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Littlefield, Texas
City Hall in Littlefield (built 1930)
City Hall in Littlefield (built 1930)
Motto(s): 
Where BIG things happen!
Map of Texas
Map of Texas
Littlefield, Texas
Location in Texas
Country  United States
State  Texas
County Lamb
Region Llano Estacado
Established 1912
Area
 • Total 6.28 sq mi (16.27 km2)
 • Land 6.28 sq mi (16.27 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
3,560 ft (1,090 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 6,372
 • Estimate 
(2019)
5,843
 • Density 929.97/sq mi (359.07/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
ZIP code
79339
Area code 806
FIPS code 48-43024
Littlefield, TX, City Hall IMG 4767
Municipal building annex in Littlefield
Revised photo of downtown Littlefield, TX IMG 4778
Partial view of downtown Littlefield
Littlefield, TX Water Tower IMG 4780
Littlefield water tower advertises home-town celebrity Waylon Jennings.
Littlefield Lands-Duggan House Museum, Littlefield, TX IMG 4790
Littlefield Lands/Duggan House Museum is located on Waylon Jennings Boulevard.
G's Drive-In Restaurant in Littlefield, TX IMG 4782
G's Drive-In in Littlefield
First Baptist Church, Littlefield, TX IMG 4770
First Baptist Church in downtown Littlefield

Littlefield is a city in and the county seat of Lamb County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,372 at the 2010 census. It is located in a significant cotton-growing region, northwest of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado just south of the Texas Panhandle. Littlefield had a large denim-manufacturing plant operated by American Cotton Growers.

Littlefield houses the Bill W. Clayton Detention Center, a 310-bed, medium-security facility, which is named for the former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, who resided in Springlake.

History

Littlefield is named for George Washington Littlefield (1842–1920), a Mississippi native, Confederate officer, cattleman, banker, and benefactor of the University of Texas at Austin. In July 1901, Littlefield purchased the southern, or Yellow Houses, division of the XIT Ranch, forming the Yellow House Ranch. At that time, the ranch covered 312,175 acres (126,333 ha) in Lamb, Hockley, Bailey, and Cochran Counties. In 1912, when surveys showed that a new rail line from Coleman, Texas, to Texico, New Mexico, would pass through his property, Littlefield formed the Littlefield Lands Company to sell the northeastern corner of the Yellow House Ranch, a total of 79,040 acres (31,990 ha), to settlers and to establish the town of Littlefield in Lamb County. Littlefield became a stop on the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway in 1913.

Geography and climate

Littlefield is located at 33°55′02″N 102°19′30″W / 33.91722°N 102.32500°W / 33.91722; -102.32500 (33.9173148, -102.3249022).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.4 km2), all land.

Much like nearby Lubbock, Littlefield has a mild, semiarid climate. On average, Littlefield receives 18 inches (460 mm) of precipitation per year. Summers in Littlefield are hot, with high temperatures in the 90s °F (32 - 37°C) and dropping into the 60s °F (15 - 20&°C) at nights. The highest recorded temperature was 112°F (44°C) in 1994. Winter days in Littlefield are typically sunny and relatively mild in the mid 50s °F (13°C), but nights are cold with temperatures dipping to the mid 20s °F (-4°C). The lowest recorded temperature was -6°F (-21°C) in 1979.

Tourism

Littlefield is the hometown of singer/songwriter Waylon Jennings. Waylon Jennings Boulevard is named in his honor. A celebration of Jennings' 73rd birthday was held on June 18, 2010, to raise funds for the Lands Duggan House Museum in Littlefield.

Bull Lake is located about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of town. There is a municipal campground located on Highway 385.

The world's tallest windmill was said to be below Yellow Houses Bluff at nearby Yellow House Ranch from the early 1900s until 1926, when the 128-foot (39 m)-high structure was blown over.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1930 3,218
1940 3,817 18.6%
1950 6,540 71.3%
1960 7,236 10.6%
1970 6,738 −6.9%
1980 7,409 10.0%
1990 6,489 −12.4%
2000 6,507 0.3%
2010 6,372 −2.1%
2019 (est.) 5,843 −8.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the 2000 United States Census, 6,507 people, 2,390 households, and 1,699 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,085.4 people per square mile (419.4/km2). The 2,784 housing units averaged 464.4 per square mile (179.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 77.10% White, 5.38% African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 14.62% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 45.83% of the population.

Of the 2,390 households, 34.2% had children under 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were not families; 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the city, the population was distributed as 29.3% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,271, and for a family was $29,842. Males had a median income of $25,978 versus $20,160 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,018. About 18.8% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

By air

Littlefield is served by Lubbock International Airport and Littlefield Municipal Airport, a general-aviation airport that can accommodate small jets, located roughly 2 miles (3 km) outside of the Littlefield city limits.

Lubbock International Airport is served by:

By car

  • US 385.svg U.S. Highway 385
  • US 84.svg U.S. Highway 84
  • US 70.svg U.S. Highway 70

Littlefield sits at the crossroads of US Hwy, 84 which runs from Midway, Georgia, to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, and US Highway 385, which runs from Deadwood, South Dakota, to Big Bend National Park in Texas. Both highways are corridors for tourists and main shipping routes used by trucks.

Notable people

  • Billy Howton (born 1930), NFL player for the Green Bay Packers, the Cleveland Browns, and the Dallas Cowboys
  • Waylon Jennings (1937–2002), country singer
  • Tom Jones (born 1928), Broadway playwright
  • Gene Mayfield (1928–2009), a high-school and college football coach, began his career in Littlefield.
  • Lisa Whelchel (born 1963), was a Mouseketeer on New Mickey Mouse Club, an actress on The Facts of Life, and a contestant on Survivor: Philippines

Economy

The economy of Littlefield is diverse, but traditionally depends on cotton. American Cotton Growers Denim Textile Plant of Littlefield is the largest employer in Littlefield and Lamb County. Plains Cotton Cooperative Association of Lubbock, a farmer-owned, cotton-marketing cooperative purchased the denim plant from ACG in 1987. American Cotton Growers announced the closure of their Littlefield denim mill on Friday Nov 07, 2014. The plant closed in 2015, and was purchased by a dairy co-operative, Select Milk Producers. The city is headquarters to Lowe's Market, a grocery store chain in the American Southwest. In August 2008, Littlefield was selected as the new location for a biodiesel plant.

Education

The City of Littlefield is served by the Littlefield Independent School District and by a branch of South Plains College.

See also

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

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