Turkey, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Turkey, Texas
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City
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Location of Turkey, Texas
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Location in Hall County (circled)
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Hall |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.82 sq mi (2.12 km2) |
| • Land | 0.82 sq mi (2.12 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,346 ft (715 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 317 |
| • Density | 386.59/sq mi (149.53/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
79261
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| Area code(s) | 806 |
| FIPS code | 48-73964 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412113 |
Turkey is a small city located in Hall County, Texas, in the United States. In 2020, about 317 people lived there. This number was a bit lower than the 421 people who lived there in 2000.
Contents
Exploring Turkey, Texas's Location
Turkey is found in the southwestern part of Hall County. Two main roads, Texas State Highway 70 and Texas State Highway 86, pass through the city. Highway 70 runs north to Clarendon (about 42 miles away) and south to Matador (about 28 miles away). Highway 86 goes east to Estelline (about 30 miles away) and west to Tulia (about 53 miles away).
The United States Census Bureau says that Turkey covers a total area of about 2.1 square kilometers (or 0.82 square miles). All of this area is land. Some of Texas's biggest ranches are located close to the city.
Understanding Turkey's Climate
Turkey has a semiarid climate. This means it's usually dry, but not a desert. It gets some rain, but not a lot.
| Climate data for Turkey, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1964–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
96 (36) |
100 (38) |
109 (43) |
107 (42) |
116 (47) |
117 (47) |
112 (44) |
108 (42) |
106 (41) |
92 (33) |
86 (30) |
117 (47) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 55.4 (13.0) |
59.2 (15.1) |
67.8 (19.9) |
76.4 (24.7) |
83.8 (28.8) |
91.5 (33.1) |
95.5 (35.3) |
94.7 (34.8) |
86.8 (30.4) |
76.9 (24.9) |
65.5 (18.6) |
55.9 (13.3) |
75.8 (24.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 41.3 (5.2) |
44.7 (7.1) |
52.9 (11.6) |
61.3 (16.3) |
70.1 (21.2) |
78.6 (25.9) |
82.5 (28.1) |
81.4 (27.4) |
73.6 (23.1) |
62.5 (16.9) |
51.3 (10.7) |
42.5 (5.8) |
61.9 (16.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.3 (−2.6) |
30.3 (−0.9) |
38.0 (3.3) |
46.2 (7.9) |
56.4 (13.6) |
65.7 (18.7) |
69.5 (20.8) |
68.1 (20.1) |
60.5 (15.8) |
48.2 (9.0) |
37.1 (2.8) |
29.0 (−1.7) |
48.0 (8.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 1 (−17) |
−2 (−19) |
7 (−14) |
22 (−6) |
29 (−2) |
45 (7) |
53 (12) |
50 (10) |
35 (2) |
18 (−8) |
11 (−12) |
−3 (−19) |
−3 (−19) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.93 (24) |
0.99 (25) |
1.64 (42) |
2.51 (64) |
3.28 (83) |
3.91 (99) |
2.44 (62) |
2.57 (65) |
2.87 (73) |
1.92 (49) |
1.07 (27) |
0.89 (23) |
25.02 (636) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.0 (5.1) |
1.6 (4.1) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.7 (1.8) |
1.5 (3.8) |
6.7 (17) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 2.8 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 53.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 3.7 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
A Look at Turkey's Past
Turkey was officially planned out in 1907. This means its streets and property lots were mapped out then.
The city is famous for the Bob Wills Festival. This festival honors Bob Wills, a legend of western swing music who grew up in Turkey. The festival has been held every year since 1972. It features western swing and country music performances. You can find famous bands playing in the dance hall or enjoy music jams around town. In 2022, about 10,000 people came to the festival!
In 2011, an animal rights group called PETA asked the town to change its name temporarily to "Tofurky". This was a fun way to promote plant-based eating.
Important Buildings in Turkey
The very first Phillips 66 gas station in Texas opened in Turkey on July 27, 1928. It was located at the corner of 5th Street and Main. In 2019, the Texas Historical Commission recognized this station as a special historical landmark. A ceremony was planned to put up a historical marker there.
The Hotel Turkey first opened its doors in 1927. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The hotel is a special place for musicians who come to Turkey for the annual Bob Wills Festival. They often stay there during the festival, which happens around the last Saturday in April.
You can also visit the Bob Wills Museum in Turkey. It's located in the old elementary school building. There's even a monument at the city limits that honors Bob Wills.
Who Lives in Turkey?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 975 | — | |
| 1940 | 930 | −4.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,005 | 8.1% | |
| 1960 | 813 | −19.1% | |
| 1970 | 680 | −16.4% | |
| 1980 | 644 | −5.3% | |
| 1990 | 507 | −21.3% | |
| 2000 | 494 | −2.6% | |
| 2010 | 421 | −14.8% | |
| 2020 | 317 | −24.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The 2020 United States census counted 317 people living in Turkey. There were 134 households and 99 families in the city.
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 215 | 67.82% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 2 | 0.63% |
| Some other race (NH) | 2 | 0.63% |
| Mixed/multi-racial (NH) | 13 | 4.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 85 | 26.81% |
| Total | 317 |
Famous People from Turkey
Some well-known people have connections to Turkey, Texas:
- Joe Barnhill - A country music singer and songwriter.
- Amarillo Slim - A famous professional gambler.
- Bob Wills - The founder of western swing music, who grew up in Turkey.
Learning in Turkey
The city of Turkey is part of the Turkey-Quitaque Independent School District. This district provides education for the children living in the area.
See also
In Spanish: Turkey (Texas) para niños
