The hockey season runs from mid-September to April. The cost of eating out is comparable to most Texas cities. [151] Other utilities are primarily provided by private organizations. at the Canyon E-Way Interchange to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. [35][36] The Santa Fe Building, completed in 1930, was the regional offices of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, but was vacant for several years until Potter County bought the building for $426,000 in 1995 to gain new office spaces. [81] The nonprofit community theater group, Amarillo Little Theatre, has its season run from September to May. Like most of the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo has a temperate semi-arid climate (Kppen climate classification BSk). The airport covers 40 acres (16ha) and has two grass runways. 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. Sip fresh ground coffee at 806, and you will forget all about chain store coffee. Visit The Amarillo Civic Center for indoor stage productions home to the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra and the Lone Star Ballet. They lie completely underground and are covered by. Grady Hazlewood, a 1930s district attorney in Amarillo, served in the Texas Senate from 1941 to 1971. He authored the first state school loan programs for returning World War II veterans and college students. Blizzards occur occasionally, but snowfall is typically light, averaging nearly 18 inches or 46 centimetres seasonally and the median figure is near 10 inches or 25 centimetres. Some of the peaks are believed to be 10,000 feet (3,000 m) high. [61] Baptists made up 40.2% of the Christian population and Catholics were 13.3% of the local population. The first Mrs. Thompson, May Peterson Thompson, a former Metropolitan Opera singer, was involved in the arts while in Amarillo and later when the couple lived in Austin. [10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 90.3 square miles (234km2), with 89.9sqmi (233km2) of it land and 0.4sqmi (1.0km2) of it (0.50%) covered by water. ACT has no plans to scale back any of their transit routes or services.[67]. 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. 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 will accommodate six lanes at the mainlane bridge along with a complete stack interchange with direct connectors to and from I-27. Furthermore, another triple-level interchange will be built to accommodate Soncy Road, Helium Road, I-27 and the new loop. The underground structures known as Amarillo Mountains are an extension of the Arbuckles of Oklahoma and the Ouachita of Arkansas and Oklahoma. [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. Visit these 10 Texas Texas towns with breathtaking scenery. 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. [8] The Amarillo-Pampa-Borger combined statistical area had an estimated population of 308,297 as of 2020. These storms can be severe: Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle are situated in the western portion of "Tornado Alley" and are prone to severe weather events, occurring primarily between April and July. Amarillo's climate is a bit unpredictable. Amarillo is no stranger to devastating tornadoes. [69], The Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) is funded by a city sales tax, and it provides aggressive incentive packages to existing and prospective employers. Also located in Amarillo, the 113-year-old West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) is home to an international faculty and over 8,000 students. 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. Likely the tunnels are just for people to move around easier in Amarillo's shitty weather. [95][96] Amarillo's commission is composed of five elected commissioners, one of whom is the mayor of the city. Many of them found employment at the nearby Iowa Beef Processors plant. Bell Helicopter Textron opened a helicopter assembly plant near the city's international airport in 1999.[64]. There is also an American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame exhibited in the museum. Amarillo previously hosted an independent league baseball team, the Amarillo Thunderheads of the American Association, which played its home games in Potter County Memorial Stadium from 2011 to 2015. The median homeowner costs with a mortgage were $1,272 and without a mortgage $479. Measuring 120 miles long and up to 1,000 feet deep, Palo Duro is the second-largest canyon in the U.S. (only Arizona's Big Ditch beats it). [67] Other major employers include Bell Helicopter Textron, Owens-Corning, Amarillo National Bank and ASARCO. 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. [18] The plant was the sole producer of commercial helium in the world for a number of years. 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. Amarillo is home to the Amarillo Gun Club, which features a variety of clay target sports including trap, skeet and 5-Stand. The English Field Air & Space Museum, which had been operated by the Texas Aviation Historical Society featuring aircraft and space exhibits, in 2007 closed its doors and lost many of its aircraft. Living in Amarillo is easy. The city gained national media attention in 1998 when local cattlemen unsuccessfully sued television talk show host Oprah Winfrey for comments made on her show connecting American beef to mad cow disease, costing them and their industry millions of dollars. [26] The city is situated near the Panhandle Field, in a productive gas and oil area, covering 200,000 acres (81,000ha) in Hartley, Potter, Moore, Hutchinson, Carson, Gray, Wheeler, and Collingsworth Counties. Film fans will enjoy the Cadillac Ranch. Rugged 'mountains' taller than Everest lurk deep inside Earth. There's a solid chance that if you're reading this, you're more than likely in the Texas panhandle. