Van Horn, Texas | |
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 Van Horn in 2018 | |
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  Van Horn Location of Van Horn in Texas and the US Show map of Texas Van Horn Van Horn (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:31°2′33″N104°49′59″W / 31.04250°N 104.83306°W /31.04250; -104.83306 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Culberson |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.84 sq mi (7.35 km2) |
| • Land | 2.84 sq mi (7.35 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,042 ft (1,232 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,941 |
| • Density | 684.0/sq mi (264.08/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 79855 |
| Area code | 432 |
| FIPS code | 48-75032[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1370571[3] |
| Website | www |
Van Horn is a town in and thecounty seat ofCulberson County, Texas, United States.[4] According to the 2010 census, Van Horn had a population of 2,063,[5] down from 2,435 at the 2000 census. The2020 census results detailed a decline in population to 1,941. Van Horn's official newspaper isThe Van Horn Advocate. The town is the westernmostincorporated community in the United States that uses theCentral Time Zone, located on the same line of longitude asCheyenne, Wyoming, andColorado Springs, Colorado. Its earliest sunset in the beginning of December is the latest among incorporated towns in the United States, occurring no earlier than 5:56 pm.[6]
Anglo-Texan[7] settlement began in the late 1850s and early 1860s supportive of theSan Antonio-El PasoOverland Mail route.[8] Although U.S. Army MajorJefferson Van Horne is believed to have passed near the area in 1849 on his way to take command of what would later becomeFort Bliss, the town is instead named for Lieutenant James Judson Van Horn who commanded an army garrison at the Van Horn Wells beginning in 1859. Lieutenant Van Horn's command was relatively short-lived, as the post was seized byConfederate forces in 1861 and Lieutenant Van Horn was taken prisoner.[9] Settlement was further stimulated by the construction of theTexas and Pacific Railway in 1881.[10][11][12] The town has several buildings on theNational Register of Historic Places including theFirst Presbyterian Church (now Primera Iglesia Bautista), built in 1901.
Van Horn is located in southwestern Culberson County at31°2′33″N104°49′59″W / 31.04250°N 104.83306°W /31.04250; -104.83306 (31.042489, –104.832928).[13]Interstate 10 passes through the town, leading east 120 miles (190 km) toFort Stockton and northwest 118 miles (190 km) toEl Paso. Van Horn is the western terminus ofU.S. Route 90; from Van Horn it leads southeast 73 miles (117 km) toMarfa.Texas State Highway 54 leads north from Van Horn 65 miles (105 km) toPine Springs and theGuadalupe Mountains.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), all land.[5] Threemile Peak, elevation 4,868 feet (1,484 m), rises to the northwest overlooking the town.
| Climate data for Van Horn, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1942–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) | 88 (31) | 94 (34) | 100 (38) | 105 (41) | 112 (44) | 108 (42) | 108 (42) | 104 (40) | 98 (37) | 87 (31) | 82 (28) | 112 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 59.1 (15.1) | 64.2 (17.9) | 71.6 (22.0) | 78.8 (26.0) | 86.6 (30.3) | 94.5 (34.7) | 92.9 (33.8) | 91.9 (33.3) | 85.9 (29.9) | 78.7 (25.9) | 68.1 (20.1) | 59.2 (15.1) | 77.6 (25.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.6 (7.0) | 49.0 (9.4) | 56.1 (13.4) | 63.4 (17.4) | 71.9 (22.2) | 80.4 (26.9) | 80.6 (27.0) | 79.5 (26.4) | 73.3 (22.9) | 64.3 (17.9) | 53.2 (11.8) | 45.1 (7.3) | 63.4 (17.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30.0 (−1.1) | 33.8 (1.0) | 40.6 (4.8) | 47.9 (8.8) | 57.3 (14.1) | 66.4 (19.1) | 68.3 (20.2) | 67.1 (19.5) | 60.6 (15.9) | 49.8 (9.9) | 38.3 (3.5) | 30.9 (−0.6) | 49.2 (9.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −7 (−22) | −3 (−19) | 9 (−13) | 24 (−4) | 31 (−1) | 45 (7) | 53 (12) | 48 (9) | 33 (1) | 19 (−7) | 10 (−12) | 0 (−18) | −7 (−22) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.47 (12) | 0.44 (11) | 0.25 (6.4) | 0.22 (5.6) | 0.49 (12) | 1.10 (28) | 2.05 (52) | 1.95 (50) | 1.50 (38) | 0.94 (24) | 0.42 (11) | 0.49 (12) | 10.32 (262) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.7 (1.8) | 0.6 (1.5) | 0.2 (0.51) | 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) | 0.5 (1.3) | 1.2 (3.0) | 3.3 (8.4) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 2.8 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 5.7 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 46.9 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.4 |
