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Jacksboro, Texas

Mesquiteville
City
Businesses in downtown Jacksboro
Businesses in downtown Jacksboro
Location of Jacksboro, Texas
Location of Jacksboro, Texas
Jack County Jacksboro.svg
Country United States
State Texas
County Jack
Area
 • Total 8.09 sq mi (20.95 km2)
 • Land 7.23 sq mi (18.72 km2)
 • Water 0.86 sq mi (2.23 km2)
Elevation
1,093 ft (333 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 4,184
 • Density 578.94/sq mi (223.53/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
76458
Area code(s) 940
FIPS code 48-37168
GNIS feature ID 2410127

Jacksboro is a city in Jack County, Texas, United States. In 2020, about 4,184 people lived there. It is the main town, or county seat, of Jack County. Important roads like U.S. Highways 281 and 380 meet in Jacksboro.

History of Jacksboro

Jacksboro started as a settlement in the 1850s. People moved there because they could get land from the Texas Emigration and Land Office. The community first grew near Lost Creek.

It was originally called "Mesquiteville". In 1858, it was renamed "Jacksboro" to honor brothers William and Patrick Jack. They were heroes who fought in the Texas Revolution. Mail service began in 1859. Jacksboro was also a stop on the famous Butterfield Overland Mail route.

Before the American Civil War, Jack County voted against leaving the United States. The area faced attacks from Native Americans. This continued until Fort Richardson was built in 1870. The fort was located south of Jacksboro.

In 1871, Jacksboro became well-known. Two Kiowa chiefs, Satanta and Big Tree, had a trial there.

The arrival of the Chicago, Rock Island & Texas Railroad in 1898 helped the town grow. It became an important center for trade in the area. Later, new highways and roads also connected Jacksboro to other markets.

Today, Fort Richardson State Historical Park is in the southern part of the city. Jacksboro also claims to have the first state 4-H club. This club was formed in the 1910s.

On March 21, 2022, a strong tornado hit Jacksboro. It was an EF3 tornado. About 80 homes were damaged, and the high school was heavily hit. Nine people were hurt.

Geography and Location

Jacksboro is in the middle of Jack County. U.S. Route 281 goes through the city center. This road leads south to Mineral Wells (about 31 miles away). It goes northwest to Wichita Falls (about 58 miles away).

U.S. Route 380 also meets US 281 in Jacksboro. Route 380 heads west out of town to Graham (about 27 miles away). It also leaves Jacksboro to the southeast with US 281. Then, it goes east to Decatur (about 37 miles away). Fort Worth is about 60 miles southeast of Jacksboro. You can get there using US 281 and Texas State Highway 199.

Jacksboro covers a total area of about 8.09 square miles (20.9 square kilometers). About 0.86 square miles (2.23 square kilometers) of this area is water. This water includes Lake Jacksboro, which is a reservoir on Lost Creek. Jacksboro is part of the area that drains into the West Fork of the Trinity River.

Climate in Jacksboro

The weather in Jacksboro has hot, humid summers. The winters are usually mild to cool. Jacksboro has a humid subtropical climate. This type of climate is often shown as Cfa on climate maps.

Climate data for Jacksboro, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1941–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 92
(33)		 94
(34)		 99
(37)		 100
(38)		 104
(40)		 113
(45)		 113
(45)		 113
(45)		 111
(44)		 103
(39)		 92
(33)		 87
(31)		 113
(45)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 55.4
(13.0)		 59.4
(15.2)		 67.8
(19.9)		 75.8
(24.3)		 83.2
(28.4)		 91.0
(32.8)		 95.7
(35.4)		 95.8
(35.4)		 87.9
(31.1)		 77.6
(25.3)		 65.7
(18.7)		 56.8
(13.8)		 76.0
(24.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 42.5
(5.8)		 46.6
(8.1)		 54.8
(12.7)		 62.7
(17.1)		 71.4
(21.9)		 79.3
(26.3)		 83.6
(28.7)		 83.3
(28.5)		 75.4
(24.1)		 64.5
(18.1)		 53.1
(11.7)		 44.5
(6.9)		 63.5
(17.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 29.5
(−1.4)		 33.9
(1.1)		 41.9
(5.5)		 49.7
(9.8)		 59.6
(15.3)		 67.7
(19.8)		 71.5
(21.9)		 70.8
(21.6)		 63.0
(17.2)		 51.4
(10.8)		 40.4
(4.7)		 32.1
(0.1)		 51.0
(10.6)
Record low °F (°C) −3
(−19)		 −11
(−24)		 5
(−15)		 27
(−3)		 33
(1)		 49
(9)		 56
(13)		 54
(12)		 33
(1)		 22
(−6)		 15
(−9)		 −8
(−22)		 −11
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.49
(38)		 2.26
(57)		 2.95
(75)		 2.84
(72)		 4.29
(109)		 4.01
(102)		 1.85
(47)		 2.18
(55)		 3.14
(80)		 3.85
(98)		 1.86
(47)		 1.94
(49)		 32.66
(830)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 5.0 5.4 6.9 5.3 8.3 7.0 4.2 5.0 6.3 6.6 5.2 5.4 70.6
Source: NOAA

Population Changes

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 387 —
1890 751 94.1%
1900 1,311 74.6%
1910 1,480 12.9%
1920 1,373 −7.2%
1930 1,837 33.8%
1940 2,368 28.9%
1950 2,951 24.6%
1960 3,816 29.3%
1970 3,554 −6.9%
1980 4,000 12.5%
1990 3,350 −16.2%
2000 4,533 35.3%
2010 4,511 −0.5%
2020 4,184 −7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

The population of Jacksboro has changed over the years. The table above shows how many people lived there during different census years.

2020 Census Information

Jacksboro racial composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 2,609 62.36%
Black or African American (NH) 293 7.0%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 9 0.22%
Asian (NH) 33 0.79%
Pacific Islander (NH) 2 0.05%
Some Other Race (NH) 5 0.12%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 92 2.2%
Hispanic or Latino 1,141 27.27%
Total 4,184

In 2020, the United States census counted 4,184 people living in Jacksboro. There were 1,468 households and 861 families in the city.

Education

The Jacksboro Independent School District serves the city. This school district provides education for students in Jacksboro.

Notable People

  • Darrell Lester, a former All-American football player at Texas Christian University
  • Abe Martin, a former head coach and athletic director at Texas Christian University
  • Don Massengale, a former professional golfer on the PGA Tour
  • Rik Massengale, a former professional golfer on the PGA Tour
  • David Spiller, a Texan legislator for the 68th district

Gallery

  • Jacksboro1 (1 of 1)

    Jack County Courthouse

  • Jacksboro2 (1 of 1)

    Hess Building

  • Jacksboro6 (1 of 1)

    Historic buildings in Jacksboro

  • Jacksboro5 (1 of 1)

    Fort Richardson Hotel

  • Jacksboro3 (1 of 1)

    Historic buildings in Jacksboro

  • Jacksboro, TX sign Picture 2219

    Welcome sign

See also

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

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