Midland is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
of
Midland County, Texas, United States.
A small part of Midland is in
Martin County.
At the
2020 census, Midland's population was 132,524. It is the principal city of the
Midland, Texas metropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Midland County, the population of which grew 4.6% between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2012, to 151,662, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The metropolitan area is part of the larger
Midland–Odessa combined statistical area, which had a population of 340,391 in the 2020 census. People in Midland are called Midlanders.
Located in the
Permian Basin in
West Texas
West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio.
No consensus exists on the boundary betw ...
, Midland is a major center for
oil and
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon d ...
production. Midland was founded as the midway point between
Fort Worth and
El Paso on the
Texas and Pacific Railroad in 1881. The city has many connections to the
Bush family
The Bush family is an American dynastic family that is prominent in the fields of American politics, news, sports, entertainment, and business. They were the first family of the United States from 1989 to 1993 and again from 2001 to 2009, and w ...
; It was the onetime home of former
Presidents George H. W. Bush and
George W. Bush and the hometown of former
First Lady Laura Bush. The
George W. Bush Childhood Home
Bush Family Home State Historic Site is a historic house that was home to former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush from 1951 to 1955. It is located at 1412 W. Ohio Ave. in Midland, Texas.
The home was built in 1939 and was ...
is located in Midland.
History
Midland was established in June 1881 as Midway Station, on the
Texas and Pacific Railway. Its name came from its central location between Fort Worth and El Paso, but because there were already other towns in Texas named Midway, the city changed its name to Midland in January 1884 when it was granted its first post office.
Midland became the county seat of Midland County in March 1885, when that county was first organized and separated from
Tom Green County. By 1890, it had become one of the state's most important cattle shipping centers. The city was incorporated in 1906, and by 1910 established its first fire department, along with a new water system.
Midland was changed significantly by the discovery of
oil in the
Permian Basin in 1923 when the Santa Rita No. 1 well began producing in
Reagan County, followed shortly by the
Yates Oil Field in
Iraan
Iraan ( ) is a city in Pecos County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,229 at the 2010 census. The city's name is an amalgamation of the first names of Ira and Ann Yates, owners of the ranch land upon which the town was built.
History
...
. Midland became the West Texas oil fields' administrative center. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, it had the nation's largest bombardier training base. A second boom began after the war, with the discovery and development of the
Spraberry Trend, still the country's third-largest oil field by total reserves. Yet another boom period took place during the 1970s, with the high oil prices associated with the oil and energy crises. Today, the Permian Basin produces one fifth of the nation's total petroleum and
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon d ...
output.
Midland's economy still relies heavily on petroleum, but the city has also become a regional telecommunications and distribution center. By August 2006, a busy period of crude oil production had caused a significant workforce deficit. According to the Midland Chamber of Commerce, at that time there were almost 2,000 more jobs available in the
Permian Basin than there were workers to fill them.
In 1959,
John Howard Griffin wrote a history of Midland, ''Land of the High Sky.''
''Avery v. Midland County''
In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case ''
Avery v. Midland County''. Midland mayor Hank Avery had sued Midland County, challenging the electoral-districting scheme in effect for elections to the County Commissioner's Court. The county districts geographically quartered the county, but Midland, in the northwestern quarter, had 97% of the county's population. A judge, elected on an at-large basis, provided a fifth vote, but the result was that the three rural commissioners, representing only 3% of the county's population, held a majority of the votes.
The Court held that the scheme violated the
Fourteenth Amendment's
Equal Protection clause. A dissenting minority held that this example of the
Warren Court's policy of
incorporation at the local-government level exceeded its
constitutional authority.
Geography
Midland is in the
Permian Basin in
West Texas
West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio.
No consensus exists on the boundary betw ...
plains.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the city has an area of 71.5 square miles (185.2 km), of which 71.3 square miles (184.7 km) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 km) (0.28%) is water.
Climate
Midland has a
semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi ...
(
Köppen ''BSh'' or ''BSk'') with hot summers and cool to mild winters. It occasionally has cold waves during the winter, but rarely sees extended periods of below-freezing cold. Midland receives approximately of precipitation per year, much of which falls in the summer. Highs exceed on 115 days per year and on 24 days while lows fall to or below on 58 days.
