Monahans, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Monahans, Texas
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Air photo of part of Monahans facing northeast. February 2012
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Location of Monahans, Texas
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Counties | Ward, Winkler |
| Area | |
| • Total | 28.93 sq mi (74.93 km2) |
| • Land | 28.92 sq mi (74.90 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,621 ft (799 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,836 |
| • Density | 270.86/sq mi (104.578/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
79756
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| Area code(s) | 432 |
| FIPS code | 48-48936 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1363045 |
| Website | www.cityofmonahans.org |
Monahans is a city in Texas, United States. It is mostly in Ward County, where it is the county seat (the main town for county government). A tiny part of the city also reaches into Winkler County. In 2020, about 7,836 people lived here.
Contents
History of Monahans
Monahans is located in the Permian Basin. This large area is about 250 miles (400 km) wide and 300 miles (480 km) long. It was formed during the Permian period, a very long time ago. Back then, it was an ocean full of sea creatures.
Early Explorers and Native Americans
In 1583, a Spanish explorer named Antonio de Espejo traveled through this region. He saw Native Americans hunting bison, which they called "hump-backed cattle." The Spanish explorers called these hunters vaqueros. Records show that Spanish explorers visited the sand dunes near Monahans in the early 1770s. They called these dunes Los Medanos.
Native American groups like the Comanche, Mescalero, and Lipan Apache once lived in this area.
Railroad and Water Discovery
Monahans became a community in the late 1880s. This happened when the Texas and Pacific Railway expanded across West Texas. Building a railroad meant that more people and supplies could reach this part of the country.
In 1881, the railroad hired a surveyor named John Thomas Monahan. He found that the workers and their animals needed more water. Monahan dug a well and found a lot of good water. This well produced about 250,000 US gallons (950,000 L) of water each day. This discovery was very important for the railroad's success and for the future city. Before this, water had to be brought from far away.
Growth of the Community
Because water was available and land was cheap, a small community grew around the railroad track. It was known as Monahans Well. In 1926, oil was discovered in the area. This changed Monahans a lot. Many new people came to the city, looking for work in the oil industry. The local economy shifted from farming to industry.
Monahans Sandhills State Park
Many tourists visit Monahans Sandhills State Park every year. It is located near Monahans. People enjoy activities like sand surfing and playing sand football. These activities are popular all year, especially from March to November. The park is also a great place for family picnics and youth events.
Geography
Climate in Monahans
Monahans has a climate typical of West Texas. The weather can be quite warm, especially in the summer. Winters are generally mild. The area does not get much snow.
| Climate data for Monahans, Texas (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 87 (31) |
91 (33) |
100 (38) |
106 (41) |
114 (46) |
120 (49) |
115 (46) |
110 (43) |
108 (42) |
104 (40) |
92 (33) |
86 (30) |
120 (49) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 61.8 (16.6) |
66.5 (19.2) |
74.4 (23.6) |
83.4 (28.6) |
91.5 (33.1) |
97.5 (36.4) |
98.6 (37.0) |
97.0 (36.1) |
91.1 (32.8) |
82.5 (28.1) |
70.7 (21.5) |
61.8 (16.6) |
81.4 (27.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.6 (−1.9) |
33.0 (0.6) |
39.5 (4.2) |
48.2 (9.0) |
58.0 (14.4) |
67.0 (19.4) |
69.2 (20.7) |
68.5 (20.3) |
61.7 (16.5) |
50.5 (10.3) |
37.7 (3.2) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
49.3 (9.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −9 (−23) |
−8 (−22) |
12 (−11) |
25 (−4) |
35 (2) |
45 (7) |
50 (10) |
50 (10) |
33 (1) |
22 (−6) |
10 (−12) |
5 (−15) |
−9 (−23) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.54 (14) |
0.71 (18) |
0.53 (13) |
0.57 (14) |
1.60 (41) |
1.35 (34) |
1.61 (41) |
1.73 (44) |
2.03 (52) |
1.63 (41) |
0.58 (15) |
0.67 (17) |
13.54 (344) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
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) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.8 (2.0) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population of Monahans
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 816 | — | |
| 1940 | 3,944 | 383.3% | |
| 1950 | 6,311 | 60.0% | |
| 1960 | 8,567 | 35.7% | |
| 1970 | 8,333 | −2.7% | |
| 1980 | 8,397 | 0.8% | |
| 1990 | 8,101 | −3.5% | |
| 2000 | 6,821 | −15.8% | |
| 2010 | 6,953 | 1.9% | |
| 2020 | 7,836 | 12.7% | |
| 1930-2000, 2010 | |||
Monahans Racial Composition (2020)
This table shows the different groups of people living in Monahans in 2020.
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 2,783 | 35.52% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 374 | 4.77% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 30 | 0.38% |
| Asian (NH) | 54 | 0.69% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 2 | 0.03% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 18 | 0.23% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 163 | 2.08% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,412 | 56.3% |
| Total | 7,836 |
In 2020, Monahans had 7,836 people living in the city. There were 2,571 households and 1,799 families.
Education in Monahans
The Monahans-Wickett-Pyote Independent School District provides public education in Monahans. All students in Ward County and Winkler County can attend Odessa College.
Transportation
The Texas-New Mexico Railroad runs a 111-mile (179 km) branch line from Monahans. This line connects with the Union Pacific railroad. It was built between 1928 and 1930 and ends in Lovington, New Mexico.
Major Highways
I-20
SH 18
Notable People from Monahans
Many interesting people have connections to Monahans:
- Guy Clark was a songwriter and country musician. He mentioned Monahans in his songs.
- Dale Dudley is a famous Texas radio host. He spent some of his childhood in Monahans.
- Deanna Dunagan is an actress who won a Tony Award.
- Edward Llewellyn was a talented trumpet player.
- Kathy Whitworth is a professional golfer. She is in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. She was born in Monahans.
- Natalie Zea is an actress known for TV shows like Justified. She went to high school in Monahans.
See also
In Spanish: Monahans (Texas) para niños
