Ranger, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ranger, Texas
City
Downtown Ranger, Texas
Location of Ranger, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Eastland
Area
• Total	7.13 sq mi (18.46 km2)
• Land	7.00 sq mi (18.12 km2)
• Water	0.13 sq mi (0.34 km2)
Elevation	1,437 ft (438 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,300
• Density	323/sq mi (124.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76470
Area code(s)	254
FIPS code	48-60632
GNIS feature ID	1344793

Ranger is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,300 at the 2020 census. Ranger College, a community college, is the second-largest employer in the community.

During the 1920s, Ranger, like nearby Cisco, Eastland, and Desdemona, was a petroleum boomtown.

History

The Texas Pacific Coal Company of Thurber drilled a gas well north of Ranger in August 1917, after town civic leaders offered acreage in return for four test wells. Then on October 11, 1917, the McClesky well, one mile southwest of Ranger, produced oil at 1200 BOPD. Production came from the Strawn Formation sandstones at 1,300 to 2,000 feet (400 to 610 m), the Smithwick Shale, and the Marble Falls Formation limestone at 3,200 to 3,400 feet (980 to 1,040 m) feet. The Ranger Oil Field production peaked in July 1919 at 80,000 BOPD. The oil boom brought many seeking jobs, including farm boys and demobilized veterans.

Geography

Ranger is located in northeastern Eastland County at 32°28′12″N 98°40′36″W / 32.47000°N 98.67667°W / 32.47000; -98.67667 (32.470102, –98.676734). Interstate 20 passes south and east of the city, with access from Exits 349, 351, 352, and 354. I-20 leads east 85 miles (137 km) to Fort Worth and west 65 miles (105 km) to Abilene. Eastland, the county seat, is 10 miles (16 km) to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Ranger has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.5 km²), of which 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²), or 1.83%, is covered by water.

Ranger Antique Airfield dates back to 1911. Pilot Amelia Earhart landed at the field in 1931 in her Pitcairn Autogyro. Ranger Airfield has two grass runways: 1/19 – 3400 x 80 ft and 17/35; 1950 x 60 ft.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Ranger has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,300 people, 1,017 households, and 516 families residing in the city.

Education

The city is served by the Ranger Independent School District and home to the Ranger High School Bulldogs, 1953 state football champions (Class 1A). The city is also home to Ranger College.

Notable people

• Stephen Arterburn, Evangelical Christian author and spokesman
• Bobby Cross, American football player
• Buster Mills, baseball player
• Ted Neeley, actor best known for playing the title role in the film Jesus Christ Superstar
• Bob Smith, American football player
• Eve Southern, actress
• Walter Prescott Webb, eminent Texas, Western and Great Plains historian

Photo gallery

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  Oil-field boom town of Ranger in 1919

See also

In Spanish: Ranger (Texas) para niños