Marfa is a city in the high desert of the
Trans-Pecos
The Trans-Pecos, as originally defined in 1887 by the Texas geologist Robert T. Hill, is the distinct portion of Texas that lies west of the Pecos River. The term is considered synonymous with Far West Texas, a subdivision of West Texas. The Tran ...
in far
West Texas
West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the desert climate, arid and semiarid climate, semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls, Abilene, Texa ...
, United States, between the
Davis Mountains
The Davis Mountains, originally known as Limpia Mountains, are a range of mountains in West Texas, United States, located near Fort Davis, Texas, Fort Davis, after which they are named. The fort was named for then-United States Secretary of War ...
and
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in West Texas, bordering Mexico. The park has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topograph ...
, at an elevation of 4685 feet. It is 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
Presidio County. The city was founded in the early 1880s as a
water stop
A water stop or water station on a railroad is a place where steam trains stop to replenish water. The stopping of the train itself is also referred to as a "water stop". The term originates from the times of steam engines when large amounts ...
. The population of Marfa peaked in the 1930s and as of the 2020 United States Census the population is 1,788.
Today Marfa is a tourist destination and a major center for
minimalist art. Major attractions include
Building 98, the
Chinati Foundation, and the
Marfa lights.
History

Marfa was founded in the early 1880s as a
railroad water stop. The town was named "Marfa" (Russian for "Martha") at the suggestion of the wife of a railroad executive. Although some historians have hypothesized that the name came from a character in
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influent ...
's novel ''
The Brothers Karamazov
''The Brothers Karamazov'' ( rus, Братья Карамазовы, Brat'ya Karamazovy, ˈbratʲjə kərɐˈmazəvɨ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly ...
'', Marfa was actually named after Marfa Strogoff, a character in
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright.
His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
's novel ''
Michael Strogoff
''Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar'' () is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876 in literature, 1876. Critic Leonard S. Davidow, considers it one of Verne's best books. Davidow wrote, "Jules Verne has written no better book than this, ...
''. According to Sterry Butcher of the ''
Texas Monthly
''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. Founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, ''Texas Monthly'' chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the Natura ...
'', a writer researched the Karamazov story and deemed it false, but did not receive any letters to the editor after he submitted the story to the newspaper, and therefore "No one cared. The story we had suited Marfa just fine."
The town grew quickly during the 1920s.
The Marfa Army Air Field served as a training facility for several thousand pilots during World War II, including the American actor
Robert Sterling
Robert Sterling (born William Sterling Hart; November 13, 1917 – May 30, 2006) was an American actor. He was best known for starring in the television series '' Topper'' (1953–1955).
In 1960, Sterling was honored with a star on the Hollyw ...
, before closing in 1945. The base was also used as the training ground for many of the United States Army's
chemical mortar battalion
Chemical mortar battalions were United States Army non-divisional units that were attached to infantry divisions during World War II. They were armed with 4.2-inch (107 mm) chemical mortars. For this reason they were also called the "Four-deucers ...
s.
Marfa experienced economic issues after the war ended and after a
drought
A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...
impaired agricultural output. Artist
Donald Judd
Donald Clarence Judd (June 3, 1928February 12, 1994) was an American artist associated with minimalism.Tate Modern websit"Tate Modern Past Exhibitions Donald Judd" Retrieved on February 19, 2009. In his work, Judd sought autonomy and clarity for ...
arrived in 1973 and began buying properties to renovate, which resulted in
bohemian
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers.
* Bohemian style, a ...
interest in the community.
In 2012 ''
Vanity Fair'' described it as a "playground" for "art-world pioneers and pilgrims". Marfa is about 60 miles from the Mexico-U.S. border.
Geography
Marfa is in northeastern Presidio County within the
Chihuahuan Desert. The town is approximately 20 miles south of
Fort Davis on
Texas Route 17 and about 18 miles west of
Alpine on
US Route 67. 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 town has a total area of , all land.
Climate
Marfa experiences 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 ...
(
BSk) with hot summers and cool winters. Due to its elevation and aridity, the
diurnal temperature variation
In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day.
