Canyon 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Randall County, Texas
Randall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 140,753. Its county seat is Canyon. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1889. It is named for Horace Randal, a Confed ...
, United States. The population was 14,836 at the
2020 census. It 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. Canyon is the home of the
Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum
Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum is a history museum located on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, United States, a small city south of Amarillo. The museum's contents are owned and controlled by the Panhandle-Plains ...
, and the outdoor musical drama
''Texas''.
History
Canyon was founded by L. G. Conner. The
JA Ranch
The JA Ranch is a historic cattle ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon in Armstrong County, Texas. Founded in 1876 by Charles Goodnight and John George Adair, it is the oldest cattle ranching operation in the Texas Panhandle. Its headquarters area wa ...
is east of Canyon.
The
Tex Randall statue, a tall cowboy next to
U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia.
The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as General Booth Bouleva ...
, was constructed in 1959 and designated an official Canyon landmark in 2017.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, Canyon has a total area of , all land. The city itself lies in a valley that eventually becomes
Palo Duro Canyon
Palo Duro Canyon is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment located in the Texas Panhandle near the cities of Amarillo and Canyon. The second largest canyon system in the United States, it is roughly long and has an average width of , but ...
to the east.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 14,836 people, 5,189 households, and 3,444 families residing in the city.
2010 census
At the 2010 census,
13,303 people, 5,185 households and 2,924 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 5,611 housing units averaged 1,133.54 per square mile (437.68/km
2). The
racial makeup of the city was 88.5% White, 2.4% African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.7% from other races, and 2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 15.7% of the population.
Of the 5,185 households, 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.6% were not families. About 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.
The population was distributed as 21.4% under the age of 18, 18.6% from 20 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 15.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
was $32,361 and the median family income was $46,250. Males had a median income of $34,338 versus $25,255 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $16,292. About 8.1% of families and 14.3% 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 10.2% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public education in Canyon is served by the
Canyon Independent School District. Currently, the only
high school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
is
Canyon High School, whose mascot is an Eagle.
Some students in Canyon, TX play soccer at the Brown Road Soccer Complex on the west side of town.

Canyon is the home of
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University (WTAMU or WT) is a public university in Canyon, Texas, United States. It is the northernmost campus of the Texas A&M University System and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Associat ...
, the main campus is located near the city center.
Sport
Canyon is home to the
West Texas A&M Buffaloes
The West Texas A&M Buffaloes, also known as the WTAMU Buffaloes or WT Buffaloes, and formerly West Texas State Buffaloes and WTSU Buffaloes, are the athletic teams that represent West Texas A&M University, located in Canyon, Texas, in NCAA Divis ...
.
Points of interest
* Tallest wind turbine in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. It is a GW 3MW(S) Wind Turbine with a nacelle height of 130 metres and a total height of 199.2 metre
situated at 34.967324 N 101.789980 W.
Notable people
*
Houston Bright, composer who taught for three decades at
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University (WTAMU or WT) is a public university in Canyon, Texas, United States. It is the northernmost campus of the Texas A&M University System and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Associat ...
*
Harold Bugbee,
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
artist and the former curator of Panhandle-Plains Museum
*
Terry Funk
Terrance Dee Funk (June 30, 1944 – August 23, 2023) was an American professional wrestler and actor. Widely considered one of the most influential
and greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Funk was known for the longevity of his car ...
, professional wrestler and actor
*
Blair Garner
Blair Garner is an American radio personality best known for his work in country radio. Garner spent over two decades as a nationally syndicated overnight disc jockey, first hosting ''After Midnite'' for Premiere Networks and then ''The Blair Gar ...
, syndicated radio host
*
Bryan A. Garner
Bryan Andrew Garner (born November 17, 1958) is an American legal scholar and lexicographer. He has written more than two dozen books about English usage and style such as ''Garner's Modern English Usage'' for a general audience, and others for l ...
, editor-in-chief of ''Black's Law Dictionary'', author, and teacher
*
Margaret Pease Harper, educator, musician and originator of ''
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 ...
''
*
Mark Lair
Mark Lair (born 1947) is a professional American bridge player from Canyon, Texas.
Lair is ranked 5th all-time on the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) Top 500 listings with over 77,000 masterpoints (as of January 18 2025). He is an ACBL Gr ...
, Hall of Fame bridge player
*
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 March 6, 1986) was an American Modernism, modernist painter and drafter, draftswoman whose career spanned seven decades and whose work remained largely independent of major art movements. Called the "M ...
, artist, lived in Canyon (1916–1918), inspired by the beauty of the
Palo Duro country
*
Carmen Espinoza-Rodriquez, singer/songwriter
*
Jake Rogers Jake Rogers may refer to:
* Jake Rogers (baseball) (born 1995), American baseball player
* Jake Rogers (footballer) (born 2005), Australian rules footballer
* Jake Wesley Rogers (born 1996), American musician
{{hndis, Rogers, Jake ...
, MLB catcher for the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
*
Brandon Schneider, women's basketball head coach at the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
; born in Canyon
*
Candi Whitaker, women's basketball head coach at
Texas Tech
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship institution of the five- ...
; born in Canyon
See also
*
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University (WTAMU or WT) is a public university in Canyon, Texas, United States. It is the northernmost campus of the Texas A&M University System and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Associat ...
*
West Texas A&M Buffaloes
The West Texas A&M Buffaloes, also known as the WTAMU Buffaloes or WT Buffaloes, and formerly West Texas State Buffaloes and WTSU Buffaloes, are the athletic teams that represent West Texas A&M University, located in Canyon, Texas, in NCAA Divis ...
*
Palo Duro Canyon
Palo Duro Canyon is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment located in the Texas Panhandle near the cities of Amarillo and Canyon. The second largest canyon system in the United States, it is roughly long and has an average width of , but ...
State Park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "Federated state, state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on accou ...
is 12 miles east of Canyon.
References
External links
City of CanyonHandbook of Texas OnlineRandall County, Texas Genealogy
{{authority control
Cities in Texas
Cities in Randall County, Texas
County seats in Texas
Cities in Amarillo metropolitan area