;Notes:
Cityscape
Nicknamed "The Tall City", Midland has long been known for its downtown skyline. Most of downtown Midland's major office buildings were built during a time of major
Permian Basin oil and gas discoveries. The surge in energy prices in the mid-1980s sparked a building boom downtown. For many years, the 22-story
Wilco Building in downtown was the tallest building between
Fort Worth and
Phoenix. Today, the tallest is the 24-story
Bank of America Building, at . Four buildings over tall were planned in the 1980s, including one designed by architect
I.M. Pei. The great oil bust of the mid-1980s killed any plans for future skyscrapers. A private development group was planning to build
Energy Tower
The energy tower is a device for producing electrical power. The brainchild of Dr. Phillip Carlson, expanded by Professor Dan Zaslavsky from the Technion. Energy towers spray water on hot air at the top of the tower, making the cooled air fal ...
at City Center, which was proposed to be 870 feet tall, with 59 floors (six floors underground and 53 above). If it had been built, it would have been Texas's sixth-tallest building.
File:Midland, TX skyline DSCN1201.JPG, Downtown
File:West Texas National Bank Bldg., Midland DSCN1202.JPG, Summit Building (center) and Wilco Building (background)
File:Petroleum Bldg., Midland, TX DSCN1174.JPG, Petroleum Building
The Petroleum Building is a 50-meter/10-floor building at 420 South Boulder in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was built in 1921, and is a steel and reinforced concrete structure faced with buff brick. The name was given because most of the early tenants w ...
, with Centennial Tower on right
File:Midland, TX, City Hall DSCN1154.JPG, City Hall
File:Basic Energy Services Bldg., Midland, TX DSCN1207.JPG, Kinder Morgan Building
File:Doubletree Hotel, Midland, TX DSCN1180.JPG, Downtown Doubletree Hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton is an American hotel chain managed by Hilton Worldwide. DoubleTree has been the fastest growing Hilton brand by number of properties since 2007, and by number of rooms from 2007 to 2015. As of December 31, 2019, it has 587 p ...
File:Yucca Theatre, Midland, TX DSCN1171.JPG, Yucca Theater at the Petroleum Building
File:First Presbyterian Church, Midland, TX DSCN1189.JPG, First Presbyterian Church
File:Glimpse of Midland, TX, W Ohio Ave looking east.jpg, Downtown from Ohio Avenue
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 off ...
, there were 132,524 people, 47,682 households, and 32,632 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was 1,558.9 people per square mile (550.6/km). There were 47,562 housing units at an average density of 667.1 per square mile (231.0/km). Of the 47,682 households, 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were opposite-sex married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were made up of same-sex relationships, non-family habitations, or other habitation arrangements. About 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the city, the population was distributed as 29.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $39,320, and for a family was $48,290. Males had a median income of $37,566 versus $24,794 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city in 2007 was $52,294. In 2000, about 10.1% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.
In 2014, ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' magazine ranked Midland the second fastest-growing small city in the United States.
Economy
In 2014, Midland had the lowest unemployment rate in the United States, 2.3%. According to the city's latest Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's top ten employers are:
Arts and culture
Galleries
Midland College is home to the McCormick Gallery, inside the Allison Fine Arts Building on the main campus. Throughout the year, exhibits at the McCormick feature works of MC students and faculty, visiting artists, and juried exhibits. The Arts Council of Midland serves as the promotional and public relations vehicle to promote the arts and stimulate community participation and support. The McCormick is also home to the Studio 3600 Series, established in 2006 to "spotlight selected art students and provide them the opportunity to exhibit key works that identify the style they have crafted over a period of time."
Performing arts
The Midland-Odessa Symphony and Chorale (MOSC) has performed in the Permian Basin for over 45 years, and is the region's largest orchestral organization, presenting both Pops and Masterworks concerts throughout the year. The MOSC also is home to three resident chamber ensembles, the Lone Star Brass, Permian Basin String Quartet and West Texas Winds. These ensembles are made up of principal musicians in the orchestra.
