weather Service

Culture and recreation

Fair Park Auditorium is located at the entrance to the city park. Nearby is the stadium for the Childress High School football team.

Education

Childress is served by the Childress Independent School District, which operates an elementary school (prekindergarten to grade 5), Childress Elementary School, middle school (grades 6 to 8), Childress Junior High School, and a high school (grades 9 to 12), Childress High School. The high school athletic teams are known as the Bobcats. The primary school color is blue, with secondary colors of white and red. The football team plays in a stadium in Fair Park. Basketball teams play in a gym on the high-school campus and the baseball team plays on a field located between the campus and Fair Park.

Clarendon College, a two-year community college, maintains a campus in Childress.

Media

Radio

  • K221FL
  • K237EE
  • KCTX-AM
  • KCTX-FM

Newspaper

  • The Red River Sun, formerly The Childress Index

Notable people

  • Hardy Brown, NFL linebacker
  • Walter Chrysler, founder of Chrysler Motor Corporation, lived in Childress from 1905 to 1906.
  • Lou Dobbs, radio host and former anchor and managing editor for CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight and now a FOX News anchor
  • Margaret A. Edwards, educator and librarian
  • Roy Furr, founder of Furr's grocery store and cafeterias chain, lived in Childress County as a youth
  • Ruby Gilbert, Kansas state representative
  • James "T" Jones, Texas quarterback and Texas Tech athletic director
  • Bubba McDaniel, mixed martial artist fighting for the UFC

Gallery

Note

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Childress (Texas) para niños

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