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. [120] A federal lawsuit directed at the officials responsible for the sting operation was held in Amarillo. The Palo Duro Canyon is the second-largest canyon system in the United States. Wonderland Amusement Park is located in northern Amarillo at Thompson Park, named for Ernest Thompson. Berry established the city in 1887 near the mainline of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad. Each of these three carriers maintained substantial freight and passenger depots and repair facilities in the city through most of the 20th century and were major employers within the community.[21]. [75], Amarillo has a number of natural attractions near the city. [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. The city encompasses 99.48 sqm in both, Potter and Randall Counties. The Pantex Plant was reopened in 1950 and produced nuclear weapons throughout the Cold War.[11]. One-bedroom apartments range from $950 to $1,400. The airport offers both an outdoor self-parking lot, valet parking, and car rental. At least, that's what's going on according to these guys. Amarillo's water supply used to come from both from Lake Meredith and the Ogallala Aquifer. Winter in the Panhandle is harsh. The tornado touched down southwest of Amarillo, near the town of Hereford, then tracked its way northward, on a collision course with Amarillo. [7] A portion of the city extends into Randall County. 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. 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. The Amarillo metropolitan area covers four counties: Armstrong, Carson, Potter, and Randall. Much of Amarillo's precipitation falls during heavy convective showers and thunderstorms during the late spring and summer months. I've read articles, journals, wikis, you name ittrying to wrap my head around this. On August 30, 1887, Berry's town site won the county seat election and was established in Potter County. [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]. Routes 60, 87, 287, and 66 intersected at Amarillo, making it a major tourist stop with numerous motels, restaurants, and curio shops. Amarillo has celebrated National CleanUp Day on the third Saturday of September annually since 2018.[25]. Peaks of the Amarillo Mountains range from 2500 to 10,000 feet high. was formed when an underground river collapsed. Siemens Government Technologies also operates in Amarillo, providing technological solutions for infrastructure, energy, and healthcare. The Eastridge neighborhood houses many immigrants from countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. 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 streets in Amarillo's downtown area conform to a grid pattern. Other notable radio stations around the area include the college stations KACV-FM 89.9 (Amarillo College), Active Rock KZRK-FM (107.9), and KWTS-FM 91.1 (West Texas A&M University) in nearby Canyon. There are four distinct seasons in the Texas Panhandle. Nate Blakeslee. [104] Other post offices in the city include Downtown Amarillo,[105] Jordan,[106] Lone Star,[107] North Amarillo,[108] and San Jacinto.[109]. In 2015, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) published the plans for the all new Loop 335 freeway that encircles the city of Amarillo. Amarillo is an affordable, vibrant, and growing community. 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. Amarillo is known as "cattle-feeding" country. 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. ENORMOUS mountains have been found deep under Earth's surface - and they could be bigger than anything above ground. Colloquially, though, most tend to dub the SW and SE avenues as W (west) and E (east), respectively. [137] Also, another new mainlane bridge that accommodates up to six lanes is also in the works for I-40 near Helium Rd. Read more about this topic: Amarillo, Texas, The totality of our so-called knowledge or beliefs, from the most casual matters of geography and history to the profoundest laws of atomic physics or even of pure mathematics and logic, is a man-made fabric which impinges on experience only along the edges. Pantex, the only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility in the country, is also a major employer. 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! Best Thing On The Internet Today? Due to the lack of developed drainage, much of the rainfall either evaporates, infiltrates into the ground, or accumulates in playa lakes. Are you thinking about moving to Texas and considering Amarillo? The Amarillo area is an outdoor playground. The City of Amarillo also operates recycling collection centers, one located near the downtown area and four at fire stations in the city. Route 66 Motor Speedway, a 3/8 mile clay, high-bank oval track, sits east of the city. St James's, England, United Kingdom 48 F Cloudy. Swinford retired in January 2011 and was succeeded by fellow Republican Four Price, who is the current representative. Greyhound Bus provides daily commercial service to Amarillo. 