Hamilton 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
Hamilton County, Texas, United States,
located in the state's
central region. Its population was 2,895 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Hamilton is located in central Hamilton County.
U.S. Route 281 passes through the center of the city, leading north to
Hico and south to
Evant.
Texas State Highway 36 (Main Street) crosses US 281 in the center of town and leads southeast to
Gatesville and northwest to
Comanche
The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...
.
Texas State Highway 22
State Highway 22 (SH 22) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Texas that travels from Corsicana to Hamilton in the north central part of the state.
History
SH 22 was one of the 25 original state highways proposed on June 21, ...
leads northeast from Hamilton to
Meridian
Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to
Science
* Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon
* ...
.
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 ...
, the city has a total area of , of which , or 1.8%, is covered by water.
The city is drained by Pecan Creek, an eastward-flowing tributary of the
Leon River
The Leon River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It has three primary forks - the North, Middle, and South Leon Rivers, which meet near Eastland and then run for around until it meets with the Lampasas River and the Salado Creek to f ...
.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, 2,895 people, 968 households, and 632 families were residing in the city.
2010 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, 3,095 people, 1,230 households, and 777 families were residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was 1,067.2 people/sq mi (412.7/km
2). The 1,470 housing units averaged 506.9/sq mi (196 per km
2). The
racial makeup of the city was 94.5% White, 0.7% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.8% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.9% of the population.
Of the 1,230 households, 26.9% had children under 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.8% were not families. About 32.1% 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 2.38, and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city, the age distribution was 21.8% under 18, 27.9% from 18 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 26.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 45.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,585, and for a family was $38,702. Males had a median income of $27,074 versus $17,500 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 $15,012. About 12.2% of families and 15.9% 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 23.0% of those under age 18 and 16.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The city is served by the
Hamilton Independent School District.
Landmarks
The Hamilton County Courthouse, built in 1897, was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in April 1980.
Notable people
*
Mark Harelik
Marcus Frank Harelik (born June 5, 1951) is an American television, film, and stage actor, and playwright.
Early life
Harelik was born in Hamilton, Texas.
In 1909, Harelik's Russian Jewish grandfather, Haskell Harelik—upon whom Harelik's ...
, actor and playwright, was born and raised in Hamilton.
*
Louise Latham
Johnie Louise Latham (September 23, 1922 – February 12, 2018) was an American actress, perhaps best known for her portrayal of Bernice Edgar in Alfred Hitchcock's 1964 film '' Marnie''.
Background
Latham was born on September 23, 1922, in Hami ...
, actress, was born and raised in Hamilton.
*
Brushy Bill, the man who claimed to be infamous outlaw
Billy the Kid
Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...
, died in
Hico.
Transportation
Hamilton is home to
Hamilton Municipal Airport, a city-owned, public-use airport located at the south edge of the city.
Major highways
*
U.S. Route 281
U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway. At it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route.
The highway's northern terminus is at the International Peace Garden, north of Dunseith, North Dakota, a ...
is the largest highway and main north–south route through Hamilton. US 281 runs from the
Mexico–US border in the south to the
Canada–US border in the north.
*
Texas State Highway 36 runs through Hamilton on a generally east–west axis on its way between
Abilene to the northwest and
Freeport Freeport, a variant of free port, may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Freeport, name of several space stations in the video game ''Freelancer'' (2003)
* Freeport, a fictional town in the video game ''SiN'' (1998)
* ''Freeport: The Cit ...
to the southeast.
*
Texas State Highway 22
State Highway 22 (SH 22) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Texas that travels from Corsicana to Hamilton in the north central part of the state.
History
SH 22 was one of the 25 original state highways proposed on June 21, ...
reaches its western terminus within the city limits of Hamilton at its junction with State Highway 36 near the eastern edge of the city. State Highway 22 runs east from Hamilton to
Corsicana
Corsicana is a city in and the county seat of Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45, 50 miles southeast of Dallas. Its population was 25,109 at the 2020 census. Corsicana is considered an important agribusiness ce ...
.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. 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 ...
, Hamilton has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.
Climate Summary for Hamilton, Texas
/ref>
Photo Gallery
Image:Chelsey Building Hamilton Wiki 1.jpg, Chelsey Building
Image:Downtown Hamilton Texas Wiki2.jpg, Downtown Hamilton
Image:Manning-Gordon-Henderson House Hamilton Wiki.jpg, Manning-Gordon-Henderson House
Image:Hamilton County Jail Wiki.jpg, Hamilton County Jail
References
External links
City of Hamilton official website
{{Authority control
Cities in Hamilton County, Texas
Cities in Texas
County seats in Texas