The Midland Community Theatre (MCT) originated in 1946 with musicals, comedies, dramas, mysteries, children's theatre and melodramas. MCT produces 15 shows each year in three performance spaces—Davis Theatre I and Mabee Theatre II, in the Cole Theatre, and the annual fundraiser
Summer Mummers in the Yucca Theatre. MCT is a member of the American Association of Community Theatre, and hosted the 2006 AACT International Theatrefest.
Twice each year, the Phyllis and Bob Cowan Performing Arts Series at Midland College presents free cultural and artistic performances. The series was endowed in 1999.
Libraries
*
Midland County Library
*
Haley Memorial Library and History Center
* Murray L. Fasken Learning Resource Center at Midland College
Tourism
Sitting on the southern edge of the
Llano Estacado
The Llano Estacado (), sometimes translated into English as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the Nort ...
and near the center of the
Permian Basin oil fields, Midland's economy has long been focused on petroleum exploration and extraction. Providing more information about this industry is the
Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, on the outskirts of town near Interstate 20. The museum houses numerous displays on the history, science, and technology of oil and gas development. The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum houses a collection of race cars designed by
Jim Hall, a longtime Midland resident who pioneered the use of aerodynamic downforce in Formula One car design.
Midland is also home to The Museum of the Southwest. The museum features a collection of paintings by various members of the
Taos Society of Artists and
Karl Bodmer
Johann Carl Bodmer (11 February 1809 – 30 October 1893) was a Swiss-French printmaker, etcher, lithographer, zinc engraver, draughtsman, painter, illustrator and hunter. Known as Karl Bodmer in literature and paintings, as a Swiss and French ...
as well as engravings by John J. and John W. Audubon. Within the same museum complex are the Children's Museum and the Marian W. Blakemore Planetarium. The Museum of the Southwest is in the Turner Mansion, the historic 1934 home of Fred and Juliette Turner.
On display at the Midland County Historical Museum are reproductions of the "Midland Man", the skeleton of a
Clovis female found near the city in 1953. Analysis of the remains by Curtis R. McKinney using uranium-thorium analysis showed that the bones are 11,600 ± 800 years old. Presenting his findings at the annual meeting of the
Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences.
History
The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitch ...
in 1992, McKinney said, "
e Midland Woman was related to the earliest ancestors of every Indian who lives today, and she is very likely the only representative of those who created the Clovis cultures."
Sports
Midland is home to the
Midland RockHounds, a
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
minor league baseball team. It is the AA affiliate of the
Oakland Athletics. The Rockhounds have played their home games in
Momentum Bank Ballpark since 2002.
West Texas United Sockers is an American soccer team founded in 2008. The team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference. The team plays its home games at the
Grande Communications Stadium.
Midland is home to the West Texas Drillers (Adult Tackle Football) of the Minor Professional Football League. They were established in 2009. They play their home games at Grande Communications Stadium.
Midland College is a member of the
Western Junior College Athletic Conference, and fields teams in baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's golf, softball and volleyball. Midland College has won 20 national championships in sports since 1975, as well as produced 192 All-Americans.
Plans have been made to develop a 35-court tennis facility named the
Bush Tennis Center.
Midland is also home to the Midland Mad Dog Rugby Club, which competes in the Texas Rugby Union as a Division III team.
Government
Local government
According to its 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Midland's various funds had $57.3 million in revenues, $53.0 million in expenditures, $363.4 million in total assets, $133.9 million in total liabilities, and $75.0 million in cash and investments.
* 1907–1908, S.J. Issaacs
* 1908–1909, A.C. Parker
* 1909–1911, J.A. Haley
* 1911–1915, J.M. Cladwell
* 1915–1917, J.M. Gilmore
* 1917–1918, H.A. Leaverton
* 1918–1923, W.A. Dawson
* 1923–1925, Paul T. Barron
* 1925–1929, Frank Haag
* 1929–1934, Leon Goodman
* 1934–1943, M.C. Ulmer
* 1943–1946, A.N. Hendrickson
* 1946–1947, Fred Hogan
* 1947–1949, Russell H. Gifford
* 1949–1951, William B. Neely
* 1951–1953, Perry Pickett
* 1953–1954, J.W. McMillen
* 1955–1958, Ernest Sidwell
* 1958–1962, F.L. Thompson
* 1962–1968, H. C. Avery, Jr.
* 1968–1972, Edwin H. Magruder Jr.
