Texas panhandle | |
|---|---|
Region | |
 Windmill on the level plains of the Texas Panhandle | |
 Map of the Texas Panhandle | |
| Coordinates:35°27′N101°30′W / 35.450°N 101.500°W /35.450; -101.500 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Region | High Plains |
| Area | |
• Total | 25,887 sq mi (67,046 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 434,358 |
| • Density | 16.779/sq mi (6.4785/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| Area codes | 806, 940 (Childress County) |
| Website | Handbook of Texas: "Panhandle" |
TheTexas panhandle is a region of theU.S. state ofTexas consisting of the northernmost 26counties in the state. Thepanhandle is a square-shaped area bordered byNew Mexico to the west andOklahoma to the north and east. It is adjacent to theOklahoma Panhandle, land which Texas previously claimed. The 1820Missouri Compromise declared noslavery would be allowed in states admitted from theLouisiana Purchase above36°30′ north latitude. Texas was annexed in 1845 from still more westerly land. TheCompromise of 1850 removed territory north of this line from Texas, and set the border between the Texas Panhandle and theNew Mexico Territory at the103rd meridian west. The eastern border at the100th meridian west was inherited from theAdams–Onís Treaty of 1819, which defined the border between the United States andNew Spain.The Handbook of Texas defines the southern border ofSwisher County as the southern boundary of the Texas Panhandle region.
Its land area is 25,823.89 sq mi (66,883.58 km2), or nearly 10% of the state's total. The Texas Panhandle is slightly larger in size than the USstate of West Virginia. An additional 62.75 sq mi (162.53 km2) is covered by water. Its population as of the2010 census was 427,927 residents, or 1.7% of the state's total population. As of the 2010 census, the population density for the region was 16.6 per square mile (6.4/km2). However, more than 72% of the Panhandle's residents live in the Amarillo Metropolitan Area, which is the largest and fastest-growing urban area in the region. Despite being geographically the northernmost part of Texas, the Panhandle is distinct from the region commonly called "North Texas", which is to the south and east.
West of theCaprock Escarpment and north and south of theCanadian River breaks, the surface of theLlano Estacado is rather flat. South of the city ofAmarillo, the level terrain gives way toPalo Duro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the United States. This colorful canyon was carved by thePrairie Dog Town Fork Red River, a tributary of theRed River. North of Amarillo liesLake Meredith, areservoir created by Sanford Dam constructed on the main stem of theCanadian River. Lake Meredith and theOgallala Aquifer are the primary sources offresh water in thissemi-arid region of theHigh Plains.
I-40passes through the Panhandle, and also passes through Amarillo. The freeway passes throughDeaf Smith,Oldham,Potter,Carson,Gray,Donley, andWheeler counties.[1]
As of thecensus of 2020, about 434,358 people lived in the Panhandle. Of these, 53.6% werenon-Hispanic White, 35.2% wereHispanic, 4.8% wereAfrican American, 2.8% wereAsian. Only 4.1% were of some other ethnicity.[2] About 92.3% of inhabitants claimednative birth, and 8.9% wereveterans of theUnited States armed forces; 49.9% of the population was male, and 50.1% was female. Around 13.2% of the population was65 years of age or older, whereas 27.8% of the population wasunder 18 years of age.
Panhandle Election Results
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18.3%29,045 | 80.8%128,237 | 0.9%1,441 |
| 2020 | 19.5%31,110 | 79.9%126,349 | 1.5%2,453 |
| 2016 | 17.0%24,039 | 79.0%111,825 | 4.0%5,606 |
| 2012 | 17.4%22,774 | 82.6%108,050 | 0%0 |
| 2008 | 20.3%29,564 | 78.3%114,202 | 1.4%2,094 |
| 2004 | 18.9%26,628 | 81.1%114,570 | 0%0 |
| 2000 | 21.2%27,180 | 78.8%101,241 | 0%0 |
| 1996 | 28.6%36,886 | 65.0%83,879 | 8.6%8,356 |
The twenty-six counties of the Panhandle (west to east, from the northwest corner) are:[4][5]
Major cities of the Texas Panhandle with populations greater than 10,000 include:
Some of the smaller towns with populations less than 10,000 include:
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