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 Ward, and Winkler counties in Texas, United States, that is the county seat of Ward County. A very small portion of the city extends into Winkler County. The population was 6,953 at the 2010 census. In 2020, the population was estimated at 7,836.
Contents
History
The Permian Basin, home to Monahans and Midland-Odessa combined statistical area, is 250 miles (400 km) wide and 300 miles (480 km) long; Monahans is "The Center of the Permian Basin". The basin was formed during the Permian period, the final portion of the Paleozoic era. At the time, it was an ocean filled with abundant aquatic life.
In 1583, Spanish explorer Antonio de Espejo crossed this area on his way through present-day New Mexico. The Indians in the Monahans region were called vaqueros by these Spanish explorers because they hunted the "hump-backed cattle" or bison. Records of Spanish exploring the Los Medanos (the sand dunes) outside Monahans can be traced to the early 1770s.
Located in a region where native Comanches, Mescalero, and Lipan Apache Indians once roamed, Monahans' history as a community extends back to the late 1880s with the expansion of the Texas and Pacific Railway across the South Plains. For the few people living in West Texas, the building of a transcontinental railroad through the area meant the arrival of civilization. In the summer of 1881, Texas and Pacific Railroad contracted with surveyor John Thomas Monahan, who discovered that the lack of water for the laying crew and their animals would slow down construction of the rail. Monahan's digging of a water well produced an abundance of good water (250,000 US gal (950,000 L) a day) and was instrumental in the success of the city. Prior to this solution, water had to be hauled to the area from Big Spring, Texas.
The availability of cheap land encouraged settlers to form a small community on the track known as Monahans Well. When oil was discovered in the area in 1926, though, the community changed directions. Oil discovery brought people of many occupations and of varied interests to Monahans. The local economy began to change from an agricultural to an industrial economy.
In June 1994, a temperature of 120 °F was recorded in Monahans, a still-standing record-holder for highest-ever Texan temperature.
Monahans Sandhills State Park
Thousands of tourists each year visit Monahans Sandhills State Park near Monahans. Sand surfing and sand football games can be seen year round, but particularly between March and November. Monahans Sandhills State Park is host to many family picnics and youth activities.
Geography
Climate
| 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 | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| 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 | |||
2020 census
| 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 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,836 people, 2,571 households, and 1,799 families residing in the city.
Education
Public education in the city of Monahans is provided by the Monahans-Wickett-Pyote Independent School District.
All of Ward County and all of Winkler County are zoned to Odessa College.
Transportation
The Texas-New Mexico Railroad operates a 111-mile (179 km) branch line from a connection with the Union Pacific at Monahans. The branch line was constructed between 1928 and 1930 and terminates at Lovington, New Mexico.
Major highways
I-20
SH 18
Notable people
- Guy Clark, a songwriter and country musician, mentioned the city in his songs and in the 1997 live album Keepers during a musical interlude
- Dale Dudley, Texas Radio Hall of Fame member, host of Dudley and Bob Morning Show on KLBJ-FM in Austin, spent part of his childhood in Monahans
- Deanna Dunagan, Tony Award-winning actress
- Edward Llewellyn, trumpet player
- Kathy Whitworth, a professional golfer in Texas Sports Hall of Fame and World Golf Hall of Fame, was born here
- Natalie Zea, an actress in the television series Justified, went to high school in Monahans
See also
In Spanish: Monahans (Texas) para niños
