Tulia, Texas | |
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| Motto: The City With A Future | |
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  Tulia, Texas Location of Tulia, Texas | |
| Coordinates:34°32′09″N101°45′31″W / 34.53583°N 101.75861°W /34.53583; -101.75861 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Swisher |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.57 sq mi (9.24 km2) |
| • Land | 3.56 sq mi (9.21 km2) |
| • Water | 0.012 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,484 ft (1,062 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,473 |
| • Density | 1,260/sq mi (486/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 79088 |
| Area code | 806 |
| FIPS code | 48-73868[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1370199[3] |
| Website | www |
Tulia is acity in and thecounty seat ofSwisher County, Texas, United States.[4] The population was 4,967 at the2010 census; by the2020 census, it had fallen to 4,473.[5] The city is at the junction ofU.S. Route 87 andTexas State Highway 86, about 2 miles (3 km) east ofInterstate 27. Tulia is a center for farming andagribusiness activities.
Its site was originally on the acreage of the Tule Ranch division of theJA Ranch. In 1887, a post office was established inJames A. Parrish's dugout on Middle Tule Draw, 9 miles (14 km) west of what is now the site of Tulia. Evidently, the name Tule, after the nearby creek, had been selected for this post office, but at some point a clerk's error changed the name to Tulia. By 1900, Tulia was prospering as a stopping point for freight-wagon traffic en route to the railheads ofColorado City andAmarillo. A booming new era began with the extension of the Santa Fe line to Tulia in December 1906; with it came more settlers. In the mid-1980s, local industrial plants manufactured products such as clothing and farm implements, and four large cattle-feeding enterprises were nearby.[6]
In July 1999, the town of Tulia gained national attention due to its involvement in the controversialwar on drugs. Undercover Officer Tom Coleman conducted asting operation that led to forty-seven[a] citizens accused of dealingcocaine, equating to ten to twenty percent of theAfrican American population beingincarcerated.[9][7]
Despite being tried, convicted, and sentenced to decades in prison, a group ofattorneys led byAmarillo civil rights attorney Jeff Blackburn andVanita Gupta from theNAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, ultimately succeeded in having the defendants released. In 2003 TexasGovernorRick Perry granted fullpardons to thirty-five of the Tulia defendants.[9] In 2005, Coleman was convicted ofperjury and sentenced to 10 years' probation and a$7,500 fine.[10]
Tulia is located at34°32′09″N101°45′31″W / 34.5358942°N 101.7585159°W /34.5358942; -101.7585159.[11] It is located 46 miles (74 km) south ofAmarillo in theTexas Panhandle. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), all land.
According to theKöppen climate classification system, Tulia has asemiarid climate,BSk on climate maps.[12]
Record low
Tulia holds the record for the lowest temperature in Texas, −23 °F (−31 °C), set during theGreat Blizzard of 1899. The temperature was matched bySeminole, Texas, in 1933.[13]
| Climate data for Tulia, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1896–1919, 1948–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) | 90 (32) | 94 (34) | 101 (38) | 106 (41) | 110 (43) | 109 (43) | 108 (42) | 104 (40) | 99 (37) | 88 (31) | 80 (27) | 110 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 73.1 (22.8) | 77.4 (25.2) | 84.6 (29.2) | 89.2 (31.8) | 95.8 (35.4) | 100.6 (38.1) | 100.4 (38.0) | 99.1 (37.3) | 95.8 (35.4) | 89.9 (32.2) | 80.9 (27.2) | 73.2 (22.9) | 103.4 (39.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 51.1 (10.6) | 55.0 (12.8) | 63.3 (17.4) | 71.4 (21.9) | 79.8 (26.6) | 88.4 (31.3) | 91.1 (32.8) | 89.5 (31.9) | 82.4 (28.0) | 72.3 (22.4) | 60.4 (15.8) | 51.3 (10.7) | 71.3 (21.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.9 (2.7) | 40.3 (4.6) | 47.9 (8.8) | 55.8 (13.2) | 65.3 (18.5) | 74.7 (23.7) | 78.0 (25.6) | 76.5 (24.7) | 69.2 (20.7) | 58.1 (14.5) | 46.0 (7.8) | 37.7 (3.2) | 57.2 (14.