Plainview, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Plainview, Texas
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 Plainview, Texas
Location in Texas
Plainview, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Hale |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 13.89 sq mi (35.99 km2) |
| • Land | 13.89 sq mi (35.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,366 ft (1,026 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 20,187 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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19,420 |
| • Density | 1,453.35/sq mi (560.91/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
79072-79073
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| Area code(s) | 806 |
| FIPS code | 48-57980 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1365375 |
Plainview is a city in Texas, United States. It's also the main town, or county seat, of Hale County. In 2020, about 20,187 people lived there.
Contents
History of Plainview
Plainview started on March 18, 1887, when Z. T. Maxwell and Edwin Lowden Lowe set up a post office. The town got its name because it was surrounded by a huge, flat, treeless plain.
On July 3, 1888, Plainview officially became a town. It was chosen as the county seat for Hale County in August of the same year.
In 1906, a train line called the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway reached Plainview. This helped the area's farming business grow a lot. The city officially became incorporated in 1907. By 1910, almost 3,000 people lived there, and it was called the "Athens of West Texas."
Two colleges were also founded around this time. Central Plains College and Conservatory of Music started in 1907, and Wayland Baptist College (now Wayland Baptist University) opened in 1909.
Later, in 1969, country singer Jimmy Dean opened his meat company in Plainview. In 1971, a big beef-processing plant was built by Missouri Beef Packers.
Geography of Plainview
Plainview is located at 34°11′28″N 101°43′8″W / 34.19111°N 101.71889°W on a large flat area called the Llano Estacado.
The United States Census Bureau says the city covers about 13.8 square miles (36 km2) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.
Plainview's Climate
Plainview has a semiarid climate, which means it's generally dry but not a desert. It gets some rain, but not a lot.
| Climate data for Plainview, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1908–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) |
89 (32) |
93 (34) |
102 (39) |
108 (42) |
112 (44) |
110 (43) |
107 (42) |
102 (39) |
99 (37) |
90 (32) |
82 (28) |
112 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 73.4 (23.0) |
77.6 (25.3) |
85.0 (29.4) |
90.3 (32.4) |
97.4 (36.3) |
101.9 (38.8) |
100.7 (38.2) |
99.2 (37.3) |
96.0 (35.6) |
90.4 (32.4) |
80.7 (27.1) |
73.0 (22.8) |
104.4 (40.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 52.3 (11.3) |
56.7 (13.7) |
65.1 (18.4) |
73.4 (23.0) |
81.8 (27.7) |
90.2 (32.3) |
92.4 (33.6) |
91.0 (32.8) |
83.8 (28.8) |
74.0 (23.3) |
61.8 (16.6) |
52.8 (11.6) |
72.9 (22.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 39.2 (4.0) |
42.8 (6.0) |
50.7 (10.4) |
58.7 (14.8) |
68.3 (20.2) |
77.1 (25.1) |
80.1 (26.7) |
78.7 (25.9) |
71.3 (21.8) |
60.3 (15.7) |
48.5 (9.2) |
40.2 (4.6) |
59.7 (15.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 26.1 (−3.3) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
36.3 (2.4) |
43.9 (6.6) |
54.7 (12.6) |
64.1 (17.8) |
67.9 (19.9) |
66.3 (19.1) |
58.8 (14.9) |
46.7 (8.2) |
35.1 (1.7) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
46.4 (8.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 12.0 (−11.1) |
14.8 (−9.6) |
20.0 (−6.7) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
40.7 (4.8) |
54.5 (12.5) |
61.3 (16.3) |
59.6 (15.3) |
46.4 (8.0) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
12.7 (−10.7) |
7.2 (−13.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −7 (−22) |
−8 (−22) |
−2 (−19) |
15 (−9) |
24 (−4) |
39 (4) |
50 (10) |
45 (7) |
33 (1) |
17 (−8) |
3 (−16) |
−5 (−21) |
−8 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.68 (17) |
0.60 (15) |
1.25 (32) |
1.52 (39) |
2.86 (73) |
2.74 (70) |
2.38 (60) |
2.12 (54) |
1.99 (51) |
1.63 (41) |
0.83 (21) |
0.73 (19) |
19.33 (491) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.1 (5.3) |
1.5 (3.8) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
1.2 (3.0) |
2.4 (6.1) |
8.2 (21) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.3 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 62.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 5.4 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Plainview's Population Data
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 2,829 | — | |
| 1920 | 3,989 | 41.0% | |
| 1930 | 8,834 | 121.5% | |
| 1940 | 8,263 | −6.5% | |
| 1950 | 14,044 | 70.0% | |
| 1960 | 18,735 | 33.4% | |
| 1970 | 19,096 | 1.9% | |
| 1980 | 22,187 | 16.2% | |
| 1990 | 21,700 | −2.2% | |
| 2000 | 22,336 | 2.9% | |
| 2010 | 22,194 | −0.6% | |
| 2020 | 20,187 | −9.0% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 19,420 | −12.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Plainview's 2020 Census Information
In 2020, the 2020 United States census showed that 20,187 people lived in Plainview. These people made up 6,843 households and 4,668 families.
