Marathon, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marathon, Texas
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Sign of Marathon
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Brewster |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.3 sq mi (13.6 km2) |
| • Land | 5.3 sq mi (13.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,101 ft (1,250 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 410 |
| • Density | 77.4/sq mi (30.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
79842
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| Area code(s) | 432 |
| FIPS code | 48-46572 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2408173 |
Marathon is a small community in Brewster County, Texas, United States. It's known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a community that the government counts for population, but it doesn't have its own official city government.
The number of people living in Marathon has changed over the years. In 2007, there were 470 residents. By 2020, the population had decreased to 410 people. Marathon is a popular stop for tourists traveling to Big Bend National Park.
Contents
History of Marathon
Marathon has an interesting past. A local rancher named Alfred S. Gage decided to build a hotel in Marathon. He hired an architect named Henry Trost from El Paso to design it. The beautiful Gage Hotel opened in 1927. It also served as Mr. Gage's office until he passed away a year later.
In 2022, a writer named Joe Holley from the Houston Chronicle newspaper said that Marathon is "proud to be the un-Marfa." This means Marathon likes to be different from its nearby, more famous neighbor, Marfa.
Geography and Climate
Marathon is located in a unique part of Texas. The community covers an area of about 5.2 square miles (13.6 square kilometers). All of this area is land, with no large bodies of water.
Marathon's Climate
Marathon has a semiarid climate. This means it's generally dry, but not a true desert. It gets some rain, but not a lot. The climate system calls this a BSk climate.
The weather in Marathon can vary quite a bit. Summers are hot, and winters are mild.
| Climate data for Marathon, Texas (Jul 1, 1896–Feb 28, 2013) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
90 (32) |
94 (34) |
100 (38) |
105 (41) |
108 (42) |
105 (41) |
110 (43) |
102 (39) |
101 (38) |
97 (36) |
94 (34) |
110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 62.1 (16.7) |
65.7 (18.7) |
72.9 (22.7) |
80.3 (26.8) |
86.5 (30.3) |
91.1 (32.8) |
90.5 (32.5) |
90.0 (32.2) |
84.9 (29.4) |
78.6 (25.9) |
69.3 (20.7) |
63.0 (17.2) |
77.9 (25.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 45.5 (7.5) |
48.6 (9.2) |
55.0 (12.8) |
62.5 (16.9) |
69.8 (21.0) |
75.5 (24.2) |
76.4 (24.7) |
75.6 (24.2) |
70.6 (21.4) |
62.5 (16.9) |
52.4 (11.3) |
46.4 (8.0) |
61.7 (16.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.8 (−1.8) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
37.2 (2.9) |
44.6 (7.0) |
53.1 (11.7) |
60.0 (15.6) |
62.4 (16.9) |
61.3 (16.3) |
56.5 (13.6) |
46.4 (8.0) |
35.5 (1.9) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
45.6 (7.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −6 (−21) |
−3 (−19) |
9 (−13) |
19 (−7) |
32 (0) |
40 (4) |
49 (9) |
43 (6) |
35 (2) |
17 (−8) |
0 (−18) |
−3 (−19) |
−6 (−21) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.44 (11) |
0.40 (10) |
0.40 (10) |
0.74 (19) |
1.62 (41) |
1.87 (47) |
2.21 (56) |
2.14 (54) |
2.42 (61) |
1.40 (36) |
0.52 (13) |
0.51 (13) |
14.69 (373) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.6 (1.5) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.2 (0.51) |
1.6 (4.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.001 in) | 2.28 | 2.14 | 1.69 | 2.44 | 4.28 | 5.22 | 5.64 | 5.63 | 6.17 | 3.66 | 1.96 | 2.28 | 46.29 |
| Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute | |||||||||||||
People of Marathon (Demographics)
Demographics is the study of populations. It helps us understand who lives in a place. Marathon was first counted as a census-designated place in the year 2000.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 410 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 |
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2020 Census Information
The 2020 United States census counted 410 people living in Marathon. There were 217 households and 174 families. The table below shows the different groups of people living in Marathon based on the 2020 census.
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 209 | 50.98% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 3 | 0.73% |
| Asian (NH) | 3 | 0.73% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 2 | 0.49% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 3 | 0.73% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 190 | 46.34% |
| Total | 410 |
Fun Places to Visit
The Gage Hotel is a very important place in Marathon. After being empty for some time, J.P. Bryan bought it in 1978. He had it renovated, and it reopened in 1982. The hotel is so special that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. Mr. Bryan also bought other buildings to help the town grow.
Marathon has also been a filming location for movies! Scenes from the movie Paris, Texas, directed by Wim Wenders, were filmed here. The 1985 movie Fandango, starring Kevin Costner, also shot some scenes in Marathon.
Getting Around Marathon (Transportation)
Marathon is easy to find because it's located where two main roads meet: US 90 and US 385.
While the Amtrak train called the Sunset Limited passes through Marathon on Union Pacific tracks, it doesn't stop in the town. The closest train stop is about 30 miles northwest, in a town called Alpine.
Learning in Marathon (Education)
Students in Marathon attend schools run by the Marathon Independent School District. This district serves students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.
For students who want to continue their education after high school, Brewster County is part of the Odessa College District. This means students can attend a community college there.
Earthquake in Marathon
On April 14, 1995, a fairly strong earthquake happened near Marathon. It had a magnitude of 5.7. As of 2008, this was the second-largest earthquake ever recorded in Texas.
See also
In Spanish: Marathon (Texas) para niños
