Levelland, Texas
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Levelland is a city in
Hockley County, Texas Hockley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 21,537. Its county seat is Levelland. The county was created in 1876, but not organized until 1921. It is named for George Washington Hockl ...
, in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 12,652, down from 13,542 at the 2010 census. It is 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 st ...
of Hockley County. It is located on 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 North A ...
, west of
Lubbock Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northwe ...
. Major industries include
cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
farming and
petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
production. It is the home of
South Plains College South Plains College (SPC) is a public community college in Levelland, Texas. It operates satellite branches in Plainview, at the Reese Technology Center, formerly Reese Air Force Base, in western Lubbock, and the Lubbock Center near centra ...
. Levelland is the principal city of the Levelland micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Hockley County and part of the larger
Lubbock–Levelland combined statistical area The Lubbock-Plainview-Levelland Combined Statistical Area is made up of five counties (Crosby, Hale, Hockley, Lynn, and Lubbock) in the South Plains region of west Texas. As of March 2020, the Lubbock-Plainview-Levelland CSA consists of the Lubbo ...
. Levelland was so named on account of the flat land at the town site.


Geography

Levelland is at the center of Hockley County.
Texas State Highway 114 State Highway 114 (SH 114) is a state highway that runs from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex westward across Texas to the state border with New Mexico, where it becomes New Mexico State Road 114, which eventually ends at Elida, New Mexico at US ...
runs through the north side of the city, leading east to Lubbock and west to the
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
border.
U.S. Route 385 U.S. Route 385 (US 385) is a spur of U.S. Route 85 that runs for 1,206 miles (1,941 km) from Deadwood, South Dakota to Big Bend National Park in Texas. Route description , - , TX , 545 , 877 , - , OK , 36 , 58 , - , CO , 317 , 510 ...
passes through the center of the city, east of downtown, leading north to Littlefield and south to
Brownfield In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land prev ...
. 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 the ...
, Levelland has a total area of , of which , or 0.06%, is covered by water.


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 12,652 people, 4,880 households, and 3,245 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 incl ...
of 2000, 12,866 people, 4,574 households, and 3,361 families resided 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 RosenberPopul ...
was 1,296.5 people per square mile (500.8/km). The 5,186 housing units averaged 522.6 per square mile (201.8/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 70.34% White, 5.36% African American, 0.95% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 20.92% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 39.21% of the population. Of the 4,574 households, 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were not families; 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.17. In the city, the population was distributed as 27.6% under the age of 18, 14.0% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,820, and for a family was $32,408. Males had a median income of $29,800 versus $20,042 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 $14,296. About 15.7% of families and 20.2% 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 25.8% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.


Climate


Education

*The City of Levelland is served by the Levelland Independent School District. *The Levelland High School mascot is the Lobo. *Levelland is also home to
South Plains College South Plains College (SPC) is a public community college in Levelland, Texas. It operates satellite branches in Plainview, at the Reese Technology Center, formerly Reese Air Force Base, in western Lubbock, and the Lubbock Center near centra ...
.


Levelland in popular culture

The
James McMurtry James McMurtry (born March 18, 1962, in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American rock and folk rock/americana singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, and occasional actor (''Daisy Miller'', ''Lonesome Dove'', and narrator of ''Ghost Town: 24 Hours i ...
song "Levelland", recorded in 1995, is a song about life in the city, told from a slightly acerbic point of view. The song has also been recorded by
Robert Earl Keen Robert Earl Keen (born January 11, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter and entertainer. Debuting with 1984's ''No Kinda Dancer'', the Houston native has recorded 20 full-length albums for both independent and major record labels. His songs ha ...
. Held in the third week of July, Camp Bluegrass is a large social event, with public concerts, held on the South Plains College campus. Levelland is home to the 12-year-old state champions in baseball, the Levelland Kekambas. This was the first team to ever win state from Levelland. The team ended up placing fifth at the regional tournament in
Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
.


