Temple, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Temple, Texas
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Downtown Temple
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| Motto(s):
Make Temple Great!
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Location within Bell County and Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Counties | Bell |
| Settled | June 29, 1881 |
| Incorporated | 1882 |
| Founded by | Bernard Moore Temple |
| Named for | Bernard Moore Temple |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 76.01 sq mi (196.85 km2) |
| • Land | 71.17 sq mi (184.33 km2) |
| • Water | 4.84 sq mi (12.52 km2) |
| Elevation | 607 ft (185 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 85,416 |
| • Density | 1,102.14/sq mi (425.53/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes |
76501–76505, 76508
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| Area codes | Area code 254 |
| FIPS code | 48-72176 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412046 |
Temple is a city located in Bell County, Texas, United States. In 2020, about 82,073 people lived here. Temple is part of a larger area called the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area. This area had a population of 475,367 in 2020.
Temple is found in a part of Texas known as Central Texas. It is located right off Interstate 35. The city is about 65 miles north of Austin, 34 miles south of Waco, and 27 miles east of Killeen.
Contents
A Look Back: Temple's History
Temple started as a railroad town. It was founded by the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad (GC&SF) in 1880. At first, it was just a construction camp called Temple Junction. People living there also called it "Tanglefoot" or "Mud Town."
In January 1881, the town got a post office. It was officially named Temple after Bernard Moore Temple. He was the chief civil engineer for the GC&SF railroad. The town became an official city in 1882.
Also in 1882, another railroad, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, built tracks through Temple. Soon after, the GC&SF made Temple an important railroad hub. In its early days, Temple had many simple buildings and saloons. It was known for its rough and tough characters. The nickname "Tanglefoot" came from the muddy streets. People found it hard to walk through town, especially after having a drink!
Right after the city was formed in 1882, two private schools opened. A public school was also started in 1884.
Temple became a center for medical care. The Santa Fe Hospital and Scott and White Memorial Hospital were built here. These two hospitals joined together in 1983. They are now known as the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple. Temple grew into the largest city in Bell County. This was mainly because of its hospitals and its importance as a major railroad junction.
In 1886, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway bought the GC&SF. This railroad was often called the Santa Fe. Temple's Santa Fe depot had the largest Harvey House restaurant in Texas. Harvey Houses were famous for serving good food to railroad passengers. They also had a dairy and farm nearby. The restaurants were known for their high-quality food. They also had special waitresses called "Harvey Girls." These women wore uniforms and were very well-known.
You can learn more about Temple's railroad history at the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum. It's located on the second floor of the old Santa Fe Railroad depot. The museum has many items from the Harvey House restaurants.
Where is Temple Located?
Temple is in the northeastern part of Bell County. It is the second-largest city in the county. The Leon River separates Temple from Belton, which is the county seat.
Temple is close to many of Texas's big cities. It's about 124 miles north of Fort Worth. Dallas is 130 miles to the north-northeast. Austin is 65 miles southwest. San Antonio is 147 miles southwest, and Houston is 168 miles southeast.
The city is right on Interstate 35. It sits along the Balcones Fault, which means the land changes a lot. To the east, you'll find the Blackland Prairie. This area has rich soil for farming. To the west, the land rises into low, rolling hills. These hills are made of limestone and are part of the Texas Hill Country.
The city covers about 74.9 square miles (194 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 70.1 square miles (182 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 4.8 square miles (12 square kilometers), is covered by water.
Temple's Weather
| Climate data for Temple, Texas | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 57 (14) |
62 (17) |
70 (21) |
77 (25) |
84 (29) |
90 (32) |
95 (35) |
95 (35) |
89 (32) |
80 (27) |
68 (20) |
59 (15) |
77 (25) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 35 (2) |
39 (4) |
46 (8) |
54 (12) |
63 (17) |
70 (21) |
72 (22) |
72 (22) |
66 (19) |
56 (13) |
45 (7) |
38 (3) |
55 (13) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.13 (54) |
2.69 (68) |
3.19 (81) |
2.59 (66) |
4.51 (115) |
4.23 (107) |
1.93 (49) |
2.25 (57) |
3.70 (94) |
3.97 (101) |
2.94 (75) |
2.75 (70) |
36.88 (937) |
| Source: weather.com | |||||||||||||
Who Lives in Temple?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 4,047 | — | |
| 1900 | 7,065 | 74.6% | |
| 1910 | 10,993 | 55.6% | |
| 1920 | 11,033 | 0.4% | |
| 1930 | 15,345 | 39.1% | |
| 1940 | 15,344 | 0.0% | |
| 1950 | 25,467 | 66.0% | |
| 1960 | 30,419 | 19.4% | |
| 1970 | 33,431 | 9.9% | |
| 1980 | 42,483 | 27.1% | |
| 1990 | 46,109 | 8.5% | |
| 2000 | 54,514 | 18.2% | |
| 2010 | 66,102 | 21.3% | |
| 2020 | 82,073 | 24.2% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 89,458 | 35.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Temple's Population in 2020
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 34,176 | 36,675 | 41,976 | 62.69% | 55.48% | 51.14% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 8,818 | 10,815 | 12,031 | 16.18% | 16.36% | 14.66% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 200 | 226 | 281 | 0.37% | 0.34% | 0.34% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 805 | 1,336 | 2,090 | 1.48% | 2.02% | 2.55% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 33 | 72 | 158 | 0.06% | 0.11% | 0.19% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 56 | 68 | 354 | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.43% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 710 | 1,216 | 3,660 | 1.30% | 1.84% | 4.46% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9,716 | 15,694 | 21,523 | 17.82% | 23.74% | 26.22% |
| Total | 54,514 | 66,102 | 82,073 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In 2020, the city of Temple had 82,073 people living there. There were 28,276 households and 18,036 families.
