Sherman, Texas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Sherman, Texas
City
Paul Brown United States Courthouse in Sherman
Motto(s): "Classic Town. Broad Horizon."
Location of Sherman, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Grayson
Founded	1846
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• City	46.22 sq mi (119.72 km²)
• Land	46.15 sq mi (119.52 km²)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.20 km²)
• Urban	35.9 sq mi (93.1 km²)
• Metro	979 sq mi (2,536 km²)
Elevation	735 ft (224 m)
Population (2020)
• City	43,645
• Density	953.56/sq mi (368.17/km²)
• Urban	61,900 (US: 438th)
• Urban density	1,722.9/sq mi (665.2/km²)
• Metro	120,877
• Metro density	130/sq mi (50/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	75090-75092
Area code(s)	903
FIPS code	48-67496
GNIS feature ID	1368131

Sherman is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. It is the main city of the county. In 2020, about 43,645 people lived there. Sherman is one of the two main cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan area. It is also the biggest city in the Texoma region, which covers parts of North Texas and southern Oklahoma.

A Look Back in Time: Sherman's History

Sherman in 1891

How Did Sherman Get Its Name?

Sherman was named after General Sidney Sherman. He was a hero of the Texas Revolution. The city became the county seat of Grayson County on March 17, 1846. A post office opened in 1847.

Early Days and Growth

Sherman was first located in the middle of the county. But in 1848, it moved about 3 miles east to where it is now. By 1850, Sherman became an official town. It was also a stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route. In 1852, about 300 people lived in Sherman. It had a public square with a log courthouse, businesses, and a church.

Sherman During the Civil War Era

Sherman kept growing in the 1850s and 1860s. The first flour mill was built in 1861. After the Civil War, famous outlaws like Jesse James visited Sherman. James even spent part of his honeymoon there.

Learning and Education in Sherman

Education became important in North Texas. The Sherman Male and Female High School opened in 1866. It later changed names several times, like Kidd-Key College. In 1876, Austin College, the oldest college in Texas, moved to Sherman. Other schools like Sherman Female Institute also opened.

Rebuilding and Progress

After the Civil War, Sherman stayed busy. By the 1870s, its population reached 6,000. In 1875, two big fires destroyed many buildings. But they were rebuilt with stronger materials. A new courthouse was built in 1876.

The 1896 Tornado

On May 15, 1896, a very strong tornado hit Sherman. It was an F5 tornado, which is the strongest kind. The tornado was 400 yards wide and 28 miles long. It sadly killed 73 people and hurt 200 others. About 50 homes were destroyed.

The Electric Railway Era

In 1901, the first electric railway in Texas connected Sherman and Denison. This was called an "Interurban" railway. By 1908, you could travel from Sherman to Dallas by interurban. These railways allowed people to travel to many Texas cities. All interurban service stopped by 1948.

A Difficult Time in 1930

On May 9, 1930, a serious event happened in Sherman. The courthouse caught fire during a trial. The building was badly damaged. To help control the situation, the National Guard was sent to Sherman.

Where is Sherman? (Geography)

Sherman is located in the middle-east part of Grayson County. It is north of Dallas (about 70 miles away). It is also southwest of Durant, Oklahoma (about 31 miles away). The city covers about 41.5 square miles of land.

Sherman's Climate

Sherman has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.

Who Lives in Sherman? (Demographics)

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	35	—
1860	613	1,651.4%
1870	1,439	134.7%
1880	6,093	323.4%
1890	7,335	20.4%
1900	10,243	39.6%
1910	12,412	21.2%
1920	15,031	21.1%
1930	15,713	4.5%
1940	17,156	9.2%
1950	20,150	17.5%
1960	24,988	24.0%
1970	29,061	16.3%
1980	30,413	4.7%
1990	31,601	3.9%
2000	35,082	11.0%
2010	38,521	9.8%
2020	43,645	13.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

**Sherman racial composition as of 2020**
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	24,248	55.56%
Black or African American (NH)	4,473	10.25%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	490	1.12%
Asian (NH)	1,387	3.18%
Pacific Islander (NH)	24	0.05%
Some Other Race (NH)	134	0.31%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	2,310	5.29%
Hispanic or Latino	10,579	24.24%
Total	43,645

In 2020, there were 43,645 people living in Sherman. There were 15,687 households and 10,097 families.

