Dickinson, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dickinson, Texas
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Dickinson City Hall
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Location in the state of Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Galveston |
| Incorporated | 1977 |
| Named for | John Dickinson |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.397 sq mi (26.928 km2) |
| • Land | 9.965 sq mi (25.810 km2) |
| • Water | 0.432 sq mi (1.118 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 20,847 |
| • Estimate
(2022)
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21,738 |
| • Density | 2,181/sq mi (842.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC–6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC–5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
77539
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| Area code(s) | 281 |
| FIPS code | 48-20344 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1334345 |
Dickinson is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. It is part of the larger Houston metropolitan area. In 2020, about 20,847 people lived there.
Contents
History of Dickinson
Dickinson is named after John Dickinson, who received land here in 1824. A small community grew along Dickinson Bayou before 1850. The Galveston, Houston, and Henderson Railroad was built right through Dickinson. This railway was important during the American Civil War.
In the 1890s, a group of businessmen formed the Dickinson Land and Improvement Association. They encouraged farmers to move to the area. They also created fun places like the Dickinson Picnic Grounds to attract visitors. By 1911, the Galveston–Houston Electric Railway had three stops in Dickinson. The Oleander Country Club was a popular spot for people from Galveston.
Around 1905, about 150 Italian people moved to Dickinson from other crowded cities. They joined other families who had moved there after floods in Bryan.
During the 1920s, Dickinson became a popular place for tourists. Some business groups from Galveston helped create fun places for visitors, like the Silver Moon casino.
The City of Dickinson built a new city hall and library complex. It opened on June 30, 2009, at 4403 Highway 3.
Since 2009, the city has hosted a crawfish festival called the Red, White and Bayou crawfish festival. It was stopped for a few years but started again in August 2022.
In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused a lot of damage in Dickinson. About 90% of the city was flooded. Half of the city was destroyed by the water.
In January 2021, the mayoral election ended in a tie! Both candidates had 1,010 votes. The new mayor, Sean Skipworth, was chosen by drawing a name from a hat.
Geography of Dickinson
Dickinson is located at coordinates 29.4607876 degrees North and 95.0513173 degrees West. It is about 28 miles (45 km) southeast of Houston. It is also about 19 miles (31 km) northwest of Galveston.
The city covers a total area of about 10.4 square miles (26.9 square km). Most of this area, about 9.97 square miles (25.8 square km), is land. The rest, about 0.43 square miles (1.1 square km), is water.
People in Dickinson
| Historical population | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1904 | 149 | — |
| 1914 | 250 | +67.8% |
| 1930 | 760 | +204.0% |
| 1931 | 760 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 1,000 | +31.6% |
| 1945 | 1,500 | +50.0% |
| 1950 | 2,704 | +80.3% |
| 1952 | 3,500 | +29.4% |
| 1960 | 4,715 | +34.7% |
| 1961 | 4,715 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 10,776 | +128.5% |
| 1980 | 7,505 | −30.4% |
| 1990 | 11,692 | +55.8% |
| 2000 | 17,093 | +46.2% |
| 2002 | 17,688 | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 18,680 | +5.6% |
| 2020 | 20,847 | +11.6% |
| 2021 | 21,697 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 21,738 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 21,834 | +0.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1904, 1914, 1931, 1933, 1945, 1952, 1961 & 2002 1850-2000 2020 Census 2022 Estimate 2024 Estimate |
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In 2020, Dickinson had 20,847 people living there. The city had 7,290 households and 5,379 families. The population density was about 2,135 people per square mile (824 per square km).
About 28.2% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age was 35.6 years.
Education in Dickinson
Public Schools
Most of Dickinson is served by the Dickinson Independent School District (DISD). A small part of the city is in the Santa Fe Independent School District.
Here are some of the schools in the Dickinson ISD:
- Elementary schools (Pre-K to 3rd Grade):
- Calder Road Elementary School
- Bay Colony Elementary School
- Hughes Road Elementary School
- Jake Sibernagel Elementary School
- K. E. Little Elementary School
- San Leon Elementary School
- Louis G. Lobit Elementary School
- Middle schools (4th to 5th Grade):
- John and Shamarion Barber Middle School
- Dunbar Middle School
- Elva C. Lobit Middle School
- Junior high schools (6th to 8th Grade):
- R.D. McAdams Junior High School
- Eugene Kranz Junior High School
- Dickinson Junior High School
- High schools (9th to 12th Grade):
- Dickinson High School
In 2023-2024, two new junior high schools opened: Eugene 'Gene' Kranz Junior High School and Dickinson Junior High. Now, all elementary schools teach Pre-K through 3rd grade. All middle schools teach 4th and 5th grade. All junior high schools teach 6th through 8th grade.
Bay Area Charter Middle School is a special public school in Dickinson.
Private Schools
True Cross School is a Roman Catholic school for Pre-K through 8th grade. It is the first Catholic school on the mainland of Galveston County. The school was damaged by Hurricane Harvey but reopened in 2019.
Queen of Angels Academy is another Catholic school in Dickinson. It focuses on a traditional Catholic education.
Colleges and Universities
Dickinson is served by the College of the Mainland. This is a community college located in nearby Texas City.
Public Libraries
The Dickinson Public Library is run by the city. You can find it at 4411 Highway 3.
Parks and Recreation in Dickinson
The Galveston County Department of Parks and Senior Services runs the Dickinson Community Center. It is located at 2714 Highway 3.
Dickinson Bayou is a waterway that flows through the city of Dickinson. It is a natural feature of the area.
There are many parks around the city. Paul Hopkins Park on Highway 517 hosts the Festival of Lights every December. Elva Lobit Park and Zempter Park are places where the city's youth baseball leagues play. There is also a state-maintained boat dock near the Highway 3 and 146 bridges.
Notable People from Dickinson
Many interesting people have come from Dickinson, including:
- Bill Gurley, a well-known investor.
- Gene Kranz, a NASA Flight Director during the Gemini and Apollo space programs.
- Donnie Little, a former American football quarterback. He was the first black quarterback to play for The University of Texas.
- James Oberg, an expert on American and Russian space programs.
- Tracy Scoggins, a Hollywood actress.
- Craig Veasey, a former professional football player.
- Andre Ware, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1989 and was a professional football player.
- Dennis Cook, a Major League Baseball pitcher.
Images for kids
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Queen of Angels Church in Dickinson, Texas
See also
In Spanish: Dickinson (Texas) para niños
