Gatesville, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gatesville, Texas
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Coryell County courthouse
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| Nickname(s):
Spur Capital of Texas
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Location of Gatesville, Texas
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Coryell |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.52 sq mi (27.24 km2) |
| • Land | 10.50 sq mi (27.20 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 817 ft (249 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 16,135 |
| • Density | 1,770/sq mi (456/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC–6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
76528
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| Area code(s) | 254 |
| FIPS code | 48-29168 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410577 |
Gatesville is a city in Texas, United States. It is the main city and county seat of Coryell County, Texas. In 2020, about 16,135 people lived there. Gatesville is known for being home to several correctional facilities. It is also called the "Spur Capital of Texas" because of a special collection of spurs.
Gatesville is part of the larger Killeen–Temple–Fort Cavazos area.
Contents
Geography
Gatesville is located in the northeast part of Coryell County. It sits on the east side of the Leon River. This river is part of the larger Brazos River system.
The city is about 30 miles (48 km) from Waco. It is also located about halfway between the cities of Austin and Fort Worth.
U.S. Route 84 goes through Gatesville. This road leads east to Waco and west to Goldthwaite. Texas State Highway 36 also passes through the eastern side of the city. It goes northwest to Hamilton and southeast to Temple.
The city covers a total area of about 10.52 square miles (27.24 km²). Most of this area is land, with only a very small part being water.
Climate
| Climate data for Gatesville, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1900–2021) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 95 (35) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
108 (42) |
112 (44) |
112 (44) |
112 (44) |
104 (40) |
93 (34) |
90 (32) |
112 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 60.3 (15.7) |
64.4 (18.0) |
71.2 (21.8) |
78.0 (25.6) |
84.5 (29.2) |
90.8 (32.7) |
95.1 (35.1) |
96.2 (35.7) |
89.6 (32.0) |
79.8 (26.6) |
69.5 (20.8) |
60.9 (16.1) |
78.4 (25.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 48.1 (8.9) |
51.7 (10.9) |
59.1 (15.1) |
66.1 (18.9) |
73.9 (23.3) |
80.4 (26.9) |
83.6 (28.7) |
84.0 (28.9) |
77.4 (25.2) |
67.5 (19.7) |
57.1 (13.9) |
48.7 (9.3) |
66.5 (19.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 35.8 (2.1) |
39.0 (3.9) |
47.0 (8.3) |
54.2 (12.3) |
63.3 (17.4) |
70.0 (21.1) |
72.1 (22.3) |
71.7 (22.1) |
65.2 (18.4) |
55.2 (12.9) |
44.6 (7.0) |
36.5 (2.5) |
54.6 (12.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −6 (−21) |
−8 (−22) |
13 (−11) |
27 (−3) |
33 (1) |
48 (9) |
56 (13) |
53 (12) |
36 (2) |
21 (−6) |
13 (−11) |
−4 (−20) |
−8 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.32 (59) |
2.54 (65) |
3.22 (82) |
3.19 (81) |
4.14 (105) |
3.39 (86) |
2.97 (75) |
2.97 (75) |
2.94 (75) |
4.18 (106) |
2.63 (67) |
2.53 (64) |
37.02 (940) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.2 (0.51) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.6 | 4.6 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 7.0 | 4.7 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 57.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
History
Gatesville was founded in 1854. It was built on land given by Richard G. Grant. The city got its name from Fort Gates, a fort built nearby in 1849.
In 1882, the Texas and St. Louis Railway reached Gatesville. This made Gatesville the end point of the railway line. This railway later became part of the St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company, also known as the Cotton Belt.
Population Facts
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 434 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,375 | 216.8% | |
| 1900 | 1,865 | 35.6% | |
| 1910 | 1,929 | 3.4% | |
| 1920 | 2,499 | 29.5% | |
| 1930 | 2,601 | 4.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,177 | 22.1% | |
| 1950 | 3,856 | 21.4% | |
| 1960 | 4,626 | 20.0% | |
| 1970 | 4,683 | 1.2% | |
| 1980 | 6,078 | 29.8% | |
| 1990 | 11,492 | 89.1% | |
| 2000 | 15,591 | 35.7% | |
| 2010 | 15,751 | 1.0% | |
| 2020 | 16,135 | 2.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the 2020 United States census, Gatesville had a population of 16,135 people. There were 1,986 households in the city.
Economy
Gatesville is home to two important manufacturing companies:
- Kalyn Siebert makes large trailers and equipment. These are used for construction, oil fields, and other special transportation needs.
- Laerdal Medical Corporation is a part of a company from Norway. They make plastic supplies for teaching medical skills. This division started in 1949 with three doctors from Gatesville.
Correctional Facilities
Gatesville has several correctional facilities run by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. These facilities provide many jobs for people in the area. In 2012, about 2,600 people worked at these facilities. Most of these employees live in Coryell County.
The city has several facilities for women, including the Christina Melton Crain Unit, the Hilltop Unit, the Dr. Lane Murray Unit, and the Linda Woodman Unit. There is also one facility for men, the Alfred D. Hughes Unit. The Patrick O'Daniel Unit is also located in Gatesville.
These facilities have been a big part of Gatesville's community for many years.
Public Services
Post Office
The United States Postal Service has a post office in Gatesville.
Education
The Gatesville Independent School District serves the area. This district provides public education for students in Gatesville.
Gatesville also has a public library. This library offers books and other resources for everyone in the community.
For higher education, all of Coryell County is served by Central Texas College.
Fun Things to Do
Parks and Recreation
Since 2000, Gatesville has hosted the Prison Boss Cookoff every year. This is a barbecue competition that helps raise money for the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation. It's seen as a gathering for people who work in the correctional field.
Other Highlights
- The Coryell County Museum in Gatesville has a huge collection of about 10,000 pairs of spurs. This collection was donated in 1991 and is thought to be the largest in the world. Because of this, the Texas Legislature officially named Gatesville the "Spur Capital of Texas" in 2001.
- The Last Drive-In Picture Show in Gatesville is one of the oldest and longest-running drive-in theaters in Texas. It opened in 1955.
- The Gatesville High School Hornets football team won the Texas UIL 4A high-school football championship in 2000.
Notable People
- William Blankenship (born 1928), opera singer
- Bart Bryant (born 1962), professional golfer
- Cotton Davidson (born 1931), former football quarterback
- Dan Edwards (1926–2001), professional football player
- Mary Beth Harrell (born 1956), TV talk-show host
- Taurean Henderson (born 1983), former NFL football player
- David Holt (born 1946), musician
- Jim Miller (1866–1909), a historical figure who lived near Gatesville
- Frank S. Page, pastor
- J. D. Sheffield (born 1960), doctor and state politician
- Benny Thomasson (1909–1984), Texas fiddler
- Bulldog Turner (1919–1998), NFL football player
- Mike Weaver (born 1951), former WBA boxer
See also
In Spanish: Gatesville (Texas) para niños
