Palo Duro Canyon State Park, 30 miles southeast of the city, offers hiking, biking, horseback riding, and zip-lining. Loop 335 circles around Amarillo in all four directions and consists of four-lane roadway on its northeast and southwest quadrants and two-lane paving to the southeast and northwest. Between 1950 and 1960, Amarillo's population grew from 74,443 to 137,969. I-40 stretches, east to west, 177 milesjoining together many smaller Texas Panhandle towns. The theater group's two facilities, the Mainstage and the Adventure Space, are located west of Amarillo's downtown. The range was discovered by pioneer oilmen. The roadway continues northward into downtown Amarillo via U.S. 60, 87, and 287, via a series of four one-way streets including Buchanan, Pierce, Fillmore and Taylor. About 100 miles (160km) southeast of Amarillo in Briscoe County is Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, the state park is the home of the official Texas State Bison Herd, who were captured and taken care of by cattle rancher Charles Goodnight. North of downtown the highway becomes US 87 & 287 and continues northward to Dumas, Texas.[64]. It is considered by many as a mecca for culture and creators not just a stop off of I-40. A local favorite, "Texas, the Musical Drama," tells the tale of the Panhandle's settlement in the longest-running Texas musical at the Pioneer Amphitheater. Used to be a military base close to where the airport is was told that the actual base goes many levels underground. There are no mountains in sight, only vast plains for miles. [121][122], On May 5, 2020, Amarillo ranked 13th in the nation for Highest Average Daily Growth Rate of COVID-19 cases by the New York Times.[123]. Locals always know the best eateries, but this is especially true in Amarillo. When you think of Texas, you think of football. On the northern side of Amarillo, the loop will be completely reconstructed to an Interstate-Grade freeway with complete grade separations and will be expanded to four lanes. Large ranches exist in the Amarillo area; among others, the defunct XIT Ranch and the still functioning JA Ranch founded in 1877 by Charles Goodnight and John George Adair. [67] Other major employers include Bell Helicopter Textron, Owens-Corning, Amarillo National Bank and ASARCO. Manhattan, NY warning10 F Partly Cloudy. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. And don't forget the 806's "Southwest So What" festival each March a counter to Austin's SXSW Music and Film festival. The small town of Tulia, Texas, approximately 47 miles (76km) south from Amarillo, was the scene of a controversial drug sting in 1999. Some of the peaks are believed to be 10,000 feet (3,000 m) high. You may recognize quite a few of the iconic landmarks found in the canyon, but there's still others that you just might have not seen yet! Nicknamed "The Grand Canyon of Texas," it is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and 6,000 feet deep. U.S. Highway 66 also passed through the city. [93] During high school football season, the Amarillo Independent School District schools' home games are in Dick Bivins Stadium which had a $5.7million renovation in 2005. In 1929, Ernest O. Thompson, a decorated World War I general and a major businessman in Amarillo, was elected mayor to succeed Lee Bivins. Northwest Texas Hospital is home to the area's only Level III designated trauma center. While the streets running northsouth honor past presidents and are designated 'streets', eastwest streets are numbered and are designated 'avenues'. [97], As the seat of Potter County, the city is the location of the county's trial, civil, and criminal courts. National Parks Near Amarillo While Texas' two official national parks-Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park-are quite a drive away from Amarillo, there are several other federally managed lands in the Texas Panhandle Plains that make great places to visit! High 64F.. The Amarillo Mountains are underground. The Tri-State Fair-PRCA Rodeo and supportive industries remain major employers within Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle. [152] Wired telephone service is mainly provided by AT&T. It is a stunning landscape vista. Current Time: 07:00:29 PM CST 19 Weather Alerts. [11], By the late 1890s, Amarillo had emerged as one of the world's busiest cattle-shipping points, and its population grew significantly. The airport offers both an outdoor self-parking lot, valet parking, and car rental. Amarillo metropolitan area 268,691 (Census 2020); in 1890 population was 482. [87] Outside of the building is a steel structure called the Helium Monument which has time capsules and designates Amarillo