Map of Wichita Falls in 1890Kemp-Kell Building,circa 1910, now known as the Holt Hotel, was one of the first five-story office buildings in the city.
From the early 18th century to the mid 19th century, the Wichita Falls area was inhabited by theWichita and theComanche people. The Spanish called the lands controlled by the Comanche asComancheria. The Wichita were forced onto a reservation in Oklahoma after 1859. The last battle with the Comanche in this area occurred in 1872 and the Comanche were finally defeated in 1874.[9][10]
Anglo American presence in the area began in the 1860s.[11] The future city was platted and named Wichita Falls on September 27, 1876, as the Wichita River runs through the area and a waterfall was in the river's course in 1876. The first permanent resident arrived in 1879. In 1886, a flood destroyed the originalwaterfall on theWichita River for which the city was named.[12][13][14] The city built anartificial waterfall in 1987 beside the river in Lucy Park. The recreated falls are 54 ft (16 m) high.
On the day the city was named in 1876, a sale of town lots was held at what is now the corner of Seventh and Ohio Streets – the birthplace of the city.[15] TheFort Worth & Denver City Railway arrived in September 1882, the same year the city became the county seat ofWichita County.[16] The city grew westwards from the original FW&DC train depot which was located at the northwest corner of Seventh Street and the FW&DC.[15] This area is now referred to as theDepot Square Historic District,[17][18] which has been declared aTexas Historic Landmark.[19]
The early history of Wichita Falls well into the 20th century also rests on the work of two entrepreneurs, Joseph A. Kemp[20] and his brother-in-law, Frank Kell. Kemp and Kell were pioneers in food processing and retailing, flour milling, railroads, cattle, banking, and oil.[21]
Downtown Wichita Falls was the city's main shopping area for many years. Those shops lost ground to the creation of new shopping centers throughout the city beginning with Parker Square in 1953 and other similar developments during the 1960s and 1970s, culminating with the opening ofSikes Senter Mall in 1974. The city has been seeking funding to rebuild and restore the downtown area since 2010.[16]
Wichita Falls was once home to offices of several oil companies and related industries, along with oil refineries operated by theContinental Oil Company (nowConocoPhillips) until 1952 and Panhandle Oil Company (founded in Wichita Falls, sold toAmerican Petrofina in 1965). Both firms continued to use a portion of their former refineries as gasoline/oil terminal facilities for many years.
A powerful F5-ratedtornado hit the northern and northwestern portions of Wichita Falls, along withSheppard Air Force Base during the afternoon of April 3, 1964 (later referred to as "Black Friday"). As the first violent tornado on record to hit the Wichita Falls area,[22] it left seven dead and more than 100 injured. Additionally, the tornado caused roughly $15 million ($153.2M in 2025 dollars) in property damage with about 225 homes destroyed and another 250 damaged.[23] It was rated F5, the highest rating on theFujita scale, but it is overshadowed by the 1979 tornado.[24]
An F4 tornado struck the heavily populated southern sections of Wichita Falls in the late afternoon on Tuesday, April 10, 1979 (known as "Terrible Tuesday"). It was part of an outbreak that produced 30 tornadoes around the region. Despite having nearly an hour's advance warning thatsevere weather was imminent, 42 people were killed (including 25 in vehicles) and 1,800 were injured because it arrived just as many people were driving home from work.[25] It left 20,000 people homeless and caused $400 million in damage, a U.S. record not topped by an individual tornado until the F5Moore–Oklahoma City tornado of May 3, 1999.[26]
Wichita Falls is about 15 miles (24 km) south of the border withOklahoma, 115 mi (185 km) northwest ofFort Worth, and 140 mi (230 km) southwest ofOklahoma City. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 70.71 square miles (183.1 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.052 km2) (0.03%) is covered by water.[27]
Wichita Falls experiences ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa), featuring long, very hot and humid summers, and cool winters. The city has some of the highest summer daily maximum temperatures in the entire U.S. outside of theDesert Southwest. Temperatures have hit 100 °F (38 °C) as early as March 27 and as late as October 17, but more typically reach that level on 28 days annually, with 102 days of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher annually; the average window for the latter mark is April 9–October 10. However, 59 to 60 nights of freezing lows occur, and an average of 4.8 days where the high does not rise above freezing. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 42.0 °F (5.6 °C) in January to 84.4 °F (29.1 °C) in July. The record low temperature is −12 °F (−24 °C) on January 4, 1947. The highest recorded temperature is 117 °F (47 °C) on June 28, 1980. Snowfall is sporadic and averages 4.1 in (10 cm) per season, while rainfall is typically greatest in early summer.