What Drives Sherman's Economy?

Major Companies and Jobs

Sherman is becoming a big center for technology. In 2022, Texas Instruments started building a huge factory there. This factory will make semiconductor wafers, which are used in electronics. It will create 3,000 jobs. Another company, GlobalWafers, is also building a large wafer factory nearby.

Top Employers in Sherman

Many companies provide jobs in Sherman. Some of the biggest employers include:

Tyson Foods
Texas Instruments
II-VI Incorporated
Grayson County
City of Sherman
Austin College
Fisher Controls/ Emerson Process Management
Kaiser Aluminum
Presco Products
Progress Rail
Consolidated Containers
Plyler Construction
Starr Aircraft
Offen Petroleum
GlobiTech
Sunny Delight Beverages

Learning in Sherman (Education)

Administration Building on the Austin College campus

Public Schools

Most students in Sherman go to schools in the Sherman Independent School District. This includes Sherman High School. Some students might attend schools in the Denison Independent School District or Howe Independent School District.

Private Schools

Sherman also has three private schools:

Grayson Christian School
St. Mary's Catholic School
Texoma Christian School

Colleges and Universities

Austin College is a private college that moved to Sherman in 1876. It is the oldest college in Texas that has been open continuously since it started. Grayson College, a community college, also has a campus in Sherman.

Libraries

The Sherman Public Library serves all people in the city. It was updated in 2017 and reopened in 2018.

News and Entertainment (Media)

A Herald Democrat location in downtown Denison

KXII television studio in Sherman

Magazine

Texoma Living! magazine

Newspaper

The Herald Democrat

Radio Stations

KLAK 97.5 FM (Adult Contemporary music)
KMAD 102.5 FM (Mad Rock)
KMKT 93.1 FM (Katy Country)
KQDR 107.3 FM (Doc FM)
KJIM 1500 AM and 101.3 FM (The Memory Maker)

Television Stations

KTEN Channel 10 – (NBC)
KTEN DT Channel 10.2 – (The CW Texoma)
KTEN DT Channel 10.3 – (ABC)
KXII Channel 12 – (CBS)
KXII DT Channel 12.2 (My Texoma)
KXII DT Channel 12.3 (Fox Texoma)

Getting Around Sherman (Infrastructure)

Sherman City Hall

Roads and Highways

Sherman has several important roads:

U.S. Highway 75 connects Oklahoma to Dallas.
U.S. Highway 82 goes east-west from Georgia to New Mexico.
SH 56 goes east-west from Honey Grove to Whitesboro.
SH 91 goes north-south from Achille, Oklahoma to Sherman.
SH 11 goes east-west from Linden to Sherman.
FM 1417 goes north-south from Denison to Sherman.
FM 691 goes east-west from Sherman to North Texas Regional Airport.
FM 131 goes north-south from Denison to Sherman.
FM 697 goes east-west from Whitewright to Sherman.

US 75 (Sam Rayburn Freeway) and US 82 (Buck Owens Freeway) are key highways. State Highway 91 (Texoma Parkway) is a main road connecting Sherman and Denison.

Airports

Sherman Municipal Airport

Sherman has two airports for general aviation: Sherman Municipal Airport and North Texas Regional Airport/Perrin Field in Denison.

Healthcare

Wilson N. Jones Regional Medical Center in Sherman

Sherman has several medical centers. These include Wilson N. Jones Regional Medical Center, Texoma Medical Center, and a Baylor Scott & White surgery center.

Sports in Sherman

Sherman is getting new sports teams! In 2023, it was announced that two new minor league teams will call Sherman home. A semi-professional baseball team called the Sherman Shadowcats will start playing in 2024. A minor league soccer club, Texoma FC, will begin playing in 2025.