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22.7 (−5.2) | 25.6 (−3.6) | 32.6 (0.3) | 40.1 (4.5) | 50.9 (10.5) | 61.1 (16.2) | 64.9 (18.3) | 63.5 (17.5) | 56.0 (13.3) | 43.9 (6.6) | 31.7 (−0.2) | 24.2 (−4.3) | 43.1 (6.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 8.6 (−13.0) | 10.9 (−11.7) | 16.7 (−8.5) | 26.2 (−3.2) | 36.5 (2.5) | 51.8 (11.0) | 57.9 (14.4) | 56.1 (13.4) | 43.2 (6.2) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 15.4 (−9.2) | 8.2 (−13.2) | 3.1 (−16.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −12 (−24) | −23 (−31) | −1 (−18) | 16 (−9) | 15 (−9) | 32 (0) | 48 (9) | 40 (4) | 30 (−1) | 14 (−10) | −3 (−19) | −11 (−24) | −23 (−31) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.70 (18) | 0.69 (18) | 1.36 (35) | 1.46 (37) | 2.70 (69) | 2.94 (75) | 2.41 (61) | 2.65 (67) | 1.99 (51) | 1.91 (49) | 0.96 (24) | 0.77 (20) | 20.54 (524) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.5 (6.4) | 2.4 (6.1) | 1.3 (3.3) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.76) | 1.9 (4.8) | 2.6 (6.6) | 11.1 (28.21) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 6.9 | 7.7 | 6.6 | 7.7 | 6.0 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 63.8 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 6.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA[14] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[15] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 1,216 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,189 | −2.2% | |
| 1930 | 2,202 | 85.2% | |
| 1940 | 2,055 | −6.7% | |
| 1950 | 3,222 | 56.8% | |
| 1960 | 4,410 | 36.9% | |
| 1970 | 5,294 | 20.0% | |
| 1980 | 5,033 | −4.9% | |
| 1990 | 4,699 | −6.6% | |
| 2000 | 5,117 | 8.9% | |
| 2010 | 4,967 | −2.9% | |
| 2020 | 4,473 | −9.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 1,602 | 35.81% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 365 | 8.16% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 10 | 0.22% |
| Asian (NH) | 5 | 0.11% |
| Some other race (NH) | 8 | 0.18% |
| Mixed/multiracial (NH) | 105 | 2.35% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,378 | 53.16% |
| Total | 4,473 |
As of the2020 United States census, 4,473 people, 1,548 households, and 947 families were residing in the city.
As of thecensus of 2000,[2] 5,117 people, 1,698 households, and 1,222 families resided in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,447.6 inhabitants per square mile (558.9/km2). The 1,898 housing units averaged 537.0 per square mile (207.3/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 66.45% White, 8.40% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 22.14% from other races, and 2.48% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 39.63% of the population.
Of the 1,698 households, 37.0% had children under 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were not families. About 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.64, and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city, the population was distributed as 27.8% under 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,794, and for a family was $32,415. Males had a median income of $24,857 versus $20,000 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $12,956. About 16.0% of families and 19.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 26.7% of those under 18 and 14.9% of those 65 or over.
Tulia is represented in the U.S. House byRepublicanRonny Jackson.
The city is served by theTulia Independent School District.
Schools that serve Tulia include:
All of Swisher County is in the service area ofAmarillo College.[19]
A documentaryTulia, Texas: Scenes from the Drug War was filmed bySarah Kunstler andEmily Kunstler in 2003, and won the Best Documentary Short award atWoodstock Film Festival.[20][21] Another documentary, titledTulia, Texas, filmed by Cassandra Herman and Kelly Whalen, premiered in 2008 at theSouth by Southwest Film Festival in Austin and aired onPBS February 10, 2009.[22]
The Tulia 47 drug sting events were to feature in a film directed byJohn Singleton and starringBilly Bob Thornton andHalle Berry.[23][24] The 1999 drug arrests were also explored in the documentaryAmerican Drug War: The Last White Hope.
Rattlesnake is a 2019 crime drama mystery film set in Tulia.
Municipalities and communities ofSwisher County, Texas,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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