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"). In the mid-to-late 1990s, the AEDC gained notoriety by sending mock checks to businesses across the country, placing full-page advertisements in The Wall Street Journal, and paying an annual $1 million subsidy to American Airlines to retain jet service. The city of Amarillo's Parks and Recreation Department operates over 50 municipal parks, including a skatepark west of the city. 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. Other notable museums in the area are the Kwahadi Kiva Indian Museum and the English Field Air & Space Museum. 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. It's a deceptive altitude increase when coming from Oklahoma City. Ours are just better at playing hide and seek, I guess. Berry and Colorado City, Texas, merchants wanted to make their new town site the region's main trading center. The Randall County Amarillo Annex building is located within the city limits and houses its Sheriff's Office and Justice of the Peace Court, Precinct 4. U.S. Highway 66 also passed through the city. The canyon is a prominent mountain biking destination and hosts the annual 50-mile Palo Duro Canyon Trail Run. This of course means they're very, very old. It is situated in the grasslands of the Texas Panhandle, and is surrounded by dense prairie. Posted: 12/14/2019 1:33:08 AM EST. [103], The United States Postal Service operates the Amarillo Main Post Office. The defendant in the trial was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and received a light sentence. The underground structures known as Amarillo Mountains are an extension of the Arbuckles of Oklahoma and the Ouachita of Arkansas and Oklahoma. In addition to some of the more established restaurants, Amarillo is known for its "hidden gems." [143] The BSA Hospice & Life Enrichment Center provides important services to the Amarillo area. Funk's sons, Dory Funk, Jr., and Terry Funk were both National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champions and represented Amarillo. So away we went. Walmart provides both part-time and full-time jobs for the area. South of the railyard (including the downtown-city center area), numbers are officially "SW" (southwest) west of Polk, and "SE" (southeast) east of Polk. [99][100], The Texas Seventh Court of Appeals is located in Amarillo. I immediately thought of cowboys and cattle trails as I drove closer. With a little bit of patience, one can find Tex-Mex restaurants, Asian stir-fry, and delicious burgers, all housed in nondescript locations. They also happen to be shared with our neighbors to the east. One of the most unusual restaurants comes highly recommended Yellow City Street Food. Amarillo is simple to navigate. [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. Driving in some Texas cities can be brutal, with cars sitting for hours in concrete jungles. Need a little fresh air? This Awesome Playground Was Built In 5 Days, By Volunteers. New homes and luxury communities pepper the area. Both Country and Americana music are a staple at HootPub "Hoot's" for the locals. Married-couple families had a median income of $80,819, and non-family households had a median income of $31,663. 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. I'm still trying to wrap my feeble brain around this. The meat packing industry is a major employer in Amarillo;[66] about one-quarter of the United States' beef supply is processed in the area. Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is a public airport located 10 miles (16km) east of the central business district of Amarillo, north of Interstate 40. [23] In the 1980s, ASARCO, Iowa Beef Processors (present day Tyson Foods), Owens-Corning, and Weyerhaeuser built plants at Amarillo. Boston, MA warning-7 F. The organization is headquartered in Amarillo and has a museum. [12] The city is also known as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" (as the city takes its name from the Spanish word for yellow),[13] "Yellow City" for its name, and "Rotor City, USA" for its V-22 Osprey hybrid aircraft assembly plant. The range was discovered by pioneer oilmen. Amarillo sits closer in proximity to the Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado state capitals than it does to Austin. While the streets running northsouth honor past presidents and are designated 'streets', eastwest streets are numbered and are designated 'avenues'. U.S. Some of the peaks are believed to be 10,000 feet (3,000m) high. Those readings show that there are mountains buried, not just here, but in a lot of places. . 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. 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). The higher education institutions in the city are Amarillo College, a two-year community college with over 10,000 students; Wayland Baptist University, a private university based in Plainview, has a branch campus in Amarillo; Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Amarillo Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Amarillo School or Medicine and School of Health Professions and Texas Tech University at Amarillo, a branch campus of Texas Tech University that offers selected master's degree programs.