* 1972–1980, Ernest Angelo Jr.
* 1980–1986, G. Thane Akins
* 1986–1992, Carroll Thomas
* 1992–1994, J.D. Faircloth
* 1994–2001, Robt. E. Burns
* 2001–2008, Michael J. Canon
* 2008–2014, Wes Perry
* 2014–2019, Jerry Morales
State and federal representation
Midland is represented in the US Senate by
John Cornyn and
Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas fro ...
and in the US House of Representatives by
August Pfluger
August Lee Pfluger II ( ; born December 28, 1978) is an American politician and retired military officer from the state of Texas. He is the U.S. representative for . Pfluger succeeded fellow Republican Mike Conaway in 2021.
Early life and ed ...
. Midland residents are represented in the
Texas Senate by Republican
Kel Seliger
Kelton Gray Seliger, known as Kel Seliger (born June 16, 1953), is a Republican member of the Texas State Senate for District 31, which stretches from the Panhandle south to the Permian Basin. He has announced that he will not be running for r ...
, District 31. Midland is represented in the
Texas House of Representatives by Republican
Tom Craddick
Thomas Russell Craddick (born September 19, 1943) is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives representing the 82nd district. Craddick was Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from January 2003 to January 2009. He was ...
, the former
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** In ...
from District 82.
The
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jai ...
operates the headquarters of Parole Division Region V in Midland; the Midland District Parole Office is in the Region V headquarters.
The
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...
operates the Midland Main Post Office on the grounds of
Midland International Air and Space Port. The other four post offices are Claydesta, Downtown Midland, Graves, and Village.
Education
Colleges and universities
Midland is the home of
Midland College (MC), which offers over 50 programs of study for associate degrees and certificates to more than 6,000 students who enroll each semester. MC offers programs in health sciences, information technology, and aviation, including a professional pilot training program. MC is one of only three community colleges in Texas approved to offer a bachelor's degree in applied technology. Steve Thomas is MC's president.
Midland is home to the
's physician assistant program, on the MC campus. The entry-level graduate program awards a Master of Physician Assistant Studies following 27 months of intensive academic and clinical training.
Visiting lectures
Twice each year, the Davidson Distinguished Lectures Series at
Midland College presents free public lectures by "nationally known speakers whose academic accomplishments, civic leadership, and/or public achievements interest, enrich, and enlighten Midland students and citizens." The series was endowed in 1996, and has brought a diverse selection of speakers to Midland, including
Ken Burns,
Richard Leakey,
Bill Moyers,
Mark Russell
Mark Russell (born August 23, 1932) is an American political satirist and comedian. He is best known for his series of semimonthly comedy specials on PBS television between 1975 and 2004. His routines were a mix of political stand-up humor cover ...
,
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is an American retired attorney and politician who served as the first female associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was both the first woman nominated and th ...
,
Richard Rodriguez
Richard Rodriguez (born July 31, 1944) is an American writer who became famous as the author of '' Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez'' (1982), a narrative about his intellectual development.
Early life
He was born on July 3 ...
,
Shelby Foote,
Anna Deavere Smith,
Bill Nye
William Sanford Nye (born November 27, 1955), popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American mechanical engineer, science communicator, and television presenter. He is best known as the host of the science television show '' Bil ...
,
John Updike and
Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Primary and secondary schools
Midland Independent School District serves the portion in Midland County, as in the vast majority of Midland. Midland is home to three public high schools:
Midland High School,
Legacy High School and Early College High School (ECHS) at Midland College, all of which are part of MISD. Another school district just outside Midland,
Greenwood Independent School District
Greenwood Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Greenwood, Texas (USA). Greenwood ISD serves approximately 3,000 students. The district's mascot is the ranger/rangerette. As of 2015, Ariel Elliott is th ...
, serves approximately 3,000 students and operates
Greenwood High School, James R. Brooks Middle School, Greenwood Intermediate, and Greenwood Elementary.
In July 2020 the Midland Independent School District voted to change the name of the former Robert E. Lee High School to Legacy High School in the wake of the
George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internat ...
.
ECHS welcomed its first freshman class on August 24, 2009. It aims to award students their associate degrees from
Midland College by the time they receive their high school diplomas.
