Kilgore, Texas | |
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.jpg) Main Street In Kilgore  Old Main atKilgore College  St. LukesUnited Methodist Church in downtown Kilgore | |
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| Nicknames: "Oil Capital of the World",[1][2] "Oil City of the World",[3] K-Town,[4] Home of theRangerettes[5][6][7] | |
| Motto: | |
 Interactive map of Kilgore, Texas | |
  Kilgore  Kilgore | |
| Coordinates:32°23′08″N94°52′07″W / 32.38556°N 94.86861°W /32.38556; -94.86861[10] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Region | East Texas |
| Counties | Gregg,Rusk |
| Founded | 1872; 154 years ago (1872) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • Mayor | R.E. Spradlin III[11] |
| • City Manager | Rachel Rowe[12] |
| Area | |
• Total | 18.64 sq mi (48.29 km2) |
| • Land | 18.61 sq mi (48.20 km2) |
| • Water | 0.035 sq mi (0.09 km2) |
| Elevation | 351 ft (107 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 13,376 |
| • Density | 718.7/sq mi (277.5/km2) |
| Demonym | Kilgoreites[15] |
| GDP (ofMSA) | |
| • Metro | $20.259 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 75662-3 |
| Area code | 903, 430 |
| FIPS code | 48-39124[10] |
| GNIS ID | 2411541[10] |
| Website | cityofkilgore.com |
Kilgore (/ˈkɪlɡɔːr/ ⓘ) is a city in theGregg andRusk counties inTexas, United States.[10] As of the2020 census, its population was 13,376.[14] It is located whereInterstate 20 andUS 259 converge south of theSabine River.
Kilgore was founded in 1872 when theInternational–Great Northern Railroad completed the initial phase of rail line betweenPalestine andLongview. The rail company chose to bypass New Danville, a small community about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Longview, in lieu of a new townsite platted on 174 acres (0.70 km2) sold to the railroad byConstantine Buckley Kilgore, the town's namesake. That way the railroad gained the profits from sale and development of the lands.[17]
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Kilgore grew significantly after October 3, 1930, whenwildcatterColumbus M. "Dad" Joiner struckoil near the neighboring town ofHenderson. The well known as the Daisy Bradford #3, marked the discovery of the vastEast Texas Oil Field. Kilgore rapidly transformed from a small farming town on the decline into a bustlingboomtown. The Daisy Bradford #3 was subsequently followed by the Lou Della Crim No. 1 and many others.[18][19] By 1936, the population had increased to more than 12,000, and Kilgore's skyline was crowded withoil derricks.
In the 1940s Kilgore had over 1,000 wooden oil derricks. One acre was known by the nickname "The world's richest acre." Now there are 60 steel replicas of the derricks in the city topped with stars. The city is nicknamed the City of Stars.[20]
Kilgore is located in southern Gregg County and extends south into Rusk County,[10] where over three-fourths of the city are located in Gregg County, the remainder in Rusk County.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Kilgore has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.7 km2), of which 15.7 square miles (40.6 km2) are land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.22%, are covered by water.[21]
Kilgore is located in thePiney Woods region south of theSabine River.
As of the2020 census, there were 13,376 people, 4,923 households, and 3,476 families residing in the city.[22]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 248 | — | |
| 1940 | 6,708 | — | |
| 1950 | 9,638 | 43.7% | |
| 1960 | 10,092 | 4.7% | |
| 1970 | 9,495 | −5.9% | |
| 1980 | 11,331 | 19.3% | |
| 1990 | 11,066 | −2.3% | |
| 2000 | 11,301 | 2.1% | |
| 2010 | 12,975 | 14.8% | |
| 2020 | 13,376 | 3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[23] | |||
The median age was 35.4 years. 26.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.4 males age 18 and over.[22]
96.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.5% lived in rural areas.[24]
Of the 4,923 households in Kilgore, 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.5% were married-couple households, 18.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[22]
There were 5,425 housing units, of which 9.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%.[22]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 8,358 | 62.5% |
| Black or African American | 1,881 | 14.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 98 | 0.7% |
| Asian | 111 | 0.8% |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 7 | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 1,409 | 10.5% |
| Two or more races | 1,512 | 11.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 2,998 | 22.4% |
As of thecensus[26] of 2000, 11,301 people, 4,403 households, and 2,963 families resided in the city. The population density was 734.3 inhabitants per square mile (283.5/km2). The 4,766 housing units averaged 309.7 units per square mile (119.6 units/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 78.22% White, 12.34% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.95% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 11.11% of the population.
Of the 4,403 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% weremarried couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were not families. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city, the population was distributed as 24.6% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,129, and for a family was $61,765. Males had a median income of $45,995 versus $30,124 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $21,297. About 9.7% of families and 15.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.[27]
In 2023, Kilgore had 309 locally owned businesses, and attracted $117 million of new industrial investment.[28]
TheKilgore College Rangerettes, the world's first precision dance drill team, were founded in Kilgore in 1940 byGussie Nell Davis. The Rangerettes provide college football halftime entertainment,[29] and appear annually in theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[30]
Festivals and events include:
R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium primarily serving Kilgore College and the Kilgore Independent School District for football games and other events.[38]
Driller Park was the homefield for the Kilgore Drillers,[39]
The Kilgore Trails System is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) and was designed for walkers, runners, and cyclists. The trail system has access points throughout the city, and passes through wooded areas.[42]
According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city's various funds had $17.4 million in revenues, $19.4 million in expenditures, $19.5 million in total assets, $0.8 million in total liabilities, and $17.5 million in investments.[56]
Kilgore is represented in theTexas Senate by Republican Bryan Hughes, District 1, and in theTexas House of Representatives by RepublicanDavid Simpson, District 7 and Travis Clardy, District 11.
At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are RepublicansJohn Cornyn andTed Cruz. Kilgore is part ofTexas's 1st congressional district, which is currently represented by RepublicanNathaniel Moran.
Kilgore College is home to the Rangers and theKilgore College Rangerettes.
TheKilgore News Herald is a twice-weekly newspaper published in the city.[59]
GoBus is a regional transit system serving Kilgore and nearby cities.[61]
Kilgore's cycling infrastructure includes the 3.5-mile Creekside Trail, part of the Kilgore Trails System, and the Big Head Mountain Bike Trail. Opened in phases from 2018 to 2020, the Creekside Trail follows Bighead Creek with multiple access points.[42]
The Christus Good Shepherd Emergency Room provides 24-hour emergency care.[62]
Geographic data related toKilgore, Texas atOpenStreetMap| Neighborhoods | | ||||
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