UFO allegations

Levelland is famous as the site of a well-publicized series of
UFO sightings This is a partial list by date of sightings of alleged unidentified flying objects (UFOs), including reports of close encounters and alien abductions. Second millennium BCE Classical antiquity 8th century 16th–17th centuries 19th ce ...
in November 1957. Several motorists driving on various highways around Levelland in the evening and early morning hours of November 2–3 claimed to see a large, egg-shaped object which emitted a blue glow and caused their automobiles to shut off. In most cases, the object was sitting either on the highway or close to it. When the object took off, witnesses claimed their vehicles would restart and work normally. Among witnesses were Weir Clem, Levelland's sheriff, and Ray Jones, the town's fire chief. The
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
concluded a severe electrical storm (most probably
ball lightning Ball lightning is a rare and unexplained phenomenon described as luminescent, spherical objects that vary from pea-sized to several meters in diameter. Though usually associated with thunderstorms, the observed phenomenon is reported to last c ...
), was the major cause for the sightings and reported auto failures. However, several prominent UFO researchers, among them Dr. James E. McDonald, a physicist at the
University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...
, and Dr. J. Allen Hynek, an astronomer at
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
, disputed this explanation. Both men argued that no electrical storm was in the area when the sightings occurred.


Levelland Municipal Airport (LLN)

* Airport elevation – 3514 ft above
mean sea level There are several kinds of mean in mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. ...
* Two active runways ** 17/35 – 6,110 ft ** 08/26 – 2,072 ft


Notable people

* Beau Boulter, attorney, lobbyist, and former
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
Texas's 13th congressional district Texas's 13th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Texas that includes most of the Texas Panhandle, parts of Texoma and northwestern parts of North Texas. The principal cities in the district are Amarillo, Gai ...
* Frank Jackson, wide receiver with the Dallas Texans, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Miami Dolphins 1961–1967, AFL All-Star 1965 *
Ronny Jackson Ronny Lynn Jackson (born May 4, 1967) is an American physician, politician, and retired United States Navy rear admiral who is the U.S. representative for . Jackson joined the White House Medical Unit in the mid-2000s under George W. Bush, and ...
, physician to the President of the United States during the Obama and Trump administrations, unsuccessful nominee to head the
United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...
, later elected U.S. Representative for Texas's 13th congressional district *
Gene Mayfield Clurel Eugene Mayfield, known as Gene Mayfield (January 31, 1928 – October 2, 2009), was an American football coach in Texas high schools and at West Texas A&M University. In May 2005, Mayfield was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Ha ...
(1928–2009), a successful
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 A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
coach, concluded his career at Levelland High School * Kinna McInroe, actress * David J. Schmidly (born 1943), an American scientist, professor and university president, was born in Levelland


See also

*
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 North A ...
*
South Plains The South Plains is a region in northwest Texas, consisting of 24 counties. The main crop is cotton. Counties The South Plains region includes 24 counties: The northernmost four (Parmer, Castro, Swisher, and Briscoe) are also considered to be p ...
*
Yellow House Canyon Yellow House Canyon is about long, heading in Lubbock, Texas, at the junction of Blackwater Draw and Yellow House Draw, and trending generally southeastward to the edge of the Llano Estacado about east of Slaton, Texas; it forms one of three ma ...
*
XIT Ranch The XIT Ranch was a cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle which operated from 1885 to 1912. Comprising over 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km²) of land, it ran for 200 miles (300 km) along the border with New Mexico, varying in width from 20 to ...
*
Blackwater Draw Blackwater Draw is an intermittent stream channel about long, with headwaters in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, about southwest of Clovis, New Mexico, and flows southeastward across the Llano Estacado toward the city of Lubbock, Texas, where it j ...


References


External links


City of Levelland official website
* *

{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Hockley County, Texas County seats in Texas Micropolitan areas of Texas