the "Helium Capital of the World. Here Are 3 Events For You. I'm still trying to wrap my feeble brain around this. The trial was moved from Fort Worth to Amarillo in 1977 on a change of venue. The airport covers 595 acres (241ha) and has two asphalt-paved runways and one helipad. During the trial, Winfrey hired Dallas-based jury consultant Phil McGraw to aid her attorneys on selecting and analyzing the members of the jury. North of the Fort Worth & Denver (now Burlington Northern-Santa Fe) railyard, the numbers are "NW" (northwest) west of Polk Street, and "NE" (northeast) east of Polk. The Palo Duro Canyon is the second-largest canyon system in the United States. There are more than 200 churches in the area as of 2013. [149] Generally, the city's daily water production averages between 4050million US gallons (150,000190,000m3).[150]. Notable Amarilloans include actress Ann Doran (19112000), old-style journalist Bascom N. Timmons, the Dory Funk wrestling family, former UFC Champions Heath Herring and Evan Tanner, astronaut Rick Husband, professional golfer Ryan Palmer, rockabilly pioneer Buddy Knox, actress Carolyn Jones, actress and dancer Cyd Charisse, actor and poet Harry Northup, State Senator Max Sherman, Republican state chairman Tom Mechler, politicians Beau Boulter and John Marvin Jones, businessman T. Boone Pickens, Jr., singer-songwriter J. D. Souther, gambler Thomas "Amarillo Slim" Preston, soldier and interior decorator Clyde Kenneth Harris, and music artist and composer Terry Stafford ("Amarillo by Morning"; "Suspicion"). The Amarillo Public Library is affiliated with the Harrington Library Consortium. The Amarillo Cadillac Ranch (also known as the Caddy Ranch ), is a public art work, created in 1974 exhibited in open ranchland which is used for farming and breeding cattle. In the U.S. House, Amarillo is located in Texas's 13th congressional district, and is represented by Representative Ronny Jackson. Fair questions. Wonderland Amusement Park is located in northern Amarillo at Thompson Park, named for Ernest Thompson. Not everyone in Amarillo wears a cowboy hat, and that's OK! Pantex, the only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility in the country, is also a major employer. A city route (which was an original alignment of US 66 through central and west Amarillo) followed Fillmore south into the downtown area and turned on West 6th through the San Jacinto Heights district which is now home to many antique shops, restaurants and other businesses, passing the Amarillo Country Club and veering onto West 9th Street and Bushland Blvd before tying into the through route at a traffic circle near the Veterans Hospital. Availability of the railroad and freight service after the county seat election made the town a fast-growing cattle-marketing center. Electric power service is distributed by Xcel Energy, through its wholly owned subsidiary, the Amarillo-based Southwestern Public Service Company. The Eastridge neighborhood houses many immigrants from countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. Through the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas, the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce announced a new initiative to help local businesses rebound from the pandemic. Spend a day strolling through the shops, including the Downtown Women's Center. Early residents originally pronounced the city's name more similar to the Spanish pronunciation /mrijo/ ah-m-REE-yoh, which was later displaced by the current pronunciation. The median income for a household in the city was $52,941, and the median income for a family was $64,632. During April 1887, J. I. Berry established a site for a town after he chose a well-watered section along the way of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad, which had begun building across the Texas Panhandle. On August 30, 1887, Berry's town site won the county seat election and was established in Potter County. He became an international expert on national petroleum and natural gas production and conservation. Amarillo residents Dory Funk, Stanley Blackburn and Doc Sarpolis promoted the territory for several decades. Thanks to the flat desert terrain, The Loop offers views of the entire metroplex, and at sunset, the experience is quite spectacular. The museum is now rebuilding its aircraft collection as Texas Air & Space Museum and is located on American Drive on the south side of the airport. [130], Local transit services in the city have been available since 1925 and have been provided through the City of Amarillo's Amarillo City Transit (ACT) department since 1966; before that time the system was privately owned. Marsh also