[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. [32] Since its conception in the 1990s, Center City has sponsored public art projects and started block parties in the downtown area. [137] Also, another new mainlane bridge that accommodates up to six lanes is also in the works for I-40 near Helium Rd. Fall is considered the best season in Amarillo, with its cool, crisp mornings and warm, lazy afternoons. According to Arbitron the top 5 rated commercial radio stations in Fall 2012/Spring 2013 are: The regional public radio network, High Plains Public Radio, operates KJJP-FM 105.7. For a more upscale dining experience, both the Metropolitan, a premier American Speakeasy and wine bar, and the OHMS Cafe & Bar, described for the refined American Fare and Art, offer excellent food, music, and ambiance. Bell Helicopter Textron opened a helicopter assembly plant near the city's international airport in 1999.[64]. Here Are 3 Events For You. World War II led the establishment of Amarillo Army Air Field in east Amarillo and the nearby Pantex Army Ordnance Plant, which produced bombs and ammunition. was formed when an underground river collapsed. He is the father of the farm-to-market road program in Texas. In the final settlement, the City of Amarillo agreed to pay $5million in damages to the former Tulia defendants; disband the Panhandle Regional Narcotics Task Force that it set up to oversee the sting operation; and require early retirement for two Amarillo Police Department officers who were responsible for supervising the sting's sole undercover agent. Fair questions. Palo Duro Canyon State Park, 30 miles southeast of the city, offers hiking, biking, horseback riding, and zip-lining. So away we went. Like most of the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo has a temperate semi-arid climate (Kppen climate classification BSk). [8] The Amarillo-Pampa-Borger combined statistical area had an estimated population of 308,297 as of 2020. While the mayor serves as a presiding officer of the commission, the city manager is the administrative head of the municipal government and is responsible for the administration of all departments. Palo Duro Canyon State Park, 30 miles southeast of the city, offers hiking, biking, horseback riding, and zip-lining. The defendant in the trial was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and received a light sentence. West Texas A&M University features a full slate of NCAA Division II teams; however, Amarillo College is one of the few community colleges in Texas without an athletic program. The facility, located just across the Amarillo Civic Center, features a 1,300-seat auditorium. But, the Amarillo Civic Center Coliseum is also home to the North American Hockey League team, the Raging Bulls. Amarillo is no stranger to devastating tornadoes. Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Registered Historic Places in Potter County, Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, List of notable people from Amarillo, Texas, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Amarillo, Texas, "2000 Census: Population of Texas Cities", "Census profile: Amarillo, TX Metro Area", "History Makers of the High Plains: H.B. It is once known as the site for prehistoric inhabitants to obtain flint in order to make tools and weapons. Another natural landmark near the city, the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument is located 30 miles (48km) north of Amarillo. The hockey season runs from mid-September to April. Texas Beef, a multi-generational family-owned Amarillo company, is the largest cattle-feed employer. May have tunnels that go to the Pantex plant but I've never been out there as it is under security and monitored by camera. County, state, and federal representation, Exhibit at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum at Canyon. ACT has no plans to scale back any of their transit routes or services.[67]. Amarillo's climate is a bit unpredictable. From awe-inspiring canyons to soaring mountains, Texas truly has it all. is located in this small town near Amarillo, it is well-deserving of a spot on our list. Texas Tech University Health Science Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine in Amarillo, Harrington Cancer Center, and Texas Oncology-Amarillo have added significantly to the prestige of the medical community. Funfest was held in Thompson Memorial Park during Memorial Day weekend. Amarillo has no passenger rail service but remains an important part of the rail freight system. The southern divide of the Western High Plains is the Llano Estacado or Staked Plains geographical region. Don Harrington Discovery Center, located in the city's hospital district, is an interactive science center and space theater with over 60 hands-on exhibits. In May 1982, a strong F3 tornado struck Amarillo's western suburbs, devastating parts of Dawn, and Bushland. In 1913, Amarillo became the first Texas city and the fifth in United States to use the council-manager form of municipal government, with all governmental powers resting in a legislative body, called a council (before 2014, it was called a commission). The City of Amarillo also operates recycling collection centers, one located near the downtown area and four at fire stations in the city. The city was the home of the Double-A Amarillo Gold Sox Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League off and on from 1939 to 1982. Maps | More Weather. Interstate 27 highway connecting Lubbock to Amarillo was built mostly during the 1980s.