Stephenville, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephenville
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City
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Downtown Stephenville,Texas
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Location of Stephenville, Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Erath |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.91 sq mi (30.85 km2) |
| • Land | 11.89 sq mi (30.79 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,342 ft (409 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 20,897 |
| • Density | 1,440.4/sq mi (556.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
76401-76402
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| Area code(s) | 254 |
| FIPS code | 48-70208 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411977 |
| Website | Stephenville, Texas |
Stephenville is a city in Texas, United States. It is the main city of Erath County, Texas. The city is located by the North Bosque River. Stephenville was started in 1854. It is home to Tarleton State University.
In 2020, about 20,847 people lived in Stephenville. Many people call Stephenville the "Cowboy Capital of the World."
Contents
History of Stephenville
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Stephenville was founded by a man named John M. Stephen. He settled there in 1854. He gave the land for the town when the county was formed in 1856. George B. Erath helped plan the town.
At first, the town grew quickly. But then, the population went down. This was because the town was in Comanche territory, and there were often raids. Also, the American Civil War made many people leave.
The town started to grow again after it became a center for farming and raising animals. Coal mining also became important in 1886. It was a big part of the economy for 30 years.
Stephenville officially became a city in 1889. This happened when the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway arrived. In the 1890s, many buildings around the town square were built. Tarleton State University also opened during this time. The two local newspapers joined together to become the Empire-Tribune. This newspaper is still printed today.
In 1907, a new railway company was started by local businesses. They sold the railway in 1910. In the 1900s, more industries came to Stephenville. The number of people living in the city has grown steadily since the 1920s.
The Stephenville Lights Mystery
In January 2008, many people in Stephenville reported seeing strange lights in the night sky. Some people thought it was a very large UFO.
Later, the Air Force Reserve explained what happened. Jets from the 457th Fighter Squadron were doing training exercises. They were in military airspace. The F-16 jets were dropping special flares. These flares are used to confuse heat-seeking missiles.
After the news about the lights spread, Stephenville became very famous. Police Constable Lee Roy Gaitan gave over 100 interviews. The town had a "UFO frenzy." People started selling T-shirts that said "Alien Capital of the World." The local high school even received $7,000 for college scholarships.
Geography and Climate
Stephenville covers an area of about 11.89 square miles (30.8 km2) of land. Only a very small part is covered by water.
Three main US highways serve Stephenville: US Highway 377, US Highway 281, and US Highway 67. US Highway 67 joins US Highway 377 in the area.
What is Stephenville's Climate Like?
The weather in Stephenville has hot, humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. Stephenville has a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets a lot of rain and has warm temperatures for most of the year.
| Climate data for Stephenville, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1921–1932, 1941–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 87 (31) |
96 (36) |
95 (35) |
103 (39) |
103 (39) |
109 (43) |
111 (44) |
110 (43) |
110 (43) |
103 (39) |
92 (33) |
89 (32) |
111 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 78.2 (25.7) |
82.3 (27.9) |
86.3 (30.2) |
90.8 (32.7) |
94.3 (34.6) |
97.9 (36.6) |
101.5 (38.6) |
101.8 (38.8) |
97.8 (36.6) |
92.2 (33.4) |
83.3 (28.5) |
78.7 (25.9) |
103.5 (39.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 59.1 (15.1) |
