Waxahachie, Texas | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie | |
| Nickname: TheCrape Myrtle Capital of Texas[1] | |
 Location of Waxahachie, Texas | |
 | |
| Coordinates:32°23′30″N96°50′40″W / 32.39167°N 96.84444°W /32.39167; -96.84444 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Ellis |
| Founded | 1850 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| • City Council | Mayor Billie Wallace Mayor Pro Tem Chris Wright Patrick Souter Travis Smith Tres Atkins[2] |
| • City Manager | Michael Scott |
| Area | |
• Total | 50.73 sq mi (131.40 km2) |
| • Land | 49.50 sq mi (128.21 km2) |
| • Water | 1.23 sq mi (3.19 km2) |
| Elevation | 623 ft (190 m) |
| Population (2025) | |
• Total | 50,504 |
• Estimate (2025)[5] | 50,504 |
| • Density | 767.4/sq mi (296.31/km2) |
| Demonym | Waxahachian[6] |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 75165, 75167, 75168 |
| Area codes | 214, 469, 945, 972 |
| FIPS code | 48-76816[7] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412196[4] |
| Website | www |
Waxahachie (/ˌwɒksəˈhætʃi/WOK-sə-HATCH-ee) is a city in and thecounty seat ofEllis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 41,140 in 2020.[8] The city was founded in 1850, and incorporated in 1871. Much of the employment is provided by a number of industries and by educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools, a community college and a private university. In the mid-1980s, the city became a filming location for a number of movies and occasional episodes of television series.
Some sources state that the name means "cow" or "buffalo" in an unspecifiedNative American language.[9] One possible Native American origin is theAlabama language, originally spoken in the area of Alabama around Waxahatchee Creek by theAlabama-Coushatta people, who had migrated by the 1850s to eastern Texas. In the Alabama language,waakasi hachi means "calf's tail" (the Alabama wordwaaka being a loan from Spanishvaca).[10]
A Waxahatchee Creek near present-dayShelby, Alabama, suggests that Waxahachie shares the same etymology. Many place names in Texas and Oklahoma have their origins in the Southeastern United States, largely due to forced removal of various southeastern Indian tribes. The area in central Alabama that includes Waxahatchee Creek was for hundreds of years the home of the Upper Creek moiety of theMuscogee Creek Nation. Again, this would suggest a Muscogee Creek-language origin of Waxahachie. "Waxahachie", therefore, may be an anglicized pronunciation of the Muscogee compound wordwakvhvce from the Muscogee wordswakv (meaning "cow" derived from the Spanishvaca) and the Muscogee wordhvcce (meaning "river" or "creek").[11]
Waxahachie was founded in August 1850 as the seat of the newly established Ellis County on a tract of land donated by early settler Emory W. Rogers, a native ofLawrence County, Alabama, who migrated to Texas in 1839.[9][12] It was incorporated on April 28, 1871, and in 1875, the state legislature granted investors the right to operate a rail line fromWaxahachie Tap Railroad toGarrett, Texas, which greatly increased the population of Waxahachie.[9]
From 1902 to 1942, Waxahachie was the second home ofTrinity University, which was a Presbyterian-affiliated institution founded in 1869. Then-Trinity's main administration and classroom building is today the Farmer Administration Building ofNelson University. Trinity's present-day location is inSan Antonio.
The town is the namesake of the formerUnited States Naval ShipWaxahachie (YTB-814).
In 1988, the area around Waxahachie was chosen as the site for theSuperconducting Super Collider, which was to be the world's largest and most energeticparticle accelerator, with a planned ring circumference of 54.1 miles (87.1 km). Seventeen shafts were sunk and 14.6 miles (23.5 km) of tunnel were bored[13] before the project was cancelled by Congress in 1993.
