Weatherford, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Weatherford, Texas
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Parker County Courthouse, February 2022
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| Nickname(s):
Cutting Horse Capital of the World, Peach Capital of Texas
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Location of Weatherford within Parker County, Texas.
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Texas | |
| County | Parker | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Council-Manager | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 28.94 sq mi (74.95 km2) | |
| • Land | 27.12 sq mi (70.24 km2) | |
| • Water | 1.82 sq mi (4.72 km2) | |
| Elevation | 1,053 ft (321 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 30,854 | |
| • Density | 1,066.14/sq mi (411.66/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
76085-76088
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| Area code(s) | 817 | |
| FIPS code | 48-76864 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412199 | |
Weatherford is a city in Texas, United States. It is the main city, or county seat, of Parker County, Texas. In 2020, about 30,854 people lived there. The city is named after Thomas J. Weatherford, who was a state senator.
Contents
History of Weatherford
How Weatherford Began
In 1854, a Methodist Reverend named Pleasant Tackett led 15 families to settle in an area they called "Goshen." This land later became part of Parker County. The county itself was created the next year thanks to the efforts of State Representative Isaac Parker and State Senator Thomas Jefferson Weatherford. Before this, there was an earlier attempt to settle the area in 1852-53, but it was not successful.
The railroad came to Weatherford in June 1880. The Santa Fe Depot, which is now home to the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce, was built in 1908. At that time, there were laws that separated people, so the waiting rooms were divided by the ticket office.
Geography and Climate
Where is Weatherford Located?
Weatherford is about 25 miles (40 km) west of Fort Worth. You can find it along Interstate 20. It is the main city for Parker County.
The United States Census Bureau says the city covers about 22.7 square miles (58.8 km2). Most of this area, about 20.9 square miles (54.1 km2), is land. The rest, about 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), is water.
What is Weatherford's Climate Like?
Weatherford has a climate with warm temperatures and rain spread out through the year. It is known as a humid subtropical area. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.
| Climate data for Weatherford, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1902–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 90 (32) |
95 (35) |
97 (36) |
99 (37) |
105 (41) |
116 (47) |
110 (43) |
114 (46) |
109 (43) |
105 (41) |
92 (33) |
86 (30) |
116 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 76.9 (24.9) |
80.5 (26.9) |
86.0 (30.0) |
89.7 (32.1) |
92.9 (33.8) |
96.7 (35.9) |
101.4 (38.6) |
101.8 (38.8) |
97.4 (36.3) |
90.9 (32.7) |
82.5 (28.1) |
76.9 (24.9) |
103.3 (39.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.2 (13.4) |
60.0 (15.6) |
67.9 (19.9) |
75.8 (24.3) |
82.4 (28.0) |
90.0 (32.2) |
94.6 (34.8) |
94.7 (34.8) |
87.7 (30.9) |
77.8 (25.4) |
66.2 (19.0) |
57.9 (14.4) |
75.9 (24.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.0 (6.7) |
47.8 (8.8) |
55.7 (13.2) |
63.6 (17.6) |
71.8 (22.1) |
79.7 (26.5) |
83.7 (28.7) |
83.3 (28.5) |
75.8 (24.3) |
65.1 (18.4) |
54.3 (12.4) |
45.8 (7.7) |
64.2 (17.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.8 (−0.1) |
35.5 (1.9) |
43.5 (6.4) |
51.4 (10.8) |
61.2 (16.2) |
69.4 (20.8) |
72.9 (22.7) |
72.0 (22.2) |
64.0 (17.8) |
52.5 (11.4) |
42.4 (5.8) |
33.7 (0.9) |
52.5 (11.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 15.7 (−9.1) |
19.5 (−6.9) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
33.6 (0.9) |
43.3 (6.3) |
57.9 (14.4) |
64.1 (17.8) |
61.7 (16.5) |
48.1 (8.9) |
35.0 (1.7) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
18.6 (−7.4) |
12.8 (−10.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −4 (−20) |
−3 (−19) |
7 (−14) |
24 (−4) |
32 (0) |
47 (8) |
54 (12) |
52 (11) |
34 (1) |
19 (−7) |
13 (−11) |
−10 (−23) |
−10 (−23) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.96 (50) |
2.55 (65) |
3.03 (77) |
2.69 (68) |
4.42 (112) |
3.93 (100) |
1.86 (47) |
2.59 (66) |
3.19 (81) |
3.76 (96) |
2.95 (75) |
2.25 (57) |
35.18 (894) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.7 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 5.9 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 70.5 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Weatherford
How Many People Live in Weatherford?