| Source:NOAA[14][15] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 450 | — | |
| 1900 | 30 | −93.3% | |
| 1910 | 500 | 1,566.7% | |
| 1920 | 800 | 60.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,600 | 100.0% | |
| 1940 | 2,070 | 29.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,161 | −43.9% | |
| 1960 | 1,953 | 68.2% | |
| 1970 | 2,889 | 47.9% | |
| 1980 | 2,772 | −4.0% | |
| 1990 | 2,930 | 5.7% | |
| 2000 | 2,435 | −16.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,063 | −15.3% | |
| 2020 | 1,941 | −5.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 347 | 17.88% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 14 | 0.72% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 11 | 0.57% |
| Asian (NH) | 25 | 1.29% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 3 | 0.15% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 33 | 1.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,508 | 77.69% |
| Total | 1,941 |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 1,941 people, 607 households, and 339 families residing in the town.
As of thecensus[2] of 2000, 2,435 people, 834 households, and 652 families resided in the town. The population density was 846.9 inhabitants per square mile (327.0/km2). The 976 housing units averaged 339.5 per square mile (130.8/km2). Theracial makeup of the town was 64.6% White, 0.7% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 31.5% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 78.6% of the population.
TheUnited States Postal Service operates the Van Horn Post Office.[20]
Van Horn is served by theCulberson County-Allamoore Independent School District and is home to theVan Horn High School Eagles.
I-10: Interstate Highway 10 runs along the south side of town, leading west 117 miles (188 km) toEl Paso and east 430 miles (692 km) toSan Antonio. The western terminus ofI-20 can also be accessed 47 miles (76 km) to the east.
SH 54: Texas State Highway 54 runs north from town, initially following La Caverna Street, leading 55 miles (89 km) north to intersect withU.S. Route 62 and access toGuadalupe Mountains National Park.
US 90: U.S. Route 90 has its western terminus at West Broadway Street. (signedBus. I-10-D). It initially follows Van Horn Drive south out of town, leading southeast 74 miles (119 km) toMarfa and ultimately meeting back up withI-10 455 miles (732 km) away inSan Antonio.In late 2006,The Wall Street Journal reported thatJeff Bezos, founder and CEO ofAmazon, had acquired 290,000 acres (1,200 km2) of land 25 miles (40 km) north of Van Horn, including theFigure 2 Ranch Airport, to house his fledgling space tourism company,Blue Origin. A 2006 article onSpace.com reported that Blue Origin was expected to start commercial operations as early as 2010, aiming for 52 launches per year from the Van Horn facility.[21] This spaceport is namedCorn Ranch.
In early 2010, NASA awarded Blue Origin US$3.7 million to work on an advanced technology, which detaches a crew cabin from its launcher if the shuttle malfunctions.[22]
An August 2016 update reported Blue Origin was still conducting test flights with plans to begin flying piloted tests in 2017 and paying customers in 2018.[23][24] Blue Origin's actual first human launch from, and return to, Van Horn occurred on the morning ofJuly 20, 2021, with a crew of four people.[25]
In 2009, theVan Horn Advocate announced that theLong Now Foundation was starting geologic testing for an underground space to house a 10,000-yearClock of the Long Now, on the Bezos ranch, north of Van Horn.[26]
Van Horn provided the inspiration for the 2019 song "Van Horn" by alternative-rock bandSaint Motel which was featured on their EPThe Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Part 1 after the band spent a night there on tour.[27]
Famedfootball coachJohn Madden put Chuy's Restaurant on the national map after a 1987 stop with hisMadden Cruiser bus.[28]
Municipalities and communities ofCulberson County, Texas,United States | ||
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| Town |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
