Lubbock, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lubbock, Texas
City
Downtown Lubbock in 2024
Flag Logo
Nickname(s):  Hub City
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Lubbock
Settled	1889
Incorporated	March 16, 1909
Named for	Thomas Saltus Lubbock
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• City	135.85 sq mi (351.85 km2)
• Land	134.60 sq mi (348.63 km2)
• Water	1.24 sq mi (3.22 km2)
Elevation	3,202 ft (976 m)
Population  (2023)
• City	266,878
• Rank	84th in the United States 10th in Texas
• Density	1,964.50/sq mi (758.499/km2)
• Urban	272,280 (US: 150th)
• Urban density	2,562.1/sq mi (989.2/km2)
• Metro	360,104 (US: 155th)
• CSA	396,955 (US: 103th)
Demonym(s)	Lubbockite
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	79401-79416, 79423, 79424, 79430, 79452, 79453, 79457, 79464, 79490, 79491, 79493, 79499
Area code	806
FIPS code	48-45000
GNIS feature ID	1374760

Lubbock (pronounced LUB-ək) is a big city in the state of Texas, USA. It is the main city of Lubbock County. In 2023, about 266,878 people lived there. This makes Lubbock the 10th largest city in Texas. It is also the 84th largest city in the whole United States.

Lubbock is in the northwestern part of Texas. It is in a flat area called the Great Plains, specifically the High Plains. The city is the main center for business, education, and health care in its region. This is why it's called the "Hub City."

This area is famous for growing a lot of cotton. In fact, it's the biggest cotton-growing region in the world! Farmers use water from the Ogallala Aquifer to water their crops. Lubbock is also home to Texas Tech University, a very large college in Texas.

History of Lubbock

Lubbock County was started in 1876. It was named after Thomas Saltus Lubbock. He was a Texas Ranger. In 1890, two small towns, Old Lubbock and Monterey, joined together. They formed the new town of Lubbock.

Lubbock became the county seat in 1891. It officially became a city on March 16, 1909. The first train arrived in the city that same year.

Colleges and Universities

Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) was founded in Lubbock in 1923. Later, in 1969, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center opened. Both are now part of the Texas Tech University System.

Other colleges in Lubbock include Lubbock Christian University, started in 1957. There is also Sunset International Bible Institute. Both are linked to the Churches of Christ. South Plains College and Wayland Baptist University also have campuses here.

Reese Air Force Base

Lubbock used to have an air force base called Reese Air Force Base. It was about 6 miles (10 km) west of the city. The base was mainly used to train pilots. It closed in 1997. Now, it's a research and business park called Reese Technology Center.

Lubbock Lake Landmark

The city is home to the Lubbock Lake Landmark. This is part of the Museum of Texas Tech University. It's a special place for history and nature. It shows that people lived in this area almost 12,000 years ago. The National Ranching Heritage Center is also here. It has old ranch buildings from the region.

The Lubbock Lights Mystery

In August 1951, people saw strange V-shaped lights in the sky over Lubbock. These "Lubbock Lights" became famous. Many respected science professors from Texas Tech saw them. A student even took photos. The photos were printed in newspapers and Life magazine.

The US Air Force studied the sightings. They said the lights might have been moths or birds reflecting city lights. But many people still think the "Lubbock Lights" are a mystery.

The Lubbock Tornado

On May 11, 1970, a very strong tornado hit Lubbock. It was an F5 tornado, the strongest kind. Twenty-six people died. The damage was about $125 million. The Metro Tower is a tall building in Lubbock. It is believed to be the tallest building ever to survive a direct hit from an F5 tornado. After the storm, city leaders worked hard to rebuild downtown Lubbock.

In 2009, Lubbock celebrated its 100th birthday.

Geography of Lubbock

Lubbock is located at 33.566 degrees North and 101.887 degrees West. Its official height is about 3,256 feet (992 m) above sea level. Lubbock is seen as the center of the South Plains. It is north of the Permian Basin and south of the Texas Panhandle.

The city covers about 123.55 square miles (319.9 km2). Most of this area is land. Only a small part is covered by water.

Lubbock's Tallest Buildings

Here are some of the tallest buildings in Lubbock:

Rank	Name	Height ft / m	Floors (Stories)	Year Completed
1	NTS Tower	274 / 84	20	1955
2	Wells Fargo Building	209 / 64	15	1968
3	TTU Media and Communication Building	208 / 63	12	1969
4	Overton Hotel	165 / 50	15	2009
5	TTU Architecture Building	158 / 48	10	1971

Lubbock's Climate

Lubbock has a mild, semiarid climate. This means it's often dry. On average, Lubbock gets about 18.69 inches (47.5 cm) of rain each year. It also gets about 8.2 inches (21 cm) of snow.

