Levelland, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Levelland, Texas
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Mallet Event Center and Rodeo Arena
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 Levelland, Texas
Location in Texas
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Hockley |
| Region | Llano Estacado |
| Established | 1921 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.21 sq mi (26.45 km2) |
| • Land | 10.21 sq mi (26.44 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,520 ft (1,070 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,652 |
| • Density | 1,239.18/sq mi (478.52/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| ZIP code |
79336, 79338
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| Area code | 806 |
| FIPS code | 48-42448 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1361113 |
Levelland is a city in Texas, USA. It's also the main town, or county seat, of Hockley County. In 2020, about 12,652 people lived there. This was a bit less than the 13,542 people counted in 2010.
Levelland is found on a very flat area called the Llano Estacado. It's about 30 miles (48 km) west of Lubbock. Important jobs in Levelland include growing cotton and producing petroleum (oil). It's also where South Plains College is located. Levelland is the main city in its local area, which includes all of Hockley County. The city got its name because the land where it was built is very flat.
Contents
A Look at Levelland's Past
Levelland became the county seat when Hockley County was officially set up in 1921. Before that, in 1912, a man named Charles W. Post first called the area "Hockley City."
Development of the town started in 1921. Soon after, it was renamed Levelland because of its flat land. The town grew even more when the Santa Fe Railroad started service there in July 1925.
In the 1950s, a lot of oil was found nearby. This led to the building of an oil refinery and a gas plant.
Levelland also saw many improvements for its citizens. A city park opened in 1951, thanks to money raised by local clubs. Around the same time, the town improved its roads and built an airfield and a hospital. A county library was opened in the 1950s, and the South Plains Museum started in 1968. South Plains College, a two-year community college, welcomed its first students in 1958.
Where is Levelland?
Levelland is right in the middle of Hockley County. Texas State Highway 114 runs along the north side of the city. This highway goes east about 30 miles (48 km) to Lubbock. It goes west about 43 miles (69 km) to the New Mexico border.
U.S. Route 385 goes through the center of Levelland, just east of downtown. It heads north about 24 miles (39 km) to Littlefield. To the south, it goes about 29 miles (47 km) to Brownfield.
The United States Census Bureau says that Levelland covers a total area of about 10.2 square miles (26.3 square kilometers). Only a tiny part of this, about 0.01 square miles (0.01 square kilometers), is water.
Levelland's Weather
Levelland has a semi-arid climate. This means it's generally dry with low humidity.
| Climate data for Levelland, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1937–1943, 1946–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
88 (31) |
95 (35) |
101 (38) |
111 (44) |
115 (46) |
111 (44) |
106 (41) |
105 (41) |
103 (39) |
94 (34) |
81 (27) |
115 (46) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 74.7 (23.7) |
79.1 (26.2) |
85.9 (29.9) |
91.4 (33.0) |
98.4 (36.9) |
102.8 (39.3) |
101.8 (38.8) |
99.5 (37.5) |
96.2 (35.7) |
91.1 (32.8) |
81.9 (27.7) |
74.0 (23.3) |
105.0 (40.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.7 (12.1) |
58.5 (14.7) |
66.5 (19.2) |
75.2 (24.0) |
83.7 (28.7) |
91.3 (32.9) |
92.4 (33.6) |
90.5 (32.5) |
83.5 (28.6) |
74.7 (23.7) |
62.7 (17.1) |
54.4 (12.4) |
73.9 (23.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 39.5 (4.2) |
43.3 (6.3) |
50.8 (10.4) |
58.9 (14.9) |
68.5 (20.3) |
77.1 (25.1) |
79.0 (26.1) |
77.3 (25.2) |
70.2 (21.2) |
60.0 (15.6) |
48.2 (9.0) |
40.5 (4.7) |
59.4 (15.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.2 (−3.8) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
35.0 (1.7) |
42.6 (5.9) |
53.4 (11.9) |
62.8 (17.1) |
65.6 (18.7) |
64.1 (17.8) |
57.0 (13.9) |
45.3 (7.4) |
33.6 (0.9) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
44.9 (7.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 13.0 (−10.6) |
15.3 (−9.3) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
40.5 (4.7) |
54.6 (12.6) |
