Claude, Texas | |
|---|---|
 A view of downtown Claude, Texas, onU.S. Highway 287 with the historic pharmacy building on the left | |
 Location of Claude, Texas | |
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| Coordinates:35°06′27″N101°21′46″W / 35.10750°N 101.36278°W /35.10750; -101.36278 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Armstrong |
| Incorporated | 1900 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.72 sq mi (4.45 km2) |
| • Land | 1.72 sq mi (4.45 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,402 ft (1,037 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,186 |
| • Density | 690/sq mi (267/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 79019 |
| Area code | 806 |
| FIPS code | 48-15196[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409473[2] |
| Website | cityofclaude |
Claude is a city in and thecounty seat ofArmstrong County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,186 at the2020 census.[4] It is located east ofAmarillo in the southTexas Panhandle. Claude is part of theAmarillo metropolitan statistical area, but is some 30 miles east of Amarillo.
During the first half of the 16th century,SpanishconquistadorFrancisco Coronado and his party passed through Claude and Tule Canyon, a scenic wonder to the south of Claude offTexas State Highway 207.
Claude was originally namedArmstrong City after several area ranches named Armstrong.
The town name became Claude in 1887, named for Claude Ayers. He was theengineer of the first train of theFort Worth and Denver Railway to travel through the area.[5]
When Armstrong County was formed in 1890, Claude andWashburn competed to be the county seat. The tie-breaking vote for Claude was reportedly cast by legendarycattlemanCharles Goodnight, former co-owner of the nearbyJA Ranch. The Armstrong County Courthouse in Claude dates to 1912.
W.S. Decker established a weekly newspaper,The Claude Argus, which later merged with theGoodnight News to becomeThe Claude News in 1890.
The Armstrong County Museum has local andWestern-themed exhibits. The filmHud, starringPaul Newman andPatricia Neal, was filmed there in 1962.
Claude is located about 28 mi (45 km) east of Amarillo. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.7 sq mi (4.4 km2), all land.
According to theKöppen climate classification, Claude has asemiarid climate,BSk on climate maps.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 285 | — | |
| 1910 | 692 | — | |
| 1920 | 770 | 11.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,041 | 35.2% | |
| 1940 | 761 | −26.9% | |
| 1950 | 820 | 7.8% | |
| 1960 | 895 | 9.1% | |
| 1970 | 992 | 10.8% | |
| 1980 | 1,112 | 12.1% | |
| 1990 | 1,199 | 7.8% | |
| 2000 | 1,313 | 9.5% | |
| 2010 | 1,196 | −8.9% | |
| 2020 | 1,186 | −0.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] | |||
As of the2020 census, Claude had a population of 1,186, 447 households, and 369 families.[8]
The median age was 41.8 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.4 males age 18 and over.[8]
0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[9]
There were 447 households in Claude, of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 58.2% were married-couple households, 14.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[8]
There were 501 housing units, of which 10.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.0% were owner-occupied and 21.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.0%.[8]
| Race | Percent | Number |
|---|---|---|
| White | 87.9% | 1,042 |
| Black or African American | 1.1% | 13 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.3% | 15 |
| Asian | 0.6% | 7 |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 0% | 0 |
| Some other race | 3.0% | 35 |
| Two or more races | 6.2% | 74 |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 9.7% | 115 |
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, 1,313 people, 479 households, and 362 families were in the city. The population density was 766.5 inhabitants per square mile (295.9/km2). The 538 housing units had an average density of 314.1 per square mile (121.3/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 95.96% White, 0.23% African American, 0.46% Native American, 2.89% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.56% of the population.
Of the 479 households, 34.4% had children under 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were not families. About 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city, the age distribution was 26.0% under 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 84.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,641, and for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $33,542 versus $21,371 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $16,299. About 8.8% of families and 12.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.5% of those under 18 and 17.5% of those 65 or over.
Several movies have been filmed in and around Claude, includingHud (1963), starringPaul Newman;Leap of Faith (1993) starringSteve Martin; andSunshine Christmas (1977), starringCliff DeYoung. Additionally, the closing sunset scene inIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) was shot in Claude.
TheClaude Independent School District serves Claude and is home to theClaude High School Mustangs.
The first school in Claude was built in 1883. In 1907, a three-story building replaced the original building at a cost of $14,000. Unfortunately years later, a fire burned most of this building down. The portion of the building that was restored currently houses the Claude Junior High School.
During the 1930s, Claude had the only official-sized gymnasium in the area. TheWest Texas State College (now West Texas A&M University) basketball team used it on numerous occasions.
Municipalities and communities ofArmstrong County, Texas,United States | ||
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