The table below shows the different groups of people living in Plainview according to the 2020 census:
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 5,579 | 27.64% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 934 | 4.63% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 71 | 0.35% |
| Asian (NH) | 115 | 0.57% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 25 | 0.12% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 40 | 0.2% |
| Mixed/multiracial (NH) | 377 | 1.87% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13,046 | 64.63% |
| Total | 20,187 |
Plainview's Economy
In 2009, a food processing facility near Plainview had to recall its products. This happened because of cleanliness concerns found at the plant. This recall was not related to other issues with similar plants at the time.
A large beef processing plant owned by Cargill was once the biggest employer in Plainview. However, it closed in 2013. This closure happened because there weren't enough animals coming in, partly due to a long drought from 2010 to 2012. When the plant closed, about 2,300 employees and their families had to move away. This created big challenges for the city.
Education in Plainview
The city's schools are part of the Plainview Independent School District. In 2018, about 5,585 students were enrolled here. Many students from nearby areas choose to transfer to Plainview schools.
This district is larger than others around it. Because of its size, Plainview schools can offer more help for students with disabilities or special needs. They also have more specialized classes that might not be available elsewhere. The mascot for Plainview High School is a grey English Bulldog named "Big Red."
Wayland Baptist University is a private, four-year university located in Plainview. It's a coeducational school, meaning both boys and girls attend. When the school started in 1908, its campus was more than a mile outside the city.
The Museum of the Llano Estacado, now called the Mabee Regional Heritage Center, opened in 1976. It's located on the university grounds. The museum has a special exhibit with items found at the Plainview Site. It also displays the fossilized bones of a Columbian mammoth, which is a huge, ancient elephant-like animal. This mammoth is known as the "Imperial Mammoth." The Mabee Regional Heritage Center also includes the Jimmy Dean, Llano of the Estacado, and Flying Queens museums.
Plainview residents can also take classes at an extension campus of South Plains College.
Media and Entertainment in Plainview
The Plainview Herald is the city's only newspaper. It used to be called the Plainview Daily Herald. A company called Hearst Communications bought it in 1979. It's one of the oldest newspapers in Texas that is still being published. In 1994, it started using computers for its layout and also began publishing online. People in Plainview also read the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, which often shares news about Plainview.
Eight radio stations broadcast from the city. One of the oldest in the area is KVOP. Its call sign originally stood for "Voice of Plainview."
Plainview is in the Lubbock television market. Because of the flat land, you can sometimes pick up TV stations from Amarillo, either directly or through special signal boosters. Before 1993, local cable companies showed almost all stations from both Lubbock and Amarillo. After new rules from the Federal Communications Commission, only stations from Lubbock are available to cable and digital satellite customers in the city.
The movie Leap of Faith (1992), starring Steve Martin, was filmed in and around Plainview. Many local people were hired to be extras in the movie. Until 2016, a water tower in the city had the name and mascot of the made-up town from the movie: Rustwater Bengals.
An episode of the TV show Vice showed Plainview as a "ghost town." This was in a documentary called "Deliver Us from Drought." However, about 22,000 people still lived in the city when it was filmed. The documentary showed many places that had been closed or empty for years. It used them as examples of people moving away from rural areas after a drought. This documentary was similar to a shorter one called "Dry and Drier in West Texas." Both documentaries showed Plainview residents as being very religious.
Transportation in Plainview
Plainview is located where several important roads meet. These include Interstate Highway 27, U.S. highways 87 and 70, and State Highway 194.
Famous People from Plainview
- James H. Clark: He started several big technology companies like Silicon Graphics and Netscape.
- Jimmy Dean: A famous singer, actor, and businessman. He hosted The Jimmy Dean Show.
- Bob Dorough: A talented jazz pianist.
- Michael Egnew: A former player for the Miami Dolphins football team.
- Marshall Formby: He was a judge for Dickens County and a state senator.
- Leonard Garcia: A retired professional mixed martial artist.
- Todrick Hall: A popular YouTube star, singer, and Broadway actor.
- Harry Igo: He was the president of Plainsman Fertilizer Company. During World War II, Captain Igo and his crew secretly transported parts of the "Little Boy" atomic bomb. They didn't know what they were carrying until years later.
- Don January: A professional golfer.
- Jim Landtroop: A former member of the Texas House of Representatives.
- Pete Laney: He used to be the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
- Emily Jones McCoy: A former TV reporter for KCBD and Fox Sports Networks.
- Lawrence McCutcheon: A former player for the Los Angeles Rams football team.
- Carl Nafzger: A famous horse trainer who trained Derby winner Unbridled.
- Ray Poage: A former player for the Minnesota Vikings football team.
- Lavern Roach: A professional boxer.
- Mariel Salcedo: An online video personality, podcast host, actress, and producer for Rooster Teeth Productions.
- Julius Waring Walker, Jr.: A former U.S. ambassador to Burkina Faso.
- Jamar Wall: A player with the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL.
- James Henry Wayland: A doctor who founded Wayland Baptist University.
See also
In Spanish: Plainview (Texas) para niños
