Texarkana, Texas | |
|---|---|
 Texarkana Texas City Hall | |
 Seal | |
| Nicknames: The Texas Side, T-Town, TK, Kana, Twin City | |
| Motto: Twice as Nice | |
 Location of Texarkana, Texas | |
  Texarkana Location within Texas Show map of Texas Texarkana Location within the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:33°28′34″N94°06′30″W / 33.47611°N 94.10833°W /33.47611; -94.10833 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Bowie |
| Established | December 8, 1873 / June 12, 1874 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • Mayor | Bob Bruggeman |
| Area | |
• Total | 29.47 sq mi (76.33 km2) |
| • Land | 29.03 sq mi (75.20 km2) |
| • Water | 0.44 sq mi (1.13 km2) |
| Elevation | 325 ft (99 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 36,193 |
| • Density | 1,228.1/sq mi (474.16/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 755XX. |
| Area codes | 903,430 |
| FIPS code | 48-72368[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412054[2] |
| Website | texarkanatexas.gov |
Texarkana is a city inBowie County, Texas, United States, in theArk-La-Tex region. Located approximately 180 miles (290 km) fromDallas, Texarkana is atwin city with neighboringTexarkana, Arkansas. The Texas city's population was 36,193 at the 2020 census.[4]
The city and itsArkansas counterpart form the core of theTexarkana metropolitan statistical area, encompassing all of Bowie County, Texas, andMiller County, Arkansas. The two cities had a combined population of 65,580 in the 2020 decennial census, and the metropolitan area had a population of 149,482.[5]
Railroads were quick to see the possibilities of connecting markets in this vast area. In the late 1850s, the builders of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad were pushing their line steadily south across Arkansas. By 1874, they crossed theRed River and reached the Texas state line. Between February 16 and March 19, 1874, trains ran between the Texas border and the Red River, whence passengers and freight were ferried north toFulton, Arkansas to continue by rail. The Red River Bridge opened on March 20, 1874. Since then, trains have run directly from Texarkana toSt. Louis, Missouri.
Keen rivalry existed between the 1870s railroad builders. TheTexas and Pacific Railroad reached across Texas to the Arkansas state line. The border was the logical place for the different railways to connect. On December 8, 1873, the Texas and Pacific sold the first town lots for the future city. The first buyer was J. W. Davis,[6] who purchased the land where today's Hotel McCartney now stands on the Texas side of the border, opposite Union Station which is split between both the Arkansas and Texas border.
The name Texarkana is known to be aportmanteau ofTexas,Arkansas, and nearbyLouisiana. However, accounts of the name's origin differ, and it had been in use some time before the town was founded. The most popular tradition is that when theSt. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway was building its line through the area, Col. Gus Knobel, a railroad surveyor, coined the name. He is said to have painted it on a plank and nailed it to a tree, saying "This is the name of a town which is to be built here."[7] Another story tells of aRed River steamboat namedThe Texarkana,c. 1860. A third account relates that a storekeeper named Swindle in Red Land, Louisiana, concocted a drink called "Texarkana Bitters".[8]
Texarkana is located at the junction ofInterstate 30 and US highways59,67,71 and82 in extreme northeastern Texas on the Texas-Arkansas border.[9][10] It is bordered by the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, to the east, and by the smaller cities ofNash,Wake Village andLiberty Eylau, Texas to the west. It is in theCentral Time Zone.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the Texas city has a total area of 29.5 square miles (76.3 km2), of which 29.0 square miles (75.2 km2) is land and 0.42 square miles (1.1 km2), or 1.39%, is covered by water.[4] The city is roughly 180 miles northeast ofDallas.