The portion in Martin County is in the
Stanton Independent School District.
Midland has many private schools, including Hillcrest School, Hillander, Midland Classical Academy, Midland Christian School, Midland Montessori, St. Ann's School, and Trinity School of Midland. It is also home to three charter schools: Richard Milburn Academy,
Premier High School, and Midland Academy Charter School.
Media
Newspapers
Midland is served by the ''
Midland Reporter-Telegram''.
Radio
Television
Midland is served by nine local television stations:
KMID, an
ABC affiliate;
KWES-TV
KWES-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Odessa, Texas, United States, serving the Permian Basin area as an affiliate of NBC. The station is owned by Tegna Inc. and maintains studios on West County Road 127 near the Midland Int ...
, an
NBC affiliate;
KOSA, a
CBS affiliate and a
MyNetworkTV affiliate on their digital
cable TV
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...
station;
KPEJ-TV
KPEJ-TV (channel 24) is a television station licensed to Odessa, Texas, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Permian Basin area. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Nexstar Me ...
, a
Fox affiliate;
KPBT-TV, a
PBS affiliate;
KWWT
KWWT (channel 30) is a television station licensed to Odessa, Texas, United States, serving the Permian Basin area as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KOSA-TV (channel 7, also licensed to Odessa ...
, a
MeTV affiliate;
KUPB, a
Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and include ...
affiliate; and
KTLE-LD
KTLE-LD, virtual channel 20.1 ( UHF digital channel 20), is a low-power Telemundo- affiliated television station licensed to Odessa, Texas, United States. Owned by Atlanta-based Gray Television, it is a sister station to Gray's ''de facto'' tri ...
, a
Telemundo
Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by Comcast. It provides content nationally with pr ...
affiliate. It also has a religious television station:
KMLM-DT
KMLM-DT (channel 42) is a religious television station in Odessa, Texas, United States, serving as the flagship station of God's Learning Channel. Owned by Prime Time Christian Broadcasting, the station maintains studios in Odessa, and its trans ...
, an affiliate of
God's Learning Channel
God's Learning Channel (GLC) is a religious satellite network based in West Texas which teaches a biblical point of view of Judaism. The network was founded in 1982 by Al and Tommie Cooper, who had the vision to bring Judaism to Southeastern New ...
, a worldwide institution offering pro-Israel programming.
Many major motion pictures have been filmed in and around Midland, including ''
Hangar 18'', ''
Waltz Across Texas'', ''
Fandango'', ''
Blood Simple'', ''
Hard Country'', ''
Friday Night Lights'', ''
The Rookie'', ''
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'', ''
Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure'' (which featured, as extras, many participants in the actual rescue and its coverage), and others.
The Midland-Odessa area is a focal point for many of the TV series ''
Heroes''
's first-season episodes, serving as the Bennet family home and as the location of the Burnt Toast Diner.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Air
* Midland is served by
Midland International Air and Space Port (ICAO code: KMAF, IATA code: MAF), which is located between
Odessa and Midland.
* Midland Airpark (ICAO code: KMDD, IATA code: MDD) is a
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
airport located on Midland's northeast side.
Highways and Roads
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Rail
Midland was the site of the 2012
Midland train crash, in which a train collided with a parade float carrying wounded military veterans, killing four.
Midland also has citywide public bus services provided for the
Midland-Odessa Urban Transit District by Midland-Odessa Transit Management, otherwise known as E-Z Rider.
Notable people
Sister cities
Midland has four
sister cities around the world.
*
Chihuahua, Chihuahua (Mexico)
*
Dongying,
Shandong
Shandong ( , ; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal Provinces of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region.
Shandong has played a major role in His ...
(China), located near
China's second-largest known oil field. A modest pagoda, located at the Beal Complex, was donated by Dongying officials.
*
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam ( nl, Nieuw Amsterdam, or ) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''factory'' gave rise ...
(Guyana)
*
Birkenhead
Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liv ...
(United Kingdom)
References
Bibliography
External links
City of Midland, Texas*
{{Authority control
Cities in Texas
County seats in Texas
Populated places established in 1881
Cities in Midland County, Texas
Cities in Martin County, Texas
1881 establishments in Texas
Cities in Midland–Odessa