In 2020, County Judge Todd Little came into the national spotlight when the county's only elected African American, Constable Curtis Polk, Jr., protested having his office located in the basement of the courthouse next to a segregation-era sign that read "Negroes".[14][15][16] The controversy was resolved amicably when Little worked with Polk to relocate him to another office.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen climate classification, Waxahachie has ahumid subtropical climate,Cfa on climate maps.[17]
| Climate data for Waxahachie, Texas (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.5 (13.6) | 60.0 (15.6) | 67.4 (19.7) | 75.3 (24.1) | 82.3 (27.9) | 90.4 (32.4) | 94.7 (34.8) | 95.3 (35.2) | 88.4 (31.3) | 78.3 (25.7) | 66.3 (19.1) | 57.7 (14.3) | 76.1 (24.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 45.2 (7.3) | 48.8 (9.3) | 56.2 (13.4) | 64.1 (17.8) | 72.6 (22.6) | 80.6 (27.0) | 84.3 (29.1) | 84.5 (29.2) | 77.6 (25.3) | 66.7 (19.3) | 55.3 (12.9) | 46.9 (8.3) | 65.2 (18.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 33.9 (1.1) | 37.5 (3.1) | 44.9 (7.2) | 52.8 (11.6) | 62.9 (17.2) | 70.8 (21.6) | 73.9 (23.3) | 73.7 (23.2) | 66.8 (19.3) | 55.0 (12.8) | 44.3 (6.8) | 36.1 (2.3) | 54.4 (12.5) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.61 (66) | 2.72 (69) | 3.99 (101) | 3.48 (88) | 4.31 (109) | 4.22 (107) | 2.48 (63) | 2.91 (74) | 3.27 (83) | 4.73 (120) | 2.93 (74) | 3.15 (80) | 40.8 (1,034) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 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) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0 (0) |
| Source: NOAA[18] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,354 | — | |
| 1890 | 3,076 | 127.2% | |
| 1900 | 4,215 | 37.0% | |
| 1910 | 6,205 | 47.2% | |
| 1920 | 7,958 | 28.3% | |
| 1930 | 8,042 | 1.1% | |
| 1940 | 8,655 | 7.6% | |
| 1950 | 11,204 | 29.5% | |
| 1960 | 12,749 | 13.8% | |
| 1970 | 13,452 | 5.5% | |
| 1980 | 14,624 | 8.7% | |
| 1990 | 18,168 | 24.2% | |
| 2000 | 21,426 | 17.9% | |
| 2010 | 29,621 | 38.2% | |
| 2020 | 41,140 | 38.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 48,617 | [19] | 18.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[20] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 22,174 | 53.9% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 5,861 | 14.25% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 153 | 0.37% |
| Asian (NH) | 353 | 0.86% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 52 | 0.13% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 314 | 0.76% |
| Multiracial (NH) | 1,558 | 3.79% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10,675 | 25.95% |
| Total | 41,140 |
As of the2020 United States census, 41,140 people, 12,522 households, and 9,073 families resided in the city.
Employment opportunities in the city are highly oriented toward industry.Owens Corning,Georgia-Pacific,International Paper,James Hardie Industries,Berry Global, Americase, Cardinal Glass, Magnablend, andDart Container are located within a few miles of each other. Nonindustrial employers includeBaylor Scott & White Health,Waxahachie Independent School District,Walgreens Distribution Center,Walmart,H-E-B,Navarro College, andNelson University.[23]
TheScarborough Renaissance Festival (also called Scarborough Faire) is located southwest of the town. It opens annually during April and May, and has been in operation since 1981.[24] The Scarborough grounds are also home to Screams Halloween Theme Park in October.
The city's annual Gingerbread Trail Festival features tours of many of theGingerbread homes.[25]
The Crossroads of Texas Festival, featuring artists, craftsmen, music, and food from around Texas, takes place in downtown on the last Saturday in October. The festival was known as theTexas Country Reporter Festival from 1996 to 2023.[26]
Bethlehem Revisited, a re-enactment of the birth ofJesus, occurs behind Central Presbyterian Church in early December.[27]
Waxahachie is locally known for its elaborateRichardsonian Romanesquecourthouse.[28] The town also features many examples ofVictorian architecture and Gingerbread-style homes, several of which have been converted intobed and breakfast inns. The Ellis County Art Association hosts ART on the Square (Cultural Attractions- Events and Facilities; 113 West Franklin Street).
Parks in Waxahachie include Spring Park, Getzendaner Memorial Park, Richards Park, Chapman Park, and Brown-Singleton Park.[29] Getzendaner Park features the historicChautauqua Auditorium, built in 1902.Lake Waxahachie features a range of camping and fishing areas.[30]
The city of Waxahachie is a voluntary member of theNorth Central Texas Council of Governments association, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions.