Weatherford has grown a lot over the years. Here's how the population has changed:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 2,046 | — | |
| 1890 | 3,369 | 64.7% | |
| 1900 | 4,786 | 42.1% | |
| 1910 | 5,074 | 6.0% | |
| 1920 | 6,203 | 22.3% | |
| 1930 | 4,912 | −20.8% | |
| 1940 | 5,924 | 20.6% | |
| 1950 | 8,093 | 36.6% | |
| 1960 | 9,759 | 20.6% | |
| 1970 | 11,750 | 20.4% | |
| 1980 | 12,049 | 2.5% | |
| 1990 | 14,804 | 22.9% | |
| 2000 | 19,000 | 28.3% | |
| 2010 | 25,250 | 32.9% | |
| 2020 | 30,854 | 22.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 38,109 | 50.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 |
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Who Lives in Weatherford?
The table below shows the different groups of people living in Weatherford as of 2020.
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 23,757 | 77.0% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 599 | 1.94% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 177 | 0.57% |
| Asian (NH) | 321 | 1.04% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 24 | 0.08% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 93 | 0.3% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 1,385 | 4.49% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,498 | 14.58% |
| Total | 30,854 |
In 2020, there were 30,854 people living in Weatherford. There were 11,528 households and 7,643 families.
Fun Facts About Weatherford
What is Weatherford Known For?
Weatherford is famous for a few things:
- Peaches: The area grows a lot of peaches. The Texas Legislature even named Weatherford the "Peach Capital of Texas." Every year, the city celebrates with the Parker County Peach Festival. It's a huge event and one of the most popular festivals in Texas!
- Horses: Weatherford is also called the "cutting horse capital of the world." Cutting horses are special horses trained to separate a single cow from a herd.
- The main office of the National Snaffle Bit Association, an organization for horse riders, is in Weatherford.
Historic Buildings to See
Weatherford has many beautiful old homes. These houses were built around the year 1900 in styles like Queen Anne and Victorian. Some of them are open for tours. The Parker County Courthouse is another important building, built in the Second Empire style.
Education in Weatherford
Schools and Colleges
Students in Weatherford go to schools in the Weatherford Independent School District.
Weatherford College is a community college that is over 150 years old. It offers more than 35 areas of study and 19 programs for jobs and technical skills. The college was first built by Masons and was one of the first colleges in Texas.
Media and News
Local News Sources
The Weatherford Democrat newspaper has been publishing since 1895. Another weekly newspaper, The Weatherford Telegram, started in 2006.
Famous People from Weatherford
Many well-known people have connections to Weatherford:
- Zach Britton: A professional baseball pitcher.
- Mary Couts Burnett: A person known for giving money to good causes.
- Douglas Chandor: A British-born artist who painted portraits. He also designed Chandor Gardens in Weatherford.
- Thomas Stevenson Drew: He was the third governor of Arkansas.
- Joe B. Frantz: A historian who taught at the University of Texas at Austin.
- Phil King: A politician.
- Bob Kingsley: A famous radio personality.
- Edwin Lanham: An author who grew up in Weatherford.
- Kapron Lewis-Moore: A defensive lineman in American football.
- Mary Martin: A famous Broadway star, best known for playing Peter Pan.
- Ted Minor: A racing car driver.
- Jack Porter: A candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1948.
- Taylor Sheridan: An American screenwriter.
- William Hood Simpson: A lieutenant general during World War II.
- Bob Tallman: A nationally known rodeo announcer who has a ranch in Parker County.
- Hippo Vaughn: A professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.
- Jim Wright: A former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He grew up in Weatherford.
See also
In Spanish: Weatherford (Texas) para niños