In 2013, the Weather Channel called Lubbock the "Toughest Weather City" in America.

Summers are hot. There are about 78 days a year when the temperature reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher. About 7 days reach 100°F (38°C) or higher. Lubbock is also a windy city. It is the tenth-windiest city in the US. The highest temperature ever recorded was 114°F (46°C) in June 1994.

Winters are usually sunny and mild during the day. But nights are cold. Temperatures often drop below freezing. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −17°F (−27°C) in February 1933.

People of Lubbock

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1910	1,938		—
1920	4,051		109.0%
1930	20,520		406.5%
1940	31,853		55.2%
1950	71,747		125.2%
1960	128,691		79.4%
1970	149,101		15.9%
1980	173,979		16.7%
1990	186,206		7.0%
2000	199,564		7.2%
2010	229,573		15.0%
2020	257,141		12.0%
2023 (est.)	266,878		16.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2023, Lubbock had about 266,878 people. The city's population has grown a lot over the years.

Population Makeup

Lubbock is a diverse city. In 2020, about 47.58% of the people were White (not Hispanic). About 9.57% were Black or African American. About 3.59% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up about 35.60% of the population.

The average age in Lubbock in 2019 was 29.8 years old. This means it's a city with many young people.

Religion in Lubbock

Most people in Lubbock are Christians. It is part of the "Bible Belt." The biggest Christian groups are Baptists, Catholics, and Methodists.

Islam is the second largest religion in the area. Other faiths like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism are also practiced by smaller groups.

Lubbock's Economy

The Lubbock area is known for growing cotton. It's the largest cotton-growing region in the world. Farmers use water from the Ogallala Aquifer to water their crops. People are working on ways to save water. New technologies for irrigation were even developed here.

Texas Tech University is a major part of Lubbock's economy. Students, teachers, and staff contribute a lot of money to the city. Other big employers include Covenant Health System and University Medical Center. United Supermarkets and the City of Lubbock also employ many people.

Environmental Cleanup Efforts

There was a company called Scrub-A-Dubb Barrel Company. It caused pollution problems for many years. When it closed, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had to clean up the site. They found dangerous waste that had spread into nearby areas. This cleanup cost a lot of money. It was important to protect public health and the environment.

Arts and Culture in Lubbock

Yearly Events

Every year on July 4th, Lubbock hosts "4th on Broadway." It's a huge Independence Day festival. It's free for everyone. The event includes a parade, a street fair with food and music, and fireworks.

The South Plains Fair is also held every year. It has live music, rides, and carnival food. Farmers from nearby areas also bring their animals for contests.

The National Cowboy Symposium and Celebration happens in September. It celebrates the Old West cowboy. You can see art, listen to music and cowboy poetry, and hear stories. There's also a chuckwagon cook-off and a horse parade.

Monthly Events

On the first Friday of each month, Lubbock has a free "First Friday Art Trail." This event takes place downtown. It's managed by the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts. About 20,000 people attend each month to enjoy art.

Music Scene

Lubbock has a strong music history. The "West Texas Walk of Fame" honors musicians from the area. It's located in Buddy and Maria Elena Holly Plaza.

Lubbock is the birthplace of rock and roll legend Buddy Holly. The Buddy Holly Center in the Depot District celebrates his life and music. A new performing arts center, the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences, opened in 2021.

Other famous musicians from Lubbock include Mac Davis, a country music singer and songwriter. The Legendary Stardust Cowboy and John Denver also started their music careers here.

The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra performs at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Theatre. The Moonlight Musicals Amphitheater hosts concerts and shows.

Places to Visit

Lubbock is in the Texas High Plains. This area grows 80% of the state's wine grapes. There are five wineries near Lubbock that you can visit.

The National Ranching Heritage Center is a museum about ranching history. It has old Texas ranch buildings and a collection of weapons.

The Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University has historical records of the region. You can also visit the Moody Planetarium and the Museum of Texas Tech University.

The Depot District is a lively area with music and nightlife. It has theaters, restaurants, and shops. The Buddy Holly Center is also in this district.

The Silent Wings Museum shows photos and items from World War II glider pilots. The Science Spectrum is an interactive museum for kids. It has a huge domed screen for movies.

