Plainview 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
Hale County, Texas, United States.
The population was 20,187 at the
2020 census.
History
Plainview began when Z. T. Maxwell and Edwin Lowden Lowe established a post office on March 18, 1887. The town received its name due to the vast treeless plain surrounding it. On July 3, 1888, the town received a charter, and it became the county seat in August the same year, when
Hale County was organized.
In 1906, the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway reached Plainview, initiating an agricultural boom in the region. The city incorporated in 1907, and by 1910, it had almost 3,000 residents, earning the nickname "Athens of West Texas." Central Plains College and Conservatory of Music, later renamed Seth Ward College, was founded in 1907, and
Wayland Baptist College (now Wayland Baptist University) was established in 1909.
In 1969, country singer
Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean (brand), Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV comm ...
opened the Jimmy Dean Meat Company, and in 1971,
Missouri Beef Packers established a large beef-processing plant.
Geography
Plainview is located at (34.1847936, -101.7068417) 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 ...
.
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 , all land.
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 ...
, Plainview has a
semiarid 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'' on climate maps.
Demographics
As of the 2023
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
, there are 6,998 estimated households in Plainview with an average of 2.75 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $45,991. Approximately 22.7% of the city's population lives at or 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 ...
. Plainview has an estimated 63.8% employment rate, with 15.7% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 74.8% holding a high school diploma.
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (61.8%), Spanish (36.9%), Indo-European (0.8%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.1%), and Other (0.4%).
The median age in the city was 32.0 years.
2020 census
As of the
2020 census, there were 20,187 people, 7,418 households, and 5,024 families 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 . There were 8,549 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 48.80%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 5.04%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.11%
Native American, 0.59%
Asian, 0.12%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 23.45% from some other races and 20.88% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 64.63% of the population.
2010 census
As of the
2010 census, there were 22,194 people, 7,605 households, and _ families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 8,536 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 68.54%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 5.19%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.07%
Native American, 0.49%
Asian, 0.09%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 20.97% from some other races and 3.65% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 59.57% of the population.
2000 census
As of the
2000 census, there were 22,336 people, 7,626 households, and 5,666 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 8,471 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 63.21%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 5.87%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.13%
Native American, 0.43%
Asian, 0.00%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 26.59% from some other races and 2.77% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 49.83% of the population.
Of the 7,626 households, 40.1% had children under 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were not families. About 22.7% of all households were composed of single individuals, and 11.2% were households of persons 65 years of age or older living alone. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was four.
In the city, the age distribution was 31.0% under 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income per household was $31,551, and per family was $35,215. Males had a median income of $26,434 versus $19,888 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 $13,791. About 15.0% of families and 19.1% 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 25.1% of those under 18, and 14.8% of those 65 or over.
Economy
In 2009, the
Texas Department of State Health Services ordered the recall of all products produced by a processing facility near Plainview owned by
Peanut Corporation of America. Rodents, excrement, and feathers in the plant had been found in the facility's products. The closure was not related to closures of PCA plants due to ''
Salmonella
''Salmonella'' is a genus of bacillus (shape), rod-shaped, (bacillus) Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The two known species of ''Salmonella'' are ''Salmonella enterica'' and ''Salmonella bongori''. ''S. enterica'' ...
'' concerns.
A Cargill
beef processing plant, then the largest employer in the city, closed in 2013 due to lack of incoming animals, a result of the
2010–2012 drought. The closure created challenges for the city, as an estimated 2,300 employees and their families relocated.
Government
The
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails ...
Region V office is located in Plainview. The current Region V headquarters opened in 1996 in a former
Bank of America
The Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America) (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in ...
building.
Education
The city is served by the
Plainview Independent School District, which enrolled 5,585 students . The district attracts transfer students from surrounding school districts. Due to the PISD's size compared to surrounding districts, many of the district's schools provide extensive support for disabled students and students with special needs not available at other schools outside the district, in addition to more specialized courses. The mascot for the
Plainview High School is a grey
English Bulldog nicknamed "Big Red".
Wayland Baptist University
Wayland Baptist University (WBU) is a private Baptist university based in Plainview, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Wayland Baptist has 11 campuses in five Texas cities, six states, American Samoa, and K ...
, a private, four-year,
coeducational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
, Baptist university, is based in the city. In 1908, when the school was founded, the campus was more than a mile from the city limit. The Museum of the Llano Estacado, now the Mabee Regional Heritage Center, opened in 1976, is located on the university grounds. The museum is home to a permanent exhibit featuring artifacts from the
Plainview Site, and fossilized remains of a
Columbian mammoth known as the "Imperial Mammoth". The Mabee Regional Heritage Center includes the Jimmy Dean, Llano of the Estacado and Flying Queens museums.
An extension of
South Plains College serves the residents of the city.
Media
The
''Plainview Herald'', formerly the ''Plainview Daily Herald'', is the city's only remaining newspaper. It was acquired from local owners by
Hearst Communications
Hearst Corporation, Hearst Holdings Inc. and Hearst Communications Inc. comprise an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate owned by the Hearst family and based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan in New York ...
in 1979. It is among the oldest newspapers in Texas still in publication, and became fully computer paginated in 1994, the same year it began publishing an online edition. Customers in the city are also served by the ''
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal'' is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is owned by Gannett.
History
''The Lubbock Avalanche'' was founded in 1900 by John James Dillard and Thad Tubbs. According to Dillard, the name "Avalanche" ...
'', which often reports on news from Plainview.
Eight radio stations broadcast from the city, including
KVOP, among the oldest in the region. KVOP's call sign originally meant "Voice of Plainview".