Waxahachie is represented in theTexas Senate by RepublicanBrian Birdwell, District 22, and in theTexas House of Representatives by Republican Brian Harrison, District 10.
TheTexas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Waxahachie District Parole Office in Sherman.[31]
At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are RepublicansJohn Cornyn andTed Cruz; since 2003, Waxahachie has been part ofTexas's 6th congressional district, which is currently represented by RepublicanJake Ellzey.
TheUnited States Postal Service operates the Waxahachie Post Office.[32]
Almost all of Waxahachie is served by theWaxahachie Independent School District (WISD), which currently has eight elementary campuses, three middle-school campuses, and two high schools. WISD offers advanced-placement and dual-credit courses, and varied career and technology courses.
Waxahachie High School, classified as 6A, offers a range of extracurricular activities to its students, including football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball, golf, tennis, concert and marching band, drama, choir, drill team, and dozens of academic teams and clubs. The football program made the playoffs every year from 1989 to 2010.[citation needed]Waxahachie Global High School, an ECHS T-STEM school emphasizing instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a small-learning-community environment, opened on August 27, 2007.
The city limits of Waxahachie extend into theFerris,Midlothian, andRed Oak ISDs.[33]
In addition to the district schools,Life School, a public charter-school system, operates a 7–12 grade campus.[34] On April 15, 2014, Life School broke ground on a new high school in Waxahachie, planned to accommodate about 1,000 9th–12th graders.[35]
The several private schools include Waxahachie Preparatory Academy (K-12), Mercy Preparatory Academy (K-12), First Christian Day School (through 8th grade),[36] and St. Joseph Catholic School (through 8th grade).[citation needed]
Two postsecondary educational institutions have campuses in the city of Waxahachie:Navarro College, acommunity college based inCorsicana, Texas, andNelson University, a private, four-year university affiliated with theAssemblies of God, which offers accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees.
The first newspaper in Waxahachie, the now-defunctWaxahachie Argus, was established in 1870.[9] TheWaxahachie Daily Light has served the town since 1891.[38] Additionally, 47 radio stations are within close listening range of Waxahachie.[39]KBEC radio has served the community and surrounding area since 1955.[40]
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Both Altus Emergency Center and Baylor Scott & White Health at Waxahachie provide emergency services locally, as does Ennis Regional Medical Center, about 14 miles away in Ennis.[29] Between 2003 and 2010, Waxahachie's healthcare industry added 555 jobs, making it the city's fourth-largest employment sector.[41]
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Interstate 35E is a major north–south freeway serving as a bypass around the west side of Waxahachie. The freeway connects withRed Oak,DeSoto/Lancaster, andDallas to the north;Italy,Hillsboro, andWaco to the south.
U.S. Route 287, also a freeway, runs in a northwest–southeast orientation through the north side of the city. The freeway connects withMidlothian,Mansfield, andFort Worth to the west and Ennis to the east.
U.S. Route 77, a north–south highway, serves as the main thoroughfare through the city, passing through downtown and the north side of the city. The highway parallels Interstate 35 and reconnects with the interstate just outside the city limits. Many of the city's commercial developments line Highway 77.Additionally, the long-running television seriesWalker, Texas Ranger, starringChuck Norris, was filmed in Waxahachie on occasion. Some scenes inPrison Break were filmed in Waxahachie. Scenes fromBonnie and Clyde (1967) were also shot here.[55]
The 1984 filmPlaces in the Heart was set and filmed in Waxahachie.
In 2018, an animated short film fromCrypt TV titledDark Vessel featured the town as its 1977-based setting.[56]
In 2021,Miranda Lambert,Jon Randall andJack Ingram released a song named for the city on their acoustic albumThe Marfa Tapes. It was later recorded again with full production for inclusion on Lambert's solo albumPalomino in 2022.[57]
Sabinas inCoahuila, Mexico, has been proposed as Waxahachie'ssister city. Sabinas is located about 70 miles (110 km) south ofEagle Pass, Texas.[58]
Municipalities and communities ofEllis County, Texas,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDP | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
