Jarrell is a city in

Williamson County, Texas Williamson County (sometimes abbreviated as "Wilco") is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 609,017. Its county seat is Georgetown. The county is named for Robert McAlpin Williamson (1804?–1859), ...

, United States. It was incorporated as a city in 2001. The total population is 1,753 according to the 2020 census.

History

Founded in 1909 by real estate developer O.D. Jarrell, along with E. C. Haeber and B. N. Dover, the town was settled at the intersection of an old stagecoach road and the

Bartlett Western Railroad The Bartlett Western Railroad, sometimes called the Bartlett Western Railway, was a shortline rail carrier running between Bartlett, Texas and Florence, Texas, about 22-23 miles. A predecessor company started in 1909, and the railroad ended in 193 ...

that was under construction. Soon after the railroad was completed, a saloon, two stores, a post office, and a bank were built. Because of the proximity of Jarrell to the railroad, Jarrell received all of the people and most of the buildings of nearby Corn Hill, Texas, thus killing that town. The city reached a population peak of 500 residents in 1914. The closing of the railway in 1935 and the decline of the cotton industry, however, led to a long-term recession. At one point, Jarrell had only 200 residents. After this low point, the city experienced a recovery that increased its population to 410 by 1990. Over 15 new businesses opened in Jarrell in 2009. On May 27, 1997, the town suffered heavily from a destructive

F5 tornado The Fujita scale (F-Scale; ), or Fujita–Pearson scale (FPP scale), is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation. The official Fujita scale category is determ ...

, which obliterated the Double Creek Estates subdivision, killing 27 people plus 300 cattle and horses.

Education

Jarrell is served by the

Jarrell Independent School District Jarrell Independent School District is a public school district based in Jarrell, Texas (USA). The district has four campuses - Jarrell High (Grades 9–12), Jarrell Middle (Grades 6-8), Igo Elementary (Grades PK-5) and Jarrell Elementary (Grade ...

. The district currently has two elementary, one middle school and one high school. Between 2012 and 2019 student enrollment more than doubled. The district's middle school was built in 2014, but is undergoing an expansion in 2018–2019 to gain more classroom and science labs so that it can better accommodate the growing population of students. The high school is also being expanded including the addition of a performing arts center. The current superintendent for the district is Dr. Toni M. Hicks. A native Texan, Dr. Hicks earned a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas State University. She began her educational career in El Paso ISD as an English as a Second Language teacher and then later as a middle school teacher in Leander ISD. While working as a full-time teacher, she completed a Master of Education from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 1,753 people, 417 households, and 365 families residing in the city.

Government

The current Mayor of Jarrell is Larry Bush. City council meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at City Hall. Jarrell Emergency services are provided by the Jarrell Fire Department operating under Williamson County ESD#5, with Chief Mark McAdams. The City's chief of police is Kevin Denney. The Police department serves a growing population and maintains a very low crime rate.

Climate

The climate in the area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Jarrell has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Jarrell, Texas
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References

External links

Official City of Jarrell website
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Official Jarrell VFD Website
{{Authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Williamson County, Texas Greater Austin