[11]. Amarillo was the title of the third episode of the second season of AMC's drama Better Call Saul, a spin-off of the hit drama Breaking Bad. 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. Reminder That Spring And Summer Are Close From Community Market, City Of Amarillo Went Live With Survey; Not Sending You Spam. Interstate 40, the city's major eastwest thoroughfare was completed entirely through Amarillo in November 1968 across the center of the city. They are some thousands of feet underground. The first is Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA), which lies 10 miles northeast of downtown. On average, there are 5.9 days of lows at or below 10F or 12.2C, 8.8 days where the temperature fails to rise above freezing, and 61 days of 90F (32.2C)+ highs. Not everyone in Amarillo wears a cowboy hat, and that's OK! One-bedroom apartments range from $950 to $1,400. 14. The city has events and attractions honoring the cowboy and Texas culture. Routes 60, 87, 287, and 66 intersected at Amarillo, making it a major tourist stop with numerous motels, restaurants, and curio shops. The city commission holds its regular meetings on Tuesday of each week. [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. Amarillo was hit by the Dust Bowl and entered an economic depression. [75], Amarillo has a number of natural attractions near the city. Extreme temperatures range from 16F (26.7C) on February 12, 1899 to 111F (43.9C) on June 26, 2011, but lows do not typically dip to 0F or 17.8C in most years, while highs above 100F or 37.8C are seen on 4.7 days on average. Pantex is about 20 miles from downtown Amarillo. Golfing is a staple in Amarillo, with 12 public and municipal golf courses located within 20 minutes. Leave it to a place known for its half-buried Cadillac collection to have mountains that don't make much sense. There is also an American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame exhibited in the museum. Some of the peaks are believed to be 10,000 feet (3,000 m) high. . For a more traditional exploration of art, residents can spend a day browsing the Amarillo Museum of Art's showing of international photography, sculpture, and murals. [29], Most of Amarillo's population growth and commercial development are occurring in the southern and northwestern parts of the city. It isn't too far fetched to think that given enough time, mountain ranges could get covered up thanks to a variety of reasons. Winter in the Panhandle is harsh. That part of Amarillo within Randall County is represented by Swinford's Republican colleague, John T. Smithee, who has served in the 86th District since 1985. [102] It also operates the Clements Unit and Nathaniel J. Neil Unit in unincorporated Potter County, east of Amarillo. U.S. The Amarillo area is an outdoor playground. Route 66 Motor Speedway, a 3/8 mile clay, high-bank oval track, sits east of the city. Amarillo is also the northern terminus for I-27, of which less than one mile (~1.6km) is located in Potter County. But Amarillo's "rush hour" is an urban myth. Wonderland Amusement Park is one of the best things to do for families in Amarillo. 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. Singer Lacey Brown of Amarillo advanced to the top 24 in season 8 on the hit show American Idol. Amarillo AMA Cheyenne CYS Amarillo Weather Weather Conditions and Forecast Salina, KS Regional Radar Nearby Personal Weather Stations WunderMap Radar Customize, add layers and zoom in & out. In her later years, she lived in the Herring Hotel, owned by Ernest Thompson, and was often known informally as "Miss Amarillo".[113]. In the 20052006 television season, Amarillo is the 131st largest television market in the United States designated by Nielsen Media Research.[115]. The racetrack is associated with the United States Racing Association (USRA), and events run from April through September. If ranching is in your future, the plentiful and affordable land surrounding Amarillo could be the place. The Globe-News Center was built in hope by city officials and others that it will revitalize the downtown area. 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. Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. Other members include the Amarillo's public schools, Amarillo College, Canyon Area Library, Lovett Memorial Library in Pampa, Texas, and Hutchinson County Library in Borger, Texas. The underground structures known as Amarillo Mountains are an extension of the Arbuckles of Oklahoma and the Ouachita of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The chief city of the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo is located on a sandy playa, or dry lake bed, and the tawny colour of its soil lends the city its name (Spanish: Yellow). Amarillo is located near the middle of the Texas Panhandle and is part of the Llano Estacado or Staked Plains region which has a surface that is relatively flat and has little drainage in the soil. Another notable trial in Amarillo includes the Fort Worth-area murder case of T. Cullen Davis, which involved one of the richest men in the United States, his former wife, and her daughter and boyfriend. St James's, England, United Kingdom 48 F Cloudy. The median income for a household in the city was $52,941, and the median income for a family was $64,632. In addition to intermodal and general goods, a big portion of rail shipments involve grains and coal. Siemens Government Technologies also operates in Amarillo, providing technological solutions for infrastructure, energy, and healthcare. The Palo Duro Canyon State Park is the United States' second largest canyon system, after the Grand Canyon and is located south of Amarillo. Amarillo is also mentioned in the song "Route 66". The Lights. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. The Potter County portion had the nation's largest natural gas reserve. Many of them found employment at the nearby Iowa Beef Processors plant. At the 2010 U.S. census, there were 190,695 people residing in Amarillo, an increase of 9.8% since the 2000 U.S. Teams in competition prepare a feast of breaded beef cutlets, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and sourdough biscuits and attempt to duplicate the food served on western cattle trails of the 1860s and 1870s. Nicknamed "The Grand Canyon of Texas," it is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and 6,000 feet deep. Berry established the city in 1887 near the mainline of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad. 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. Now located on Interstate 40, The Big Texan Steak Ranch is famous by offering visitors a free 72ounce (2kg) beef steak if it (and its accompanying dinner) is eaten in under an hour. Initially known for cattle transit, the town soon became a thriving western town. 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! This 3-bedroom + loft, 3-bathroom cabin sleeps up to 9 guests and features nice amenities to relax in the trees or with seasonal mountain views in winter. Tornadoes have occurred in and around the city in 1968, 1970, 1982, 1986, 2001, 2007, and most recently in 2013, 2015 and 2016. [34] Completed in the same year as the FirstBank Southwest Tower, the Amarillo National Bank Plaza One building houses the headquarters of Amarillo National Bank, the city's largest financial institution. 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. Sip fresh ground coffee at 806, and you will forget all about chain store coffee. The Kwahadi Kiva Indian Museum features a collection of Native American artifacts and provides dance performances. [145] Construction began in 2006 for a new Texas State Veterans Home in northwest Amarillo. Address: 1600 South Polk Street, Amarillo, Texas. High 64F.. The range was discovered by pioneer oilmen. The ACT transports approximately 350,000 passengers per year on the fixed route and 30,000 paratransit passengers, but it is a declining ridership. Previously, the Texas Zephyr to Denver and Dallas, last served Amarillo in 1967. Manhattan, NY warning10 F Partly Cloudy. During the third week of September, the Tri-State Fair & Rodeo brings participants mostly from Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas to Amarillo since 1921. [48], According to the 2020 United States census, there were 200,393 people, 76,778 households, and 50,005 families residing in the city, an increase of 5.1% since the 2010 United States census. He became an international expert on national petroleum and natural gas production and conservation. The United States government, through the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, provided the funding to build the facility, while the Texas government will run it after construction is completed. Art, education, industry, and community intertwine, creating a dynamic community known as the "Yellow Rose of the Texas Panhandle.". Methodists and Pentecostals were the next largest Christian groups, followed by Presbyterians, Mormons, Episcopalians or Anglicans, and Lutherans. In addition, the AQHA and Center City of Amarillo co-sponsors the project, "Hoof Prints of the American Quarter Horse" which consist of horse statues located in front of several Amarillo businesses, such as the downtown Amarillo National building, Nationwide Insurance, and Edward Jones. [70][71] The AEDC is largely responsible for bringing Bell Helicopter Textron's development of the V-22 Osprey hybrid aircraft and the future site of Marine One assembly in Amarillo. 