Temperature lag
Temperature lag, also known as thermal inertia, is an important factor in diur ...
is substantial.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 1,788 people, 802 households, and 300 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of the
2010 United States Census, 1,981 people, 864 households, and 555 families resided in the city.
The population density was . The 1,126 housing units averaged 719.1 per square mile (276.9/km). The
racial makeup of the city was 30% White, 0.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 7.50% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 68.7% of the population. Of 863 households, 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were not families. About 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99. The age distribution of the population shows 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,712, and for a family was $32,328. Males had a median income of $25,804 versus $18,382 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 $14,636. About 15.7% of families and 20.6% 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 24.6% of those under age 18 and 26.9% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
The area around Marfa is known as a cultural center for contemporary artists and artisans. In 1971,
Minimalist artist
Donald Judd
Donald Clarence Judd (June 3, 1928February 12, 1994) was an American artist associated with minimalism.Tate Modern websit"Tate Modern Past Exhibitions Donald Judd" Retrieved on February 19, 2009. In his work, Judd sought autonomy and clarity for ...
moved to Marfa from New York. After renting summer houses for a few years, he bought two large hangars and some smaller buildings and began to install his art permanently. This had started with his building in New York but the buildings in Marfa allowed him to install his works on a larger scale. In 1976, he bought the first of two ranches that became his primary places of residence, continuing a long love affair with the desert landscape surrounding Marfa. Later, with assistance from the Dia Art Foundation in New York, Judd acquired decommissioned
Fort D.A. Russell, and in 1979 began transforming the fort's buildings into art spaces. Judd's vision was to house large collections of individual artists' work on permanent display, as a sort of antimuseum. Judd believed the prevailing model of many
museum
A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...
s, where various art exhibits are shown for limited times, does not allow the viewer an understanding of the artist or their work as they had intended.
Following Judd's death in 1994, two foundations have worked to maintain his legacy: the
Chinati Foundation and
Judd Foundation. Since its inauguration in 1986, Chinati has held an open-house event that attracts visitors from around the world to visit Marfa's art. Between 1997 and 2008, both foundations cosponsored this event. The Chinati Foundation now occupies more than 30 buildings in Marfa and has permanently displayed work by 13 artists.
In recent years, a new wave of artists has moved to Marfa to live and work. As a result, new gallery spaces have opened in the downtown area. The Crowley Theater and its annex host public events with seating for over 175 as a public service to nonprofit foundations. Furthermore, The
Lannan Foundation has established a writers-in-residency program, a Marfa theater group has formed, and a multifunctional art space called Ballroom Marfa has begun to show art films, host musical performances, and exhibit other art installations. The city is also from
Prada Marfa, a pop art exhibit, and is home to
Cobra Rock Boot Company and The Wrong Store.
Marfa Myths, an annual music festival and multidisciplinary cultural program, was founded in 2014 by the nonprofit contemporary arts foundation Ballroom Marfa and Brooklyn-based music label
Mexican Summer. The festival brings together a diversity of emerging and established artists and musicians to work creatively and collaboratively across music, film, and visual arts contexts. The festival is inherently embedded in the landscape of Far West Texas and deeply engaged with Marfa's cultural history and present-day community.
Building 98, also located in Marfa, is a project of the International Woman's Foundation, which has operated an artist-in-residency program since 2002. The International Woman's Foundation was responsible for placing Fort D.A. Russell on the National Register of Historic Places as an effort to preserve the historic importance of the site.
The facility's studio galleries host artists who desire to exhibit work in the region at a premier venue. In late September 2012 through early April 2013, the foundation held a major retrospective of the works of
Wilhelmina Weber Furlong at Building 98 featuring over 75 unseen works of the early American woman modernist. Building 98 is located at historic Fort D. A. Russell; it is the home of Marfa's German POW murals.
The facility also features the
George Sugarman sculpture courtyard.
Marfa lights
Marfa is the location of the
Marfa lights, visible on clear nights between Marfa and the Paisano Pass when one is facing southwest (toward the Chinati Mountains). According to the
Handbook of Texas Online
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 ...