Several creeks run through the area includingWagner Creek,Cowhorn Creek,Swampoodle Creek andDays Creek.[11]
| Climate data for Texarkana, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1968–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 81 (27) | 89 (32) | 89 (32) | 95 (35) | 98 (37) | 105 (41) | 105 (41) | 112 (44) | 108 (42) | 95 (35) | 87 (31) | 83 (28) | 112 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 73.3 (22.9) | 76.9 (24.9) | 83.6 (28.7) | 86.9 (30.5) | 91.1 (32.8) | 95.8 (35.4) | 99.9 (37.7) | 100.8 (38.2) | 97.2 (36.2) | 89.7 (32.1) | 80.1 (26.7) | 74.8 (23.8) | 102.0 (38.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 54.3 (12.4) | 58.6 (14.8) | 66.7 (19.3) | 74.8 (23.8) | 82.0 (27.8) | 89.3 (31.8) | 93.3 (34.1) | 93.5 (34.2) | 87.2 (30.7) | 76.7 (24.8) | 64.8 (18.2) | 56.3 (13.5) | 74.8 (23.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 43.7 (6.5) | 47.6 (8.7) | 55.2 (12.9) | 63.1 (17.3) | 71.8 (22.1) | 79.6 (26.4) | 83.2 (28.4) | 82.8 (28.2) | 76.2 (24.6) | 64.9 (18.3) | 53.6 (12.0) | 46.1 (7.8) | 64.0 (17.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 33.1 (0.6) | 36.6 (2.6) | 43.8 (6.6) | 51.4 (10.8) | 61.7 (16.5) | 69.8 (21.0) | 73.0 (22.8) | 72.1 (22.3) | 65.2 (18.4) | 53.2 (11.8) | 42.4 (5.8) | 35.8 (2.1) | 53.2 (11.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 19.8 (−6.8) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 29.2 (−1.6) | 37.7 (3.2) | 48.7 (9.3) | 61.8 (16.6) | 67.3 (19.6) | 65.8 (18.8) | 53.4 (11.9) | 38.9 (3.8) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 23.9 (−4.5) | 17.9 (−7.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 2 (−17) | −3 (−19) | 15 (−9) | 28 (−2) | 38 (3) | 52 (11) | 57 (14) | 55 (13) | 38 (3) | 27 (−3) | 16 (−9) | −6 (−21) | −6 (−21) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.26 (108) | 4.58 (116) | 4.70 (119) | 4.88 (124) | 5.25 (133) | 4.39 (112) | 3.40 (86) | 2.77 (70) | 3.89 (99) | 4.78 (121) | 4.33 (110) | 5.18 (132) | 52.41 (1,331) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.0 (2.5) | 1.0 (2.5) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 2.1 (5.3) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 11.0 | 11.2 | 10.8 | 9.7 | 10.3 | 8.5 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 8.6 | 9.1 | 10.6 | 109.8 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 |
| Source:NOAA[12][13] | |||||||||||||
On May 22, 2008, amicroburst producing winds up to 100 mph occurred over Stateline Avenue and surrounding communities. An analysis of radar data leading up to the damage showed that two severe thunderstorms came together on the south side of the city. One severe storm was moving northeastward from southern Bowie County, while the other was moving northwestward through Miller County. Both storms collided in an area just south of downtown Texarkana.[14]
On May 16, 2020, awaterspout tornado formed in adjacentLake Wright Patman.[15]
On December 31, 2021, a rare weather phenomenon called "animal rain" caused fish to fall out of the sky and land in yards, on sidewalks and in business lots.[16]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,833 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,852 | 55.6% | |
| 1900 | 5,256 | 84.3% | |
| 1910 | 9,790 | 86.3% | |
| 1920 | 11,480 | 17.3% | |
| 1930 | 16,602 | 44.6% | |
| 1940 | 17,019 | 2.5% | |
| 1950 | 24,753 | 45.4% | |
| 1960 | 30,218 | 22.1% | |
| 1970 | 30,497 | 0.9% | |
| 1980 | 31,271 | 2.5% | |
| 1990 | 31,656 | 1.2% | |
| 2000 | 34,782 | 9.9% | |
| 2010 | 36,411 | 4.7% | |
| 2020 | 36,193 | −0.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[17] 1850–1900[18] 1910[19] 1920[20] 1930[21] 1940[22] 1950[23] 1960[24] 1970[25] 1980[26] 1990[27] 2000[28] 2010[29] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[30] | Pop 2010[31] | Pop 2020[32] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 20,220 | 19,345 | 16,825 | 58.13% | 53.13% | 46.49% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 12,816 | 13,438 | 13,565 | 36.85% | 36.91% | 37.48% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 109 | 147 | 164 | 0.31% | 0.40% | 0.45% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 246 | 484 | 736 | 0.71% | 1.33% | 2.03% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 14 | 9 | 25 | 0.04% | 0.02% | 0.07% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 20 | 40 | 173 | 0.06% | 0.11% | 0.48% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 345 | 612 | 1,613 | 0.99% | 1.68% | 4.46% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,012 | 2,336 | 3,092 | 2.91% | 6.42% | 8.54% |
| Total | 34,782 | 36,411 | 36,193 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
According to the2020 United States census, there were 36,193 people, 14,148 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,228.13 inhabitants per square mile (474.18/km2). The 16,270 housing units averaged 589.4 per square mile (227.5/km2). Of the 16,280 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present. and 34.1% were not families; 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city, the age distribution of the population was 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,727, and for a family was $39,119. Males had a median income of $34,155 versus $21,143 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,815. About 19.4% of families and 24.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 34.8% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over. The most affluent area of Texarkana is Pleasant Grove, where the median income is $49,562 for each household and the median for a family is $57,219 in 2013.