15-Day Forecast [Updated: Feb 28 2023 / 03:22 PM CST ] Day. Amarillo's water supply used to come from both from Lake Meredith and the Ogallala Aquifer. Walmart provides both part-time and full-time jobs for the area. [67] Other major employers include Bell Helicopter Textron, Owens-Corning, Amarillo National Bank and ASARCO. [15], On June 19, 1888, Henry B. Sanborn, who is given credit as the "Father of Amarillo",[16] and his business partner Joseph F. Glidden began buying land to the east to move Amarillo after arguing that Berry's site was on low ground and would flood during rainstorms. Highlight . This one however got the best of me. So we started grabbing a bunch of these satellite pictures of cities and towns around Amarillo. Boston, MA warning-7 F. They are some thousands of feet underground. Amarillo offers options for renters or those looking for a more permanent location. And, occasionally, when conditions are right, the cottonwood trees show their brilliant colors, and the leaves fall. I immediately thought of cowboys and cattle trails as I drove closer. Severe thunderstorms can produce damaging straight-line winds, large hail, tornadoes, and flash flooding. AISD encompasses 50 public elementary, middle, and high schools and private academies. By 2011, lake levels had dropped so much due to the Texas drought that the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority voted to stop using it entirely. The Loop is a local name for Texas State Highway Loop 335, which encircles Amarillo. [103], The United States Postal Service operates the Amarillo Main Post Office. Amarillo, TX 10-Day Weather Forecast - The Weather Channel | Weather.com 10 Day Weather - Amarillo, TX As of 11:38 am CST Today 64/ 34 0% Fri 03 | Day 64 SSW 12 mph Sunny. The median homeowner costs with a mortgage were $1,272 and without a mortgage $479. [101], The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Amarillo District Parole Office in the city. Review: Is Leonard Farms The Best Bang For Your Christmas Bucks? The tornado, shortly after 8 pm, ripped through Amarillo's most densely populated areas, demolishing almost half of the city, causing catastrophic damage and loss of life. The city's original street layout was set up by William H. Bush, beginning at the west end of the town moving to the east. [72], From 2020 to 2021, Amarillo experienced its greatest amount of economic development in 30 years. at the Canyon E-Way Interchange to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Considered a regional airport, Amarillo International accepts flights from three commercial airlines-Southwest, United, and American. The role of the commission is to pass ordinances and resolutions, adopt regulations, and appoint city officials, including the city manager. Natural gas is distributed by Atmos Energy. The data shown is for information purposes only and except where noted, all of the data or features shown or depicted on this map are not to be construed or interpreted as accurate and/or reliable; the City of Amarillo assumes no liability or responsibility for any . At first called Oneida, the city originated in 1887 as a railroad construction camp and in the 1890s grew . It's a deceptive altitude increase when coming from Oklahoma City. [62][63], Amarillo is considered the regional economic center for the Texas Panhandle,[64][65] as well as Eastern New Mexico and the Oklahoma Panhandle. Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010. Likely the tunnels are just for people to move around easier in Amarillo's shitty weather. In 2020, there were 76,778 households with an average of 2.57 people per household. And, the Public House is a modern American restaurant specializing in fusion comfort food, cocktails, wine & craft beer. Two of the Amarillo area's higher education institutions have at least one museum in their campuses. My Location: Amarillo, TX. In 2021, about 0.1% of Amarillo's residents identified with Judaism and 2.1% were Muslim. [88], Founded in 2013, by businessman Tom Warren, The Amarillo Historical Museum is Amarillo's only local museum to exclusively feature local history.[89]. Amarillo, city, seat (1887) of Potter county (and partly in Randall county), on the high plains of northern Texas, U.S. Amarillo's primary and secondary education is handled by five different school districts:[111][112], From 1922 to 1938, the author Laura Vernon Hamner, who wrote a novelized biography of Charles Goodnight, served as the Potter County school superintendent. It is a stunning landscape vista. The downtown part of the city was initially designed to be a grid pattern, providing numerous alternate routes to any location. If you're looking for an Amarillo home, contact The RealFX Group at (512) 956-7390 to get in touch with an experienced local real estate agent and discover your Amarillo dream home today. Goodnight continued the partnership for a time after Adair's death with Adair's widow, Cornelia Wadsworth Ritchie Adair, who was then the sole owner from 1887 until her death in 1921. Want Something Different This Christmas? Known as the United States' third windiest city, the constant