From 2010 through 2013, Wichita Falls, along with a large portion of the south-central US, experienceda persistent drought. In September 2011, Wichita Falls became the first Texas city[28] to have 100 days of 100 °F (38 °C) or higher within one year.[a] On every day from June 22 to August 12, the temperature reached 100 °F or higher, and from May 27 to September 3, the temperature reached 90 °F or higher. In addition, the all-time warm daily minimum of 88 °F (31 °C) was set on July 26, and June, July, and August of that year were all the hottest on record.[29]
During the2015 Texas–Oklahoma floods, Wichita Falls broke its all-time record for the wettest month, with 17.00 inches of rain recorded in May 2015.[30]
Wichita Falls city, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the 2022[update]American Community Survey estimates, there were 102,659 people and 38,057 households.[37][38] Thepopulation density was 1,421.2 inhabitants per square mile (548.7/km2). There were 42,641 housing units at an average density of 590.3 per square mile (227.9/km2).[39][38][40] The racial makeup of the city was 52.1% White, 30.8% Black or African American, 3.6% some other race, 2.8% Asian, 1.0% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 0.6% Native American or Alaskan Native, with 9.1% from two or more races.[38]Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 22.4% of the population.[38]
Of the 38,057 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.4% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% were couples cohabitating, 24.0% had a male householder with no partner present, and 29.0% had a female householder with no partner present.[37] The median household size was 2.39 and the median family size was 2.98.[37]
The age distribution was 22.9% under 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34.4 years.[41] For every 100 females, there were 114.6 males.[38]
The median income for a household was $56,091, with family households having a median income of $71,975 and non-family households $35,403. Theper capita income was $31,730.[42][43] Out of the 90,842 people with a determined poverty status, 15.2% were below thepoverty line. Further, 21.4% of minors and 16.3% of seniors were below the poverty line.[44]
Wichita Falls'media market also includes the nearby, smaller city ofLawton, Oklahoma. According toNielsen Media Research estimates for the 2016–17 season, the market – which encompasses 10 counties in westernNorth Texas and six counties in southwestern Oklahoma, has 152,950 households with at least one television set, making it the 148th-largest television market in the United States; the market also has an average of 120,200 radio listeners ages 12 and over, making it the 250th-largest radio market in the nation.[47][48]
Lucy Park is a 170-acre (69 ha) park with a log cabin, duck pond, swimming pool, playground,frisbee golf course, and picnic areas. It has multiple paved walkways suitable for walking, running, biking, or rollerskating, including a river walk that goes to a man-made waterfall feature in lieu of the original falls for which the city was named (the original falls, located in the river, were destroyed in a 19th-century flood; the new waterfall attraction, located in the park and discharging into the river, were built in response to numerous tourist requests to visit the "Wichita Falls"). It is one of 37 parks throughout the city. The parks range in size from small neighborhood facilities to the 258 acres of Weeks Park featuring the Champions Course at Weeks Park, an 18-hole golf course. In addition, an off-leash dog park is withinLake Wichita Park and a skatepark adjacent to the city's softball complex. Also, unpaved trails for off-road biking and hiking are available.[49]
The Wichita Falls Circle Trail system consists of over 24 miles of concrete trail that goes around the city. Almost all of the trails are 10-foot wide reinforced concrete. They can be used for walking, jogging, bicycling, and rollerblading. Started in 1987 and completed in 2025, the trail takes riders through several of the city parks and across a wide range of environments.[50] It includes an off-shoot, the Wee-Chi-Tah Off Road Trail. This 13-mile loop has been voted the best in Texas.[51]
Wichita Falls is the home of the annualHotter'N Hell Hundred, the largest single-daycentury bicycle ride in the United States and one of the largest races in the world. The race started as a way for the city to celebrate its centennial in 1982. The race takes place over a weekend in August, and multiple events are hosted for people to participate.[52]
Wichita Falls is located in the 69th district of theTexas House of Representatives.Lanham Lyne, aRepublican, represented the district from 2011 to 2013; he was the mayor of Wichita Falls from 2005 to 2010. When Lyne declined to seek a second term in 2012, voters chose another Republican,James Frank. Wichita Falls is located in the30th district of theTexas Senate.Craig Estes, a Republican, had held the senate seat since 2001, untilPat Fallon won election in 2018. Wichita Falls is part ofTexas's 13th congressional district for the U.S. House of Representatives.Ronny Jackson, a Republican, has held this seat since 2021.
