Sterling City, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sterling City, Texas
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U.S. Highway 87 as it passes through Sterling City, Texas
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| Nickname(s):
The Windmill City
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Location of Sterling City, Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Sterling |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.98 sq mi (2.54 km2) |
| • Land | 0.98 sq mi (2.54 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,287 ft (697 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,121 |
| • Density | 1,143.88/sq mi (441.34/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
76951
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| Area code(s) | 325 |
| FIPS code | 48-70232 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1347899 |
| Website | sterlingcitytexas.com |
Sterling City is the county seat of Sterling County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,121 at the 2020 census.
History
Sterling City was named for W.S. Sterling, a buffalo hunter and Indian fighter. Land for the new town was donated in January 1891 by R.C. Stewart, and was platted by H.B. Tarver in February. That same year, it was designated the seat of Sterling County. The town soon grew to 300 residents and had its own newspaper, a hotel, a post office, several other businesses, a school, and three churches.
Sterling City was a stop on the Santa Fe Railroad by 1910, but the service was eventually abandoned. The depot still exists as a tourist site.
During World War II, Sterling City's population decreased by 10%. When it was incorporated in August, 1955, Sterling City had a population of some 800 and had added three more churches, a hospital, a bank, and a library.
On May 25, 1955, 15 United States Air Force personnel, flying in a B-36 bomber under the callsign Abbot 27, perished in a crash near Sterling City.
Geography
Sterling City is located on the Edwards Plateau in west-central Texas along the North Concho River at 31°50′21″N 100°59′9″W / 31.83917°N 100.98583°W (31.839066, –100.985871). It is accessed by U.S. Highway 87 and State Highways 158 and 163, and covers area of 0.98 sq mi (2.5 km2), all land.
Windmills have been a feature of Sterling City since the early 20th century, when the town claimed to have more windmills per acre than any other place in the world, totaling some 300. Today, most of Sterling City's windmills are giant turbines in modern wind farms on a ridge approximately 20 miles northwest of the town and visible from U.S. Highway 87.
Climate
| Climate data for Sterling City, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1963–2019) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 87 (31) |
94 (34) |
98 (37) |
102 (39) |
109 (43) |
112 (44) |
109 (43) |
108 (42) |
106 (41) |
104 (40) |
93 (34) |
86 (30) |
112 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 57.5 (14.2) |
61.8 (16.6) |
69.1 (20.6) |
77.8 (25.4) |
84.8 (29.3) |
91.1 (32.8) |
93.5 (34.2) |
92.9 (33.8) |
85.8 (29.9) |
77.3 (25.2) |
65.9 (18.8) |
58.3 (14.6) |
76.3 (24.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 43.7 (6.5) |
47.6 (8.7) |
55.3 (12.9) |
63.8 (17.7) |
72.9 (22.7) |
79.6 (26.4) |
82.3 (27.9) |
81.6 (27.6) |
74.2 (23.4) |
64.4 (18.0) |
52.5 (11.4) |
44.7 (7.1) |
63.6 (17.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 29.9 (−1.2) |
33.5 (0.8) |
41.5 (5.3) |
49.8 (9.9) |
60.9 (16.1) |
68.2 (20.1) |
71.0 (21.7) |
70.3 (21.3) |
62.5 (16.9) |
51.5 (10.8) |
39.2 (4.0) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
50.8 (10.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 1 (−17) |
−13 (−25) |
4 (−16) |
20 (−7) |
30 (−1) |
45 (7) |
47 (8) |
50 (10) |
32 (0) |
23 (−5) |
10 (−12) |
−7 (−22) |
−13 (−25) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.95 (24) |
0.97 (25) |
1.27 (32) |
1.32 (34) |
2.75 (70) |
2.06 (52) |
1.68 (43) |
2.42 (61) |
2.45 (62) |
2.46 (62) |
1.20 (30) |
0.87 (22) |
20.40 (518) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.1 (0.25) |
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) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.5 (1.3) |
1.5 (3.8) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 5.7 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 46.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 854 | — | |
| 1970 | 780 | −8.7% | |
| 1980 | 915 | 17.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,096 | 19.8% | |
| 2000 | 1,081 | −1.4% | |
| 2010 | 888 | −17.9% | |
| 2020 | 1,121 | 26.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 652 | 58.16% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 3 | 0.27% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 4 | 0.36% |
| Asian (NH) | 1 | 0.09% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 2 | 0.18% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 2 | 0.18% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 35 | 3.12% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 422 | 37.64% |
| Total | 1,121 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,121 people, 344 households, and 291 families residing in the city.
Education
The city of Sterling City is served by the Sterling City Independent School District and is home to the Sterling City High School Eagles.
Gallery
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City Hall is located across from the courthouse in Sterling City.
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A windmill on the courthouse grounds in Sterling City
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Wind turbines off U.S. Highway 87 south of Sterling City
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First Baptist Church at 401 Water Street in Sterling City, pastor, Jason McGuire (2013)
See also
In Spanish: Sterling City (Texas) para niños