, "at times they appear colored as they twinkle in the distance. They move about, split apart, melt together, disappear, and reappear. Presidio County residents have watched the lights for over a hundred years." The first historical record of them dates to 1883. Presidio County has built a viewing station 9 miles east of town on US 67 near the site of the old air base. Each year, enthusiasts gather for the annual Marfa Lights Festival.
In popular culture

Various movie productions have filmed in and around parts of Marfa. The 1950 film ''
High Lonesome'' and the 1956
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
film ''
Giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...
'' were filmed in Marfa.
In August 2006, two films were partially shot in Marfa: ''
There Will Be Blood
''There Will Be Blood'' is a 2007 American epic film, epic historical drama, period drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, loosely based on the 1927 novel ''Oil!'' by Upton Sinclair. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kev ...
'' and ''
No Country for Old Men
''No Country for Old Men'' is a 2007 American neo-Western crime thriller film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin ...
''.
Larry Clark
Lawrence Donald Clark (born January 19, 1943) is an American film director, photographer, writer and film producer who is best known for his controversial teen film '' Kids'' (1995) and his photography book ''Tulsa'' (1971). His work focuses pri ...
's 2012 film ''
Marfa Girl
''Marfa Girl'' is a 2012 drama film written and directed by Larry Clark and released on his website. The film follows a group of youngsters living in the town of Marfa. It won the Marcus Aurelius Award for Best Film at the 2012 Rome Film Festival. ...
'' was filmed exclusively in Marfa.
Also, ''
Far Marfa'', written and directed by Cory Van Dyke, made its debut in 2012.
Morley Safer
Morley Safer (November 8, 1931 – May 19, 2016) was a Canadian-American broadcast journalist, reporter, and correspondent for CBS News. He was best known for his long tenure on the news magazine ''60 Minutes'', whose cast he joined in 1970 af ...
presented a ''
60 Minutes
''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...
'' segment in on August 4, 2013, titled "Marfa, Texas, the Capital of Quirkiness."
In 2017, Marfa was featured as the setting of the Amazon series ''
I Love Dick
''I Love Dick'' is an epistolary novel with autofiction elements by American artist and author Chris Kraus. It was published in 1997 by Semiotext(e).
''I Love Dick'' merges fiction and memoir formats to explore the writer's psycho-sexual o ...
,'' an adaptation of
Chris Kraus's 1997 novel, which was set in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...
.
Marfa was also the filming location for the music video of
the xx
The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production), ...
song "
On Hold."
Marfa is featured in the 2019 ''
Simpsons'' episode "
Mad About the Toy."
"Marfa" is the eighth track on Texas
symphonic rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...
band
Mother Falcon's second studio album, ''You Knew''. It is also the name of songs by
Wildcat! Wildcat!,
S. Carey, and
Paul Cauthen ("Marfa Lights").
Marfa is featured in
Ben Lerner
Benjamin S. Lerner (born February 4, 1979) is an American poet, novelist, essayist, and critic. The recipient of fellowships from the Fulbright, Guggenheim, and MacArthur Foundations, Lerner has been a finalist for the National Book Award for P ...
's 2014 novel ''
10:04''.
Beyonce references Marfa in her song Hands II Heaven on the Cowboy Carter Album released in March 2024.
Media
Marfa is home to
National Public Radio
National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
-affiliated station
KRTS.
Marfa houses the offices of the ''
Big Bend Sentinel'', serving Marfa, and ''International''/''Internacional'', serving Presidio, in one building. The former is a weekly newspaper covering the areas of Marfa, Fort Davis, Presidio, and far West Texas. ''Marfa Magazine'' is a yearly publication distributed from Marfa. It focuses on issues and general information about Marfa, Alpine, and Fort Davis.
Infrastructure
On October 1, 2009, the city council voted to no longer have a local police department. At the time, the Presidio County Sheriff's Department and Texas Highway Patrol provided law enforcement for the city, as well as the county as a whole. As of 2019, however, the Marfa Police Department has been re-established, and five officers, including a chief and lieutenant, oversee law enforcement within the city limits.
Education
Marfa is served by the
Marfa Independent School District. Within it, Marfa Elementary School and Marfa Junior/Senior High School serve the city.
Hispanic students attended the segregated
Blackwell School from 1909 to 1965. The school was authorized to be a
National Historic Site in 2022.