63.1 (17.3) |
70.4 (21.3) |
78.6 (25.9) |
85.6 (29.8) |
93.1 (33.9) |
97.3 (36.3) |
97.6 (36.4) |
90.2 (32.3) |
80.5 (26.9) |
68.8 (20.4) |
60.5 (15.8) |
78.7 (25.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 45.0 (7.2) |
49.0 (9.4) |
56.4 (13.6) |
64.4 (18.0) |
72.7 (22.6) |
80.4 (26.9) |
84.0 (28.9) |
83.6 (28.7) |
76.3 (24.6) |
66.0 (18.9) |
54.9 (12.7) |
46.8 (8.2) |
65.0 (18.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30.9 (−0.6) |
34.9 (1.6) |
42.4 (5.8) |
50.2 (10.1) |
59.9 (15.5) |
67.6 (19.8) |
70.6 (21.4) |
69.6 (20.9) |
62.5 (16.9) |
51.5 (10.8) |
41.1 (5.1) |
33.1 (0.6) |
51.2 (10.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 19.0 (−7.2) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
35.3 (1.8) |
45.4 (7.4) |
59.0 (15.0) |
65.3 (18.5) |
63.4 (17.4) |
50.1 (10.1) |
36.1 (2.3) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
20.0 (−6.7) |
15.0 (−9.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −2 (−19) |
0 (−18) |
9 (−13) |
25 (−4) |
36 (2) |
51 (11) |
50 (10) |
50 (10) |
33 (1) |
21 (−6) |
11 (−12) |
−8 (−22) |
−8 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.84 (47) |
2.16 (55) |
2.82 (72) |
2.91 (74) |
4.97 (126) |
3.33 (85) |
1.99 (51) |
2.96 (75) |
3.32 (84) |
3.32 (84) |
2.33 (59) |
2.18 (55) |
34.13 (867) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.4 (1.0) |
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) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.7 (1.8) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.1 | 6.4 | 7.7 | 5.8 | 7.9 | 6.0 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 7.1 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 74.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People and Education
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 120 | — | |
| 1880 | 725 | — | |
| 1890 | 909 | 25.4% | |
| 1900 | 1,902 | 109.2% | |
| 1910 | 2,561 | 34.6% | |
| 1920 | 3,891 | 51.9% | |
| 1930 | 3,944 | 1.4% | |
| 1940 | 4,768 | 20.9% | |
| 1950 | 7,155 | 50.1% | |
| 1960 | 7,359 | 2.9% | |
| 1970 | 9,277 | 26.1% | |
| 1980 | 11,881 | 28.1% | |
| 1990 | 13,502 | 13.6% | |
| 2000 | 14,921 | 10.5% | |
| 2010 | 17,123 | 14.8% | |
| 2020 | 20,897 | 22.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
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Who Lives in Stephenville?
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 14,257 | 68.23% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,122 | 5.37% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 98 | 0.47% |
| Asian (NH) | 279 | 1.34% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 6 | 0.03% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 44 | 0.21% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 749 | 3.58% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,342 | 20.78% |
| Total | 20,897 |
In 2020, Stephenville had about 20,900 people. The average age was 25.7 years old. The average household income was $48,602. Most residents (95.5%) are U.S. citizens.
The main ethnic groups are White (not Hispanic), White (Hispanic), and Black or African American (not Hispanic).
Schools and Colleges
Stephenville has its own school district, called the Stephenville Independent School District. There are also two colleges in the city:
- Tarleton State University
- Ranger College
Famous People from Stephenville
Many interesting people have connections to Stephenville:
- Jessie G. Beach (1887 – 1954), a paleontologist (someone who studies fossils). She was born in Stephenville.
- Milton Brown, a recording artist. He helped start Western Swing music. He was born in Stephenville.
- Giovannie and the Hired Guns, a country rock band.
- Leon Hale (newspaper writer), born in Stephenville.
- Dustin Hodge, a television producer and writer.
- Brock Holt, a professional baseball player. He graduated from Stephenville High School.
- Jewel, a famous singer-songwriter. She used to live on a ranch near Stephenville.
- Kevin Kolb, a former NFL quarterback.
- Jess Lockwood, a world champion bull rider.
- J.B. Mauney, a world champion bull rider.
- Ty Murray, a world champion rodeo cowboy.
- Carey Wentworth Styles, a newspaperman. He founded The Atlanta Constitution.
- Hugh Wolfe, a professional football player.
See also
In Spanish: Stephenville (Texas) para niños