The city is within the Lubbock television market. Due to the terrain, television stations based in Amarillo can be received over-the-air, either directly or via repeaters north of the city. Prior to 1993, virtually all stations broadcast from Lubbock and Amarillo markets were retransmitted by the local cable operator. After changes were made to must-carry rules by the
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
, only stations from Lubbock are available to cable and
digital satellite customers in the city.
The
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards a ...
film ''
Leap of Faith
In philosophy, a leap of faith is the act of belief, believing in or accepting something not on the basis of reason. The phrase is commonly associated with Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.
Idiomatic usage
As an idiom, ''leap of faith'' ca ...
'' (1992) was filmed in and around Plainview. Several residents were hired as extras for the film. Until 2016, a water tower east of downtown bore the name and mascot of the fictional town on which the movie was set: ''Rustwater Bengals''.
An episode of ''
Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
'' portrayed the city as a ghost town in a documentary feature called "
Deliver Us from Drought", despite 22,000 residents still living in the city at the time of filming. The documentary featured numerous locations, many of which had been closed or abandoned for years prior, as examples of recent rural flight following a drought. The documentary followed the template of a similar short, "Dry and Drier in West Texas", which was broadcast on
Showtime. Both documentaries portrayed residents of the city as excessively religious.
Transportation
Plainview is at the intersection of
Interstate Highway 27, U.S. highways
87 and
70, and
State Highway 194.
Notable people
*
James H. Clark
James Henry Clark (born March 23, 1944) is an American entrepreneur and computer scientist. He founded several notable Silicon Valley technology companies, including Silicon Graphics, Netscape, myCFO, and Healtheon. His research work in compu ...
, founder of
Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. (stylized as SiliconGraphics before 1999, later rebranded SGI, historically known as Silicon Graphics Computer Systems or SGCS) was an American high-performance computing manufacturer, producing computer hardware and soft ...
,
Netscape
Netscape Communications Corporation (originally Mosaic Communications Corporation) was an American independent computer services company with headquarters in Mountain View, California, and then Dulles, Virginia. Its Netscape web browser was o ...
, and other companies
*
Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean (brand), Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV comm ...
, singer, actor, and entrepreneur, host of ''
The Jimmy Dean Show''
*
Bob Dorough
Robert Lrod Dorough (December 12, 1923 – April 23, 2018) was an American bebop and cool jazz vocalist, pianist, and composer. He became famous as the composer and performer of songs in the TV series ''Schoolhouse Rock!'', as well as for his wor ...
, bebop and cool jazz pianist
*
Michael Egnew, former player for the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
* Marshall Formby, a former county judge for
Dickens County and a
state senator
A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
History
There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
*
Leonard Garcia, retired professional
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
.
*
Todrick Hall
Todrick Hall (born April 4, 1985) is an American singer, rapper, choreographer, and YouTuber. He gained national attention on the ninth season of the televised singing competition ''American Idol''. Following this, he amassed a following on Yo ...
,
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
personality, singer, and Broadway actor
*
Harry Igo, president of Plainsman Fertilizer Company, a division of
W.R. Grace and Company. On July 26, 1945, Army Air Force Captain Igo and his crew transported parts of the
Little Boy
Little Boy was a type of atomic bomb created by the Manhattan Project during World War II. The name is also often used to describe the specific bomb (L-11) used in the bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress ...
atomic bomb in a
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilia ...
cargo plane from
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base. It is located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator C ...
(
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...
) to
Hamilton Army Airfield, California. Igo and his crew did not know the contents of their cargo until the
National Archives
National archives are the archives of a country. The concept evolved in various nations at the dawn of modernity based on the impact of nationalism upon bureaucratic processes of paperwork retention.
Conceptual development
From the Middle Ages i ...
revealed it years later.
*
Don January
Donald Ray January (November 20, 1929 – May 7, 2023) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1967 PGA Championship.
Early life
Born in Plainview, Texas, January graduated from Sunset High School in Dallas. He was a ...
, professional golfer
*
Harrison Keller, President of the
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...
since 2024
*
Jim Landtroop, former member of
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...
*
Pete Laney, former
speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
The speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is the speaker (politics), presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives. The Speaker's main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees, and enforce the Rules of the ...
*
Emily Jones McCoy, former reporter for
KCBD
KCBD (channel 11) is a television station licensed to Lubbock, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Media alongside Wolfforth-licensed CW+ affiliate KLCW-TV (channel 22) and four low-power broadcasting#Television, low-p ...
and
Fox Sports Networks
Fox Sports Networks (FSN), formerly known as Fox Sports Net, was the collective name for a group of regional sports channels in the United States. Formed in 1996 by News Corporation, the networks were acquired by the Walt Disney Company on M ...
*
Lawrence McCutcheon, former player for the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
*
Carl Nafzger, Thoroughbred trainer of Derby winner Unbridled and 1990
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was ...
*
Ray Poage, former player for the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
*
Lavern Roach, professional boxer
* Mariel Salcedo, online video personality, podcast host, actress, and producer for
Rooster Teeth Productions
*
Julius Waring Walker, Jr., former
U.S. ambassador to Burkina Faso
*
Jamar Wall, player with
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium a ...
(
CFL
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...
)
*
James Henry Wayland, physician, founder of Wayland Baptist University
*
Jerry Sisemore, American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was an
offensive lineman
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...
for 12 seasons in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
from 1973 to 1984.
References
External links
City of Plainview – official websitePlainview Chamber of CommercePlainview in the Handbook of Texas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plainview, Texas
Cities in Hale County, Texas
Cities in Texas
County seats in Texas
Micropolitan areas of Texas