In 2010, there were 66,102 people in Temple. About 32.1% of households had children under 18. About 49.6% were married couples. The average household had 2.44 people. The average family had 3.29 people.
The median age in Temple was 35 years old. This means half the people were older than 35 and half were younger.
Temple's Economy
Temple's economy started over 100 years ago with the Santa Fe Railroad hospital. Today, Temple has a strong economy. It is known for distributing goods and as a major medical center.
Baylor Scott & White Health is the biggest employer in the area. It has about 12,000 employees. Most of them work at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple.
Temple is home to many distribution centers. It is also the headquarters for two large international companies: Wilsonart International and McLane Company. The McLane Group is also based here. Besides manufacturing, Temple also has a growing customer service and call center industry. Temple Bottling Company is also in Temple. They make Dr Pepper using Imperial Cane sugar.
Temple is about 30 miles from Fort Cavazos. This is a large military base, formerly known as Fort Hood. Military personnel from the base also help the city's economy.
Learning in Temple
Schools for Kids and Teens
Most of Temple is served by the Temple Independent School District. This district has:
- One high school
- Three middle schools
- Nine elementary schools
- Three special learning programs
Students in the district go to the highly-rated Temple High School. This school has great academic programs in arts and sciences. It also offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The high school also has a successful sports program.
Small parts of Temple are also served by other school districts. These include Belton ISD, Troy ISD, and Academy ISD.
Temple also has several private schools:
- Christ Church School
- Saint Mary's Catholic School (PreK–8th grade)
- Providence Preparatory School (PreK-12th grade)
- Holy Trinity Catholic High School (connected to Providence Prep)
- Central Texas Christian School (Kindergarten–12th grade)
Colleges and Universities
Temple College offers two-year associate degrees. They have strong programs in business, information technology, and nursing. Temple College was the first college in Temple. It opened in 1926.
Temple is also home to one of the Texas A&M College of Medicine campuses. It works with the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple. It also works with the Olin Teague Veterans' Hospital Center. The Baylor College of Medicine also has a campus in Temple. It is linked to the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple.
News and Entertainment
The main newspaper in Temple is the Temple Daily Telegram. Many radio stations broadcast in Temple. These include FM stations KVLT-FM, KBDE-FM, KLTD-FM, and KRYH-LP. AM stations include News Radio 1400.
Several TV channels are available in Temple. These include KCEN-TV (NBC), KWTX-TV (CBS/Telemundo), KXXV-TV (ABC), KWKT-TV (Fox), and KNCT-TV (The CW). There are also other channels like MeTV and Cozi. For cable and satellite TV, Temple is served by Charter Spectrum, DirecTV, Dish Network, and Grande Communications.
Getting Around Temple
Transportation
The Hill Country Transit District (The HOP) runs three bus routes in Temple. There is also a bus connection to Killeen.
Temple was founded as a railroad junction. It is still a major hub for freight trains today. Both the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway have main lines that serve the city. BNSF also has a rail yard and a locomotive maintenance facility here.
Amtrak passenger trains also serve Temple. The Texas Eagle train stops at the Temple Railway Station.
Temple has services for private planes at Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport. There are no commercial flights from Temple. However, you can fly from nearby airports:
- Killeen Regional Airport in Killeen (32 miles west)
- Waco Regional Airport in Waco (44 miles north)
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin (74 miles south)
Future High-Speed Rail
In 2009, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) suggested a high-speed rail line. This line, called the Texas T-Bone, would connect Dallas-Fort Worth to San Antonio. Another line from Houston would connect to the first one. Temple's mayor at the time, Bill Jones III, wanted the connection to happen in Temple. Temple would be a stop on the line no matter what.
In 2010, TxDOT received money to study a line from Oklahoma City to San Antonio. Temple was on the path of this line. In 2013, a group working on the Texas High Speed Rail said they were looking at two places for the lines to connect: Temple or San Antonio. They hoped to decide by the end of 2014. They also planned for the high-speed rail to be running by 2025. If the connection happened in Temple, the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood area would be about 45 minutes from Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.
Other Important Services
- The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board has its main office in Temple.
- The Temple Police Department and the Bell County Sheriff's Office keep the city safe.
- The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has a regional office here.
- The Texas Highway Patrol also has an office in Temple.
- The United States Postal Service has a regional office in the city.
Famous People from Temple
Many notable people have connections to Temple:
- Ki Aldrich, NFL Football Player
- Sammy Baugh, Hall of Fame football player
- Britt Daniel, singer and musician with Spoon
- Kenneth Davis, football player
- Brad Dusek, football player
- Forrest B Fenn, author and creator of the Fenn treasure
- Brian Floca, author-illustrator and winner of the Caldecott Medal
- Noel Francis, actress
- Ryan Goins, MLB player
- Rufus Granderson, football player
- "Mean" Joe Greene, Hall of Fame football player
- Bernard A. Harris Jr., astronaut
- Jose Maria de Leon Hernandez ("Little Joe"), Grammy Award-winning singer
- Logan Henderson, singer, songwriter, actor
- Walter Iooss, photographer
- Blind Willie Johnson, singer, songwriter, guitarist
- George Koch, football player
- Drayton McLane, Jr., former CEO of McLane Company
- Craig McMurtry, former baseball pitcher and coach
- Eric Paslay, country singer
- Ted Poe, US congressman
- Dan Pope, mayor of Lubbock, Texas
- Andre President, football player
- Ben H. Procter, historian
- Jordan Shipley, NFL football player
- Bob Simmons, football player
- Brian Skinner, basketball player
- Mark Skolnick, geneticist
- Rip Torn, actor
- Paul White, racing driver
See also
In Spanish: Temple (Texas) para niños