Historic Places

Many places in Lubbock are on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:

• Cactus Theater
• Lubbock High School
• Lubbock Lake Landmark
• Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building
• Texas Technological College Dairy Barn

Sports in Lubbock

Lubbock is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders sports teams. They play in the Big 12 Conference. Texas Tech has 17 teams in 11 different sports. These include football, basketball, baseball, and soccer.

The Red Raiders football team has won 15 conference titles. They have played in 50 bowl games. The men's basketball team has been to the NCAA Tournament 18 times. In 2019, they reached the Final Four.

The women's basketball team has been very successful. They won the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in 1993.

Lubbock Christian University also has strong sports teams. Their women's basketball team won national championships in 2016 and 2019. Their baseball team won a national championship in 2009.

High school sports are also very popular in Lubbock.

Professional and Semi-Professional Teams

Lubbock has had some professional sports teams in the past. The Lubbock Renegades played arena football from 2006 to 2008. The Lubbock Cotton Kings played hockey from 1999 to 2007. In 2021, a new soccer team, the Lubbock Matadors SC, was announced.

Little League Success

In 2007, the Lubbock Western All-Stars Little League Baseball team made it to the final four of the Little League World Series.

Parks and Recreation

Mackenzie Park is a large park in Lubbock. In 1877, a battle called the Battle of Yellow House Canyon happened here. Today, the park has the Joyland Amusement Park (now closed). It also has Prairie Dog Town, a disc golf course, and a regular golf course. The American Wind Power Center is in the park. It has over 100 old windmills.

Two streams, Yellow House Draw and Blackwater Draw, flow through Mackenzie Park. They join to form the start of Yellow House Canyon.

Lubbock has many parks throughout the city. Most parks have a small lake. These lakes attract different kinds of birds. Dunbar Historic Lake Park has miles of hiking trails. It also has the Crosbyton-Southplains Railroad trestle, built in 1911. This old bridge is sometimes called "Hell's Gate Trestle" by locals.

Many parks have "Playa Lakes." These small lakes collect rainwater and irrigation runoff. They are important for the local ecosystem.

Education in Lubbock

Schools for Kids

Schools in Lubbock are run by several public school districts. These include:

• Lubbock Independent School District
• Frenship Independent School District
• Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District

There are also private schools like All Saints Episcopal School and Christ the King Cathedral School. Charter schools like Harmony Science Academy also serve the city.

Higher Education

Lubbock is home to Texas Tech University. It was founded in 1923. It is a very important part of the Texas Tech University System. Texas Tech is one of the largest universities in Texas. It has students from all over the world. The university plans to have 40,000 students by 2020.

Other colleges in Lubbock include Lubbock Christian University, South Plains College, Wayland Baptist University, and Sunset International Bible Institute.

Covenant Health System also runs schools for nursing, radiography, and surgical technology.

Media in Lubbock

Lubbock's main newspaper is the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Texas Tech University also has a student newspaper called The Daily Toreador.

Local TV stations include KCBD (NBC), KLBK (CBS), KAMC (ABC), and KJTV (Fox).

Texas Tech University Press publishes books and journals. They have many scholarly, regional, and children's books.

Radio Stations

Lubbock has many radio stations. They play different types of music and shows. Some examples are:

• 94.5 KFMX (Active Rock)
• 96.3 KLLL (Country)
• 98.1 KKCL-FM (Classic Hits)
• 99.5 KQBR (Country)
• 100.3 KMMX (Top-40)
• 102.5 KZII (Top-40)

Transportation in Lubbock

Highways

Lubbock has several major highways. Interstate 27 connects Lubbock to Amarillo. US 62 and US 82 run through the city. They are known as the Marsha Sharp Freeway. US 84 and US Highway 87 also serve the city.

Lubbock has a simple grid plan for its streets. Numbered streets run east-west. Lettered avenues run north-south.

Air Travel

The city's airport is Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport. It is named after a former governor of Texas. The airport is on the northeast side of the city. It is the eighth-busiest airport in Texas. FedEx also uses it as a major hub for its smaller planes.

Bus Services

Greyhound Lines offers bus service from the Lubbock Station.

Public transportation is provided by Citibus. It's a bus system that runs Monday through Saturday. The main bus routes meet at the Downtown Transfer Plaza. Citibus has been serving Lubbock since 1971. They even have hybrid buses that use less fuel.

Notable People from Lubbock

Arts and Science

Music

Sports

Sister Cities

Lubbock has one sister city:

• City of Musashino, Tokyo, Japan – since 1983

See also

In Spanish: Lubbock para niños