Harper, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harper, Texas
Census-designated place
Harper, Texas Location in Texas Show map of Texas Harper, Texas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Gillespie
Area
• Total	56.6 sq mi (146.7 km2)
• Land	56.6 sq mi (146.5 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	2,054 ft (626 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,332
• Density	23.516/sq mi (9.080/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	78631
Area code(s)	830
FIPS code	48-32456
GNIS feature ID	1374000

Harper is a small community in Texas, United States. It is not an official city but a census-designated place (CDP). This means it is a community that the government counts for population statistics. Harper is located about 23 miles west of Fredericksburg in Gillespie County. In 2020, about 1,332 people lived there.

Harper's Story: A Look Back

The story of Harper begins with the creation of Gillespie County. On December 15, 1847, people asked to create a new county. In 1848, the state government formed Gillespie County. It was made from parts of Bexar and Travis Counties. Many people who signed the request were German immigrants.

The first European-American families settled here in 1863. These were the families of Eli McDonald and Matthew Taylor. In August 1864, a sad event happened. A historical marker near U.S. Highway 290 remembers this event. It involved members of the McDonald family and Kiowa Native Americans.

Harper got its name from George Franklin Harper. He set up a post office in 1883. By 1985, Harper was a growing community. It served a large area with many ranches. The town had six churches, a fire department, and ambulance services. There was also a public school. The number of people living in the area grew to over 1,000 by the year 2000.

Where is Harper Located?

Harper is in the western part of Gillespie County. It is about 84 miles northwest of San Antonio. It is also about 101 miles west of Austin, the state capital.

The community covers an area of about 56.6 square miles (146.7 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a tiny part, about 0.1 square miles (0.2 square kilometers), is water. The Pedernales River starts its journey right through the Harper community.

What's Harper's Weather Like?

Harper has a type of weather called a humid subtropical climate. This means the summers are hot and humid. The winters are usually mild, not too cold. This kind of climate is common in many parts of the southern United States.

Who Lives in Harper?

The United States Census Bureau counts the population of places like Harper. Here's how Harper's population has changed:

In 2000, there were 1,006 people living in Harper. These people lived in 417 households. A household is a group of people living in one home. About 293 of these households were families. The population density was about 17.8 people per square mile. This means there were about 18 people for every square mile of land.

Most people in Harper were White (95.73%). A small number were from other backgrounds. About 4.97% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

About 30.5% of homes had children under 18 living there. Most households (62.4%) were married couples. About 27.1% of all households were people living alone. The average age of people in Harper was 41 years old.

The average income for a household in 2000 was $31,776. For families, the average income was $39,013. About 17.3% of all people in Harper lived below the poverty line. This included 22.5% of those under 18.

Learning in Harper

Students in Harper attend schools run by the Harper Independent School District. This district provides education for children in the community.

See also

In Spanish: Harper (Texas) para niños