By 1879, the first school was established. The first public school was a log structure established in the 1880s; in 1885, it was replaced with a former courthouse.Wichita Falls High School opened in 1890. That year, a school district was created, but problems with the law allowing its establishment meant it was dissolved in 1894 and the city provided schooling until the second establishment of a school district in 1900. In 1908, theTexas Legislature issued a charter for WFISD.[61]
The city has a school for German children, Deutsche Schule Sheppard (DSS).[62]
Vernon College is the designated community college for all of Wichita County.[64] A local branch nearby offers two-year degrees, certificate programs, and workforce development programs.
Wichita Falls is the western terminus forInterstate 44.U.S. Highways leading to or through Wichita Falls include287,277,281, and82.State Highway 240 ends at Wichita Falls andState Highway 79 runs through it. Wichita Falls has one of the largest freeway mileages for a city of its size[citation needed] as a result of a 1954 bond issue approved by city and county voters to purchase rights-of-way for several expressway routes through the city and county, the first of which was opened in the year 1958 as an alignment of U.S. 287 from Eighth Street at Broad and Holliday Streets northwestward across the Wichita River and bisecting Lucy and Scotland Parks to the Old Iowa Park Road, the original U.S. 287 alignment.[citation needed] That was followed by other expressway links including U.S. 82–287 east toHenrietta (completed in the year 1968), U.S. 281 south towardJacksboro (completed 1969), U.S. 287 northwest toIowa Park andElectra (opened 1962), Interstate 44 north toBurkburnett and the Red River (opened 1964), and Interstate 44 from Old Iowa Park Road to U.S. 287/Spur 325 interchange on the city's north side along with Spur 325 from I-44/U.S. 287 to the main gate of Sheppard Air Force Base (both completed as a single project in 1960). However, cross-country traffic for many years had to contend with several ground-level intersections and traffic lights over Holliday and Broad Streets near the downtown area for about 13 blocks between connecting expressway links until a new elevated freeway running overhead was completed in 2001.[citation needed]
Efforts to create an additional freeway along the path of Kell Boulevard for U.S. 82–277 began in 1967 with the acquisition of right-of-way that included a former railroad right-of-way and the first project including construction of the present frontage roads completed in 1977, followed by freeway lanes, overpasses, and on/off ramps in 1989 from just east of Brook Avenue west to Kemp Boulevard; similar projects west from Kemp to Barnett Road in 2001 followed by Barnett Road west past FM 369 in 2010 to tie in which a project now underway to transform U.S. 277 into a continuous four-lane expressway between Wichita Falls and Abilene.[65]
The city operates a bus system, Falls Ride, which runs on an hourly schedule with seven routes (except on Sundays, when only one route is in operation).[66]
Greyhound Lines providesintercity bus service to other locations served by Greyhound via its new terminal at the Wichita Falls Travel Center located at Fourth and Scott in downtown.[67] Skylark Van Service shuttles passengers to and from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on several runs during the day all week long.[68]
Although still in the planning phase, local officials are currently working to potentially bring anAmtrak stop to the city. Wichita Falls last had passenger rail service in 1967.[69]
^abCarter, Richard (November 29, 2005)."Full circle: residences, businesses returning to spot where Wichita Falls began".Wichita Falls Times Record News. Wichita Falls, Texas. p. A1.ISSN0895-6138. RetrievedOctober 9, 2010.They say business and people have been moving westward in Wichita Falls ever since the city was born on Sept. 27, 1872. The birthplace of the city-the corner of Seventh and Ohio Streets, where the original town lot sale was held – is once again blossoming with renovated apartment buildings, new businesses and increased traffic.
^Stowers, Carlton (July 2008)."Legend of the World's Littlest Skyscraper"(PDF).Texas Co-op Power.65 (1). Austin, Texas: Texas Electric Cooperatives: 25. RetrievedOctober 9, 2010.
^Le Templar (March 19, 1999)."Historic District Could Expand".Wichita Falls Times Record News. Wichita Falls, Texas. p. A1.ISSN0895-6138. RetrievedOctober 9, 2010.The Wichita Falls Landmark Commission wants to more than double the size of the downtown historic district in an effort to slow the loss of buildings that proclaim the city's heritage. Commission members voted unanimously Thursday for expanding the district to include a total of 77 buildings on Indiana and Ohio streets.
^Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993).Significant tornadoes, 1680-1991: A Chronology an Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: Environmental Films. p. 1050.ISBN1-879362-03-1.
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