According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,[33] the top employers in the Texarkana Metropolitan Statistical Area, are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red River Army Depot and tenants | 2,225 |
| 2 | Christus St. Michael Health Care | 1,800 |
| 3 | Cooper Tire & Rubber Company | 1,793 |
| 4 | Wal-Mart/Sam's Club | 875 |
| 5 | Texarkana Independent School District | 846 |
| 6 | Graphic Packaging (International Paper) | 829 |
| 7 | Wadley Regional Medical Center | 652 |
| 8 | Domtar | 548 |
| 9 | Texarkana Arkansas School District | 370 |
| 10 | City of Texarkana, Texas | 365 |
According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city's various funds had $36.0 million in revenues, $37.0 million in expenditures, $18.9 million in total assets, $3.5 million in total liabilities, and $7.2 million in investments.[34]
Though the city was historicallyDemocratic, Texarkana is currently represented byRepublicans in both houses of theTexas State Legislature. Thestate senator isBryan Hughes from District 1. State RepresentativeGary VanDeaver represents Texas House District 1.
TheTexas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Texarkana District Parole Office in Texarkana.[35]
TheTexas Sixth Court of Appeals is located downtown in the Bi-State Justice Building.[36]
At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are RepublicansJohn Cornyn andTed Cruz; since a remap in 2022, the city of Texarkana is part ofTexas's 1st congressional district, which is currently represented by RepublicanNathaniel Moran. Much of the rest ofBowie County is inTexas's 4th congressional district.[37][38]
TheFederal Courthouse (which also holds the downtown post office[39]) is located directly on the Arkansas–Texas state line and is the only federal office building to straddle a state line. During his campaign for the presidency,John F. Kennedy spoke on the steps of the courthouse September 13, 1960, and so did PresidentJimmy Carter, on October 22, 1980.[40]
TheFederal Correctional Institution, Texarkana, is aFederal Bureau of Prisons facility inunincorporated Bowie County just outside the southwest border of the city.[41][42]
Schools in Texarkana, Texas, are under the jurisdiction of theTexarkana Independent School District, theLiberty-Eylau Independent School District,Pleasant Grove Independent School District, andRed Lick Independent School District.[43]
Texarkana is home toTexas A&M University–Texarkana, a four-year branch of theTexas A&M University System, and toTexarkana College, acommunity college.
Texarkana is part of theShreveport-Texarkanamedia market, the 89th largest media market in the country and second-largest in the state ofLouisiana, behind onlyNew Orleans.[44] The market'sNBC affiliate,KTAL-TV 6, is licensed to Texarkana. Texarkana is also served byKTBS-TV 3 (ABC),KSLA 12 (CBS), KTSH-CD 19 (Telemundo),KPXJ 21 (CW),KMSS-TV 33 (Fox),KSHV-TV 45 (MyNetworkTV), and two PBS member stations:KETG 9 andKLTS-TV 24.
4AM radio stations and 19FM stations (including aLPFM) serve Texarkana. Although most stations are locally owned,Townsquare Media has a cluster in the area.
Texarkana Regional Airport is located in Texarkana, Arkansas, and serves general aviation andAmerican Eagle service toDallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Texarkana Union Station is located in downtown Texarkana along the state line, withAmtrak'sTexas Eagle providing daily service east toChicago and west toSan Antonio, continuing on toLos Angeles three days a week with intermediate points.
TheTexarkana Urban Transit District provides bus transportation to major areas of town along nine different routes. Service runs from 5:30 am to 6:20 pm Monday–Saturday.
Intercity bus service to the city is provided byJefferson Lines.[45]
Interstate 30 passes through Texarkana on the north. Loop 151 on the west of the city forms part of theTexarkana Loop, a three-quarter loop around the west, south, and east of the twin cities with I-30 completing the loop on the north.Interstate 369 shares the western portion of Loop 151.Interstate 49 is a newly constructed interstate corridor on the Arkansas side of the city which connects Texarkana toShreveport, Louisiana.
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Municipalities and communities ofBowie County, Texas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
