Stratford is a small city and

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 ...

Sherman County, Texas Sherman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,782. Its county seat is Stratford. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1889. It is named for Sidney Sherman, who fought i ...

, United States. Its population was 1,939 at the 2020 Census, down from 2,017 in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

History

Stratford was first settled around 1885, when a man named Aaron Norton bought 100 parcels of land from the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway. His manager, Walter Colton, named it for Stratford Hall, the childhood home of

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

, whom he admired. A post office was established in 1900. In July 1901, Stratford was voted county seat, replacing Coldwater. In 1928, the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway was connected to Stratford. The city was incorporated at some point before 1940.

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 ...

, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.3 km), all land. Stratford is situated in 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 ...

. The Rita Blance National Grasslands are due west of the city.

Climate

Stratford 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) with long, hot summers and short, cool, and somewhat snowy winters.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,939 people, 702 households, and 554 families residing in the city.

2000 census

At the 2000 Census, 1,991 people, 722 households, and 535 families were living in the city. The population density was . The 794 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.02% White, 0.30% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 14.41% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 30.44%. Of the 722 households, 39.2% had children under 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were not families. About 24.4% of households were one person and 11.4% were one person 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.21. The age distribution was 30.5% under 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males. The median household income was $32,656 and the median family income was $37,955. Males had a median income of $27,113 versus $19,524 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,790. About 11.2% of families and 13.8% 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 18.7% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Stratford is at the intersection of US Routes 54 and 287, and is the western terminus of Texas State Highway 15. The nearest major airport, Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport, is 82 miles and two states away in

Liberal, Kansas Liberal is a city in and the county seat of Seward County, Kansas, United States. As of 2024, the population of the city was 18,743. It is located in southwestern Kansas, along U.S. Route 54 highway, near the Kansas-Oklahoma state line. Lib ...

, although Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is only slightly further away, at 91 miles.

Education

The city of Stratford is served by the Stratford Independent School District, and is home to Stratford High School.

Notes

References

External links

Sherman County
{{authority control Cities in Sherman County, Texas Cities in Texas County seats in Texas