Marfa International School, a private school, opened in 2012, serving students in grades 1–8, with scholarships available based on need. However, it closed in 2016.
Presidio County is within the
Odessa College District for community college.
Public library
Marfa and the surrounding area are served by the Marfa Public Library, which houses a diverse collection in a variety of formats. The library began in 1947 when the Marfa Lions Club and the Marfa Study Club agreed to establish a library for the citizens of the area.
The library was originally housed in the historic U.S.O. building, but was moved to a city-owned building after the city took over the project. After meeting the requirements of the
Texas State Library
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) refers to the state government agency in the state of Texas that supports the reading, learning, and historical preservation needs of Texas and its people. The agency is charged with preserv ...
, it became a member of the Texas Trans-Pecos Library System.
The present library building was donated to the City of Marfa in 1973 by the first chairperson, Laura Bailey, and her husband Bishop.
Future expansions and renovations to the current building are also planned.
Transportation
Highways
*: U.S. Route 90 runs through town along San Antonio St., leading northwest 74 miles (119 km) to
Van Horn with access to
I-10 and east 26 miles (42 km) to
Alpine.
*: U.S. Route 67 runs south from town along S Highland Ave., leading 59 miles (95 km) to
Presidio
A presidio (''jail, fortification'') was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire mainly between the 16th and 18th centuries in areas under their control or influence. The term is derived from the Latin word ''praesidium'' meaning ''pr ...
and 60 miles (97 km) to the
Presidio-Ojinaga International Border Crossing. At the intersection of Highland Ave. and San Antonio St., US 67 runs concurrently with US 90 through
Alpine before turning north towards
Fort Stockton.
*: Texas State Highway 17 meanders north through town, following Highland St., E Lincoln St., and N Dean St., before leading 21 miles (34 km) north towards Fort Davis.
Rail
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's ''
Sunset Limited
The ''Sunset Limited'' is a long-distance passenger train run by Amtrak, operating on a route between New Orleans and Los Angeles. Major stops include Houston, San Antonio and El Paso in Texas, as well as Tucson, Arizona. Opening in 1894 thr ...
'', which operates between
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
and
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
three days a week, passes through the city, but does not stop; the
nearest station is located in
Alpine, northeast.
Bus
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...
operates an intercity bus service from the
Western Union
The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Denver, Denver, Colorado.
Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the co ...
office.
Airports
Commercial air service is available at either
Midland International Air and Space Port
Midland International Air and Space Port (formerly Midland International Airport) is in the city limits of Midland, Texas, United States, about midway between Downtown Midland and Downtown Odessa, owned and operated by the City of Midland. In ...
(
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...
: MAF,
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...
: KMAF,
FAA LID
A lid or cover is part of a container, and serves as the closure (container), closure or Seal (mechanical), seal, usually one that completely closes the object. Lids can be placed on small containers such as Tub (container), tubs as well as large ...
: MAF) or
El Paso International Airport (
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...
: ELP,
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...
: KELP,
FAA LID
A lid or cover is part of a container, and serves as the closure (container), closure or Seal (mechanical), seal, usually one that completely closes the object. Lids can be placed on small containers such as Tub (container), tubs as well as large ...
: ELP). The airports are, respectively, 182 miles (292 km) northeast, and 189 miles (304 km) northwest.
Marfa Municipal Airport (
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...
: MRF,
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...
: KMRF,
FAA LID
A lid or cover is part of a container, and serves as the closure (container), closure or Seal (mechanical), seal, usually one that completely closes the object. Lids can be placed on small containers such as Tub (container), tubs as well as large ...
: MRF) is a county-operated public-use airport 3 miles (5 km) to the north of the city in unincorporated Presidio County.
References
External links
Marfa Chamber of Commerce''The Big Bend Sentinel''– local newspaper
View Historic Photos of Marfa from the Marfa Public Library hosted by th
Portal to Texas History''Marfa! Marfa! Marfa!''– 1998 article by Magdalin Leonardo
{{Authority control
Artist colonies
Cities in Texas
Cities in Presidio County, Texas
County seats in Texas
Populated places established in the 1880s
1880s establishments in Texas