Quitaque ( ) is a city in southeastern Briscoe County, Texas, United States. The town lies directly south of Capcrock Canyon State Park and is a ranching and farming area in West Texas. The population was 411 at the 2010 census. According to tradition, Quitaque is a name derived from an American Indian language, meaning "end of the trail".

Geography

Quitaque is located along Texas State Highway 86 between Silverton to the west and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

to the east. The entrance to Caprock Canyons State Park is located about three miles north of Quitaque on Farm to Market Road 1065, and the Caprock Canyons Trailway is located just south of the town. Kent Creek flows past north of the town and

Quitaque Creek Quitaque Creek is an intermittent stream about long, originating as a shallow draw on the high plains of the Llano Estacado in Floyd County, Texas, and flowing eastward to join the North Pease River in Motley County, Texas. Geography The upland ...

is about three miles south. 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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Caprock Canyons - panoramio (1)

Climate

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, Quitaque has a

semiarid 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- ...

, ''BSk'' on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

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 342 people, 155 households, and 94 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, 432 people, 182 households, and 117 families resided in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 600.8 people per square mile (231.7/km). The 252 housing units averaged 350.5 per square mile (135.1/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 79.40% White, 5.79% African American, 0.23% Native American, 12.50% from other races, and 2.08% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 27.08% of the population. Of the 182 households, 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were not families. About 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was distributed as 27.5% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,143, and for a family was $33,750. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $18,125 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 was $13,619. About 14.1% of families and 18.5% 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 t ...

, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Governor

Greg Abbott Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 ...

declared the city the Bison Capital of Texas in 2015. A BisonFest is held every year to raise money for the bison herd at Caprock Canyons.

Education

The City of Quitaque is served by the

Turkey-Quitaque Independent School District Turkey-Quitaque Independent School District is a public school district based in Turkey, Texas (USA). Located mostly in Hall County, the district extends into portions of Briscoe, Floyd, and Motley Counties, and serves the communities of Turk ...

Notable people

The Texas

high-school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

and college football coach Gene Mayfield was born in Quitaque in 1928.

References

{{authority control Cities in Briscoe County, Texas Cities in Texas