Bushland is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in southwestern

Potter A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: Places United States *Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US *Potter, Arkansas *Potter, Nebraska *Potters, New Jerse ...

and Randall counties in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States. A small portion of the CDP extends south into Randall County. According to the

Handbook of Texas The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is an American nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, United States, on March 2, 1897. In November 2008, the ...

, the community had an estimated population of 130 in 2000. The community is part of the

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County, though most of the southern half of the city extends into Randall County, Texas, Randall County ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Bushland is located at (35.1919978, -102.0646392), at an elevation of 3,825 feet. The community is situated along

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...

, approximately 14 miles west of Amarillo in southwestern Potter County. Bushland is the halfway point between Chicago and Los Angeles, 1,062 miles from either city. The two cities were the original endpoints of

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

History

Established as a station on the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway, Bushland was named for William Henry Bush, a

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

native. In 1898, land owner

Joseph Glidden Joseph Farwell Glidden (January 18, 1813 – October 9, 1906) was an American businessman and farmer. He was the inventor of the modern barbed wire. In 1898, he donated land for the Northern Illinois State Normal School in DeKalb, Illinois, which ...

(the inventor of barbed wire) transferred the Frying Pan Ranch to Mr. Bush, who was his son-in-law. The total cost was $68,000. Thereafter, Bush donated land for a town site and a railroad right-of-way. On July 3, 1908, the town was formally dedicated by Bush and his associate S.H. Smiser. Bushland0025

Farmers soon settled in and around Bushland. A public school district was established, followed by the opening of a post office in January 1909. The community's population remained small, hovering near 20 during the 1910s and 1920s. By 1940, that figure had risen to 175, with four businesses operating in the community. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, Bushland's population has remained steady at around 130. In 2009, Bushland made National News after a gas pipeline ruptured near Prairie West, a local neighborhood. At 1:00 AM on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, a gas line operated by El Paso Natural Gas Company malfunctioned, shooting flames 700 feet into the air. Three residents of the neighborhood were injured, and transported to Lubbock for health treatment.

Demographics

Bushland first appeared as a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in the 2020 U.S. Census.

2020 Census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,234 people, 709 households, and 672 families residing in the CDP.

Education

Public education in the community of Bushland is provided by the Bushland Independent School District. The district operates three campuses – Bushland Elementary School (grades PK–4), Bushland Middle School (grades 5–8), and Bushland High School (grades 9–12). In 2011, Bushland residents voted in favor of a bond issue to build additions to the High School, build a cafeteria for the Middle School and purchase new buses for the district.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Bushland 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 se ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Bushland, Texas
/ref>

Notes

References

External links

* {{authority control Census-designated places in Texas Census-designated places in Potter County, Texas Census-designated places in Randall County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Amarillo metropolitan area