60.9 (16.1) |
58.5 (14.7) |
46.0 (7.8) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
19.5 (−6.9) |
12.8 (−10.7) |
8.8 (−12.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −16 (−27) |
−8 (−22) |
3 (−16) |
20 (−7) |
26 (−3) |
43 (6) |
48 (9) |
49 (9) |
33 (1) |
14 (−10) |
0 (−18) |
−3 (−19) |
−16 (−27) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.66 (17) |
0.60 (15) |
1.12 (28) |
1.00 (25) |
2.40 (61) |
2.67 (68) |
2.06 (52) |
2.29 (58) |
2.29 (58) |
1.53 (39) |
0.87 (22) |
0.78 (20) |
18.27 (464) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.3 (3.3) |
1.5 (3.8) |
0.5 (1.3) |
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) |
0.9 (2.3) |
1.9 (4.8) |
6.2 (16) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 6.0 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 62.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 4.8 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Who Lives in Levelland?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,661 | — | |
| 1940 | 3,091 | 86.1% | |
| 1950 | 8,264 | 167.4% | |
| 1960 | 10,153 | 22.9% | |
| 1970 | 11,445 | 12.7% | |
| 1980 | 13,809 | 20.7% | |
| 1990 | 13,986 | 1.3% | |
| 2000 | 12,866 | −8.0% | |
| 2010 | 13,542 | 5.3% | |
| 2020 | 12,652 | −6.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Levelland's Population in 2020
In 2020, the United States census counted 12,652 people living in Levelland. There were 4,880 households and 3,245 families in the city.
| Group | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 4,693 | 37.09% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 468 | 3.7% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 36 | 0.28% |
| Asian (NH) | 38 | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 2 | 0.02% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 34 | 0.27% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 227 | 1.79% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7,154 | 56.54% |
| Total | 12,652 |
Learning in Levelland
- The schools in Levelland are part of the Levelland Independent School District.
- The sports teams at Levelland High School are called the Lobos. A Lobo is a type of wolf.
- Levelland is also home to South Plains College, where students can continue their education after high school.
The Levelland UFO Story
Levelland is known for some interesting events in November 1957. Several drivers on highways around Levelland reported seeing something strange. They claimed to see a large, egg-shaped object that glowed blue. When this object was near, their car engines would turn off!
In most cases, the object was either on the road or very close to it. Once the object flew away, the witnesses said their cars would start working normally again. Even the local sheriff, Weir Clem, and the fire chief, Ray Jones, reported seeing these things.
The United States Air Force looked into the sightings. They thought a strong electrical storm, possibly ball lightning, caused the strange lights and car problems. However, some famous UFO researchers, like Dr. James E. McDonald and Dr. J. Allen Hynek, disagreed. They argued that there was no electrical storm in the area when the sightings happened.
Levelland's Airport
Levelland has its own airport, called Levelland Municipal Airport (LLN).
- The airport is 3,514 feet (1,071 meters) above mean sea level.
- It has two runways that are used for planes.
- The first runway is 17/35 and is 6,110 feet (1,862 meters) long.
- The second runway is 08/26 and is 2,072 feet (631 meters) long.
Famous People from Levelland
Many interesting people have connections to Levelland:
- Beau Boulter is a lawyer and lobbyist who used to be a U.S. representative for Texas.
- Frank Jackson was a wide receiver in American football. He played for teams like the Dallas Texans and Miami Dolphins in the 1960s.
- Ronny Jackson was a doctor for the President of the United States. He later became a U.S. Representative for Texas.
- Gene Mayfield (1928–2009) was a very successful football coach for both high school and college teams. He finished his coaching career at Levelland High School.
- Kinna McInroe is an actress. She is known for her role in the movie Office Space and has appeared in many TV shows.
- David J. Schmidly (born 1943) is a scientist, professor, and university president who was born in Levelland.
- Marlene Willis (1942–1982) was an American singer. She performed on many TV shows in the 1950s and later appeared as a guest star in several TV series.
See also
In Spanish: Levelland (Texas) para niños