breeze makes even the hottest days bearable and contributes to Amarillo's suitability for wind farm development. Read on to learn why Amarillo is such a hidden gem. Due to the lack of developed drainage, much of the rainfall either evaporates, infiltrates into the ground, or accumulates in playa lakes. Availability of the railroad and freight service after the county seat election made the town a fast-growing cattle-marketing center. The roughly 270,000 residents of the region are proud that the average commute is only 15 minutes barring, of course, construction, wrecks, or mishaps. What Can Stop Pickleballs Takeover Of The Panhandle? Amarillo suffered a direct hit, causing catastrophic damage and loss of life in Amarillo's most densely populated areas. [45] Both the city and most of the county as a whole lie in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a. The National Weather Service in Amarillo forecasts and provides climatic data for the city. Some of Texas' most prominent companies are established in Amarillo, fueling the job market. The second airport is Tradewind Airport (TDW), a privately owned public-use airport in Randall County. The closest Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagan meeting officially advertised is located a 5-hour plus drive in Denton, TX despite there being a UU congregation in Amarillo it does not host a CUUPs chapater. has helped the lake regain much of its volume. They are some thousands of feet underground. Whether it's sightseeing, the arts, sports, outdoor activities, or a lazy brunch, you'll never get bored in Amarillo. He joined the Texas Railroad Commission by appointment in 1933 and was elected to full terms in 1934, 1940, 1946, 1952, and 1958. Much of Amarillo's precipitation falls during heavy convective showers and thunderstorms during the late spring and summer months. The Amarillo City Transit bus is scheduled Monday through Saturday, 6:20 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Amarillo City Transit (ACT) closes for major holidays. Another part of Amarillo's sporting history was its roots in professional wrestling. The depth to static water level from . With a little bit of patience, one can find Tex-Mex restaurants, Asian stir-fry, and delicious burgers, all housed in nondescript locations. I'm still trying to wrap my feeble brain around this. The city of Amarillo's Parks and Recreation Department operates over 50 municipal parks, including a skatepark west of the city. The Amarillo Film Commission is a division of the Amarillo Convention and Visitor Council that was created to provide film crews with locations and other assistance when filming in Amarillo. Amarillo's nightlife combines eateries, music venues, jazz bars, and dance clubs. [126] Amarillo was the setting for many motion pictures, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Switchback 1997, and The Plutonium Circus, the 1995 South by Southwest Film Festival winner for best documentary feature. It had plush red carpet, murals, and a pipe organ, 1,433 seats, and was considered the finest theater north of Fort Worth. The small town of Tulia, Texas, approximately 47 miles (76km) south from Amarillo, was the scene of a controversial drug sting in 1999. The underground structures known as Amarillo Mountains are an extension of the Arbuckles of Oklahoma and the Ouachita of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Amarillo's well-regarded orchestra makes these old walls sing with Symphony Underground events, and we found a display of Mondrian-ish color-block paintings that made an interesting contrast with the 1949 Art Deco building's curved lines. Welcome to the City of Amarillo's Interactive Web Maps. Amarillo had a median gross rent of $876 from 2016 to 2020. Amarillo operates one of the largest meat-packing areas in the United States. Former residents Evander "Ziggy" Hood and Montrel Meander are in the National Football League. North of downtown the highway becomes US 87 & 287 and continues northward to Dumas, Texas.[64]. [147], Drinking water is provided by the City of Amarillo and its Utilities Division. Venom plays their games at the Amarillo Civic Center Coliseum throughout the summer. The airport is served by several major air carriers with non-stop service to Dallas, Houston, Austin, Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Polk Street contains many of the city's historic downtown buildings and homes. Exhibit at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum at Canyon, TX states that the underground structures known as Amarillo Mountains are an extension of the Arbuckles of Oklahoma and the Ouachita of . You start pointing out landmarks and things you recognize. The age distribution of the city in 2020 was as follows: 7.6% of the population was under the age of 5, 26.8% was under the age of 18, 73.2% 18 and older, 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The locals cheer, "Fangs Up!". [39] At the time, the festival included Amarillo's only 42.2-kilometre (26.2mi) foot race, the Funfest Marathon.