participated in an ongoing art project called the Dynamite Museum, which consists of thousands of mock traffic signs. The AISD partners with WTAMU and nearby Amarillo College to provide high-school vocational training. It isn't too far fetched to think that given enough time, mountain ranges could get covered up thanks to a variety of reasons. [120] A federal lawsuit directed at the officials responsible for the sting operation was held in Amarillo. I've read articles, journals, wikis, you name ittrying to wrap my head around this. Originally named "Oneida," Businessman J.I. Considered one of the United States' top cities to start a business, this Texas jewel offers outdoor activities, various education options, and a range of professional opportunities in a Lone Star suburban setting. The city became a grain elevator, milling, and feed-manufacturing center after an increase in production of wheat and small grains during the early 1900s. Berry and Colorado City, Texas, merchants wanted to make their new town site the region's main trading center. Several country songs have touted the inexplicable draw of Amarillo. According to 'Cities Ranked and Rated' (Bert Sperling and Peter Sander), Amarillo averages 48 days per year during which thunder and lightning is reported. [133] As of 2003, the city still has 16.2 miles (26.1km) of brick streets in some parts of the downtown area. [148] Increased rainfall in recent years[when?] Amarillo operates one of the largest meat-packing areas in the United States. Amarillo's major network television affiliates are KACV-TV 2 (PBS), KAMR 4 (NBC), KVII 7 (ABC), KFDA 10 (CBS), KCIT 14 (Fox), and KCPN-LD 33 (MyNet). A complete schedule of route times and stop locations is available through the mobile app One Ride. The underground structures known as Amarillo Mountains are an extension of the Arbuckles of Oklahoma and the Ouachita of Arkansas and Oklahoma. This of course means they're very, very old. What Can Stop Pickleballs Takeover Of The Panhandle? A hamburger costs around $8, and a movie night for two will cost about $25. About 15.4% of families were below the poverty line, including 20% of those under age 18, 14.1% ages 18 64, and 12.2% of those age 65 or over. Some of the peaks are believed to be 10,000 feet (3,000 m) high. In 1949, a deadly F4 tornado devastated much of Amarillo, shortly after nightfall on May 15, tearing through the south and east sides of the city, killing seven people, and injuring more than 80 others. The city of Amarillo's Parks and Recreation Department operates over 50 municipal parks, including a skatepark west of the city. Amarillo is infamous for its unpredictable weather patterns, with massive temperature changes on a daily basis, raging winds, devastating hailstorms and "northers", long periods of drought, late frosts, spring tornadoes, dust-storms, and floods. Amarillo's temperature typically varies from 25F to 91F. Take a trip into the past with these spectacular vintage postcards, you'll be inspired to take a hike! The Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument provides for a fascinating day of exploration. Golfing is a staple in Amarillo, with 12 public and municipal golf courses located within 20 minutes. The city encompasses 99.48 sqm in both, Potter and Randall Counties. [131] The Union Pacific Railroad also sends substantial shipments to or through Amarillo. Which Texas And Oklahoma Towns Are Really Route 66 Ghost Towns. Another three districts, Canyon Independent School District (CISD) to the south, Highland Park (HISD), and River Road Independent School District (RISD) immediately adjacent to Porter County, contribute additional educational options to the area. In nearby Clarendon and Canyon, Texas, lived the Western artist Harold Dow Bugbee, whose early works were patronized by Ernest Thompson. They also happen to be shared with our neighbors to the east. "Amarillo" redirects here. Review: Is Leonard Farms The Best Bang For Your Christmas Bucks? The Pioneer Amphitheater, located in nearby Palo Duro Canyon, is the setting for the outdoor musical drama Texas, which plays nightly during the summer. Best Thing On The Internet Today? Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town. Welcome to the City of Amarillo's Interactive Web Maps. He authored the first state school loan programs for returning World War II veterans and college students. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Amarillo's population as 6.1% Hispanic and 88.5% non-Hispanic white. [68] The Texas Panhandle, particularly in Hereford, Texas, serves as a fast-growing milk producing area as several multimillion-dollar state of the art dairies were built in early 2000s.