kids encyclopedia robot

Pecos, Texas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Pecos, Texas
Storefronts in downtown Pecos
Storefronts in downtown Pecos
Nickname(s): 
Tarilas
Location of Pecos, Texas
Location of Pecos, Texas
Reeves County Pecos.svg
Country United States
State Texas
County Reeves
Area
 • Total 22.22 sq mi (57.56 km2)
 • Land 22.22 sq mi (57.56 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
2,582 ft (787 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 8,780
 • Estimate 
(2019)
10,461
 • Density 470.73/sq mi (181.75/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
79772
Area code(s) 432
FIPS code 48-56516
GNIS feature ID 1364996
Website http://www.pecostx.gov/

Pecos ( PAY-kəs) is the largest city in and the county seat of Reeves County, Texas, United States. It is in the valley on the west bank of the Pecos River at the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas and just south of New Mexico's border. Its population was 8,780 at the 2010 census. On January 24, 2012, Pecos City appeared on the Forbes 400 as the second-fastest growing small town in the United States. The city is a regional commercial center for ranching, oil and gas production, and agriculture. The city is most recognized for its association with the local cultivation of cantaloupes. Pecos claims to be the site of the world's first rodeo on July 4, 1883.

History

Pecos texas
Signpost in Pecos
Pecos texas watertower
Water tower and an old church in Pecos, Texas

Pecos is one of the numerous towns in West Texas organized around a train depot during the construction of the Texas and Pacific Railway. These towns were subsequently linked by the construction of U.S. Highway 80 and Interstate 20. Prior to the arrival of the railroad, a permanent camp existed nearby where cattle drives crossed the Pecos River. With the introduction of irrigation from underground aquifers, the city became a center of commerce for extensive local agricultural production of cotton, onions and cantaloupes. The introduction of large-scale sulfur mining in adjacent Culberson County during the 1960s led to significant economic and population growth. The growth was reversed after mining operations ceased in the 1990s.

In 1962 Pecos resident and tycoon Billie Sol Estes was indicted for fraud by a federal grand jury. Estes extensive machinations caused a national level scandal, and a resultant shakeup at the Department of Agriculture. Oscar Griffin, Jr. of the Pecos Independent and Enterprise newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize for breaking the story.

Pecos is the site of the largest private prison in the world, the Reeves County Detention Complex, operated by the GEO Group.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.3 square miles (19 km2), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 393
1900 639 62.6%
1910 1,856 190.5%
1920 1,445 −22.1%
1930 3,304 128.7%
1940 4,855 46.9%
1950 8,054 65.9%
1960 12,728 58.0%
1970 12,682 −0.4%
1980 12,855 1.4%
1990 12,069 −6.1%
2000 9,501 −21.3%
2010 8,780 −7.6%
2019 (est.) 10,461 19.1%
1890-2000, 2010

As of the census of 2000, 9,501 people, 3,168 households, and 2,455 families were residing in the city. The population density was 1,300.1 people per square mile (501.8/km2). The 3,681 housing units averaged 503.7 per mi2 (194.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 76.322% White, 2.45% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 18.07% from other races, and 22% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 79.57% of the population.

Of the 3,168 households, 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were not families. About 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97, and the average family size was 3.47.

In the city, the age distribution was 32.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,943, and for a family was $26,376. Males had a median income of $25,867 versus $13,874 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,857. About 23.4% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.0% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

Pecos experiences a desert climate with hot summers and mild winters. Pecos' aridity results in a substantial diurnal temperature variation, resulting in cool nights even after hot summer days.

Climate data for Pecos, Texas
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 89
(32)
94
(34)
103
(39)
106
(41)
112
(44)
118
(48)
116
(47)
113
(45)
110
(43)
106
(41)
94
(34)
89
(32)
118
(48)
Average high °F (°C) 61
(16)
66
(19)
74
(23)
84
(29)
91
(33)
99
(37)
99
(37)
98
(37)
92
(33)
82
(28)
69
(21)
63
(17)
82
(28)
Average low °F (°C) 28
(−2)
31
(−1)
38
(3)
48
(9)
57
(14)
67
(19)
69
(21)
68
(20)
61
(16)
50
(10)
35
(2)
29
(−2)
48
(9)
Record low °F (°C) −9
(−23)
−8
(−22)
12
(−11)
24
(−4)
30
(−1)
48
(9)
55
(13)
45
(7)
37
(3)
25
(−4)
8
(−13)
1
(−17)
−9
(−23)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.42
(11)
0.38
(9.7)
0.33
(8.4)
0.57
(14)
1.14
(29)
1.11
(28)
1.33
(34)
1.24
(31)
1.85
(47)
1.16
(29)
0.47
(12)
0.49
(12)
10.48
(266)
Source: Weatherbase

Education

The City of Pecos is served by the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District, which currently has five schools: Pecos Kindergarten, Austin Elementary (grades 1–3), Bessie Haynes Elementary (grades 4–5), Crockett Middle School, (grades 6–8), and Pecos High School (grades 9–12).

Notable people

  • Billie Sol Estes, financier convicted of fraud
  • Paul Gonzales, boxer, gold medalist at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games
  • Oscar Griffin, Jr., recipient of 1963 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting
  • Roger Mobley, later child actor, resided in Pecos in the 1950s
  • Abel Talamantez, singer of Menudo and the Kumbia Kings

See also

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

kids search engine
Pecos, Texas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.