{"history":[],"article":{"id":"12f032b2-3de0-4b76-8927-c54578417b76","title":"Texas panhandle","slug":"texas-panhandle","content":":::summary\n**Name:** Texas panhandle \n**Settlement Type:** Region \n**Image Skyline:** Buffalo Lake Texas Windmill 2009.jpg \n**Image Caption:** Windmill on the level plains of the Texas Panhandle \n**Subdivision Type:** Country \n**Subdivision Type 1:** State \n**Subdivision Name 1:** [Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined) \n**Subdivision Type 2:** Region \n**Subdivision Name 2:** [High Plains](https://bliptext.com/articles/high-plains-united-states) \n**Image Map:** Texas Panhandle.PNG \n**Map Caption:** Map of the Texas Panhandle \n**Coordinates:** 35.48333°N, -101.4°W \n**Area Total Km 2:** 67046 \n**Population As Of:** 2020 \n**Population Total:** 434,358 \n**Population Density Km 2:** auto \n**Timezone 1:** [Central](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-time-zone-americas) \n**Utc Offset 1:** −6 \n**Area Codes:** 806, 940 (Childress County) \n**Website:** Handbook of Texas: \"Panhandle\" \n:::\n\n# \nThe **[Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/texas) panhandle** is a region of the [U.S. state](https://bliptext.com/articles/u-s-state) of [Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/texas) consisting of the northernmost 26 [counties](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-texas-counties) in the state.\nThe [panhandle](https://bliptext.com/articles/salient-geography) is a square-shaped area bordered by [New Mexico](https://bliptext.com/articles/new-mexico) to the west and [Oklahoma](https://bliptext.com/articles/oklahoma) to the north and east.\nIt is adjacent to the [Oklahoma Panhandle](https://bliptext.com/articles/oklahoma-panhandle), land which Texas previously claimed.\nThe 1820 [Missouri Compromise](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-compromise) declared no [slavery](https://bliptext.com/articles/slavery-in-the-united-states) would be allowed in states admitted from the [Louisiana Purchase](https://bliptext.com/articles/louisiana-purchase) above [36°30′ north latitude](https://bliptext.com/articles/parallel-36-30-north).\nTexas was annexed in 1845 from still more westerly land.\nThe [Compromise of 1850](https://bliptext.com/articles/compromise-of-1850) removed territory north of this line from Texas, and set the border between the Texas Panhandle and the [New Mexico Territory](https://bliptext.com/articles/new-mexico-territory) at the [103rd meridian west](https://bliptext.com/articles/103rd-meridian-west).\nThe eastern border at the [100th meridian west](https://bliptext.com/articles/100th-meridian-west) was inherited from the [Adams–Onís Treaty](https://bliptext.com/articles/adams-on-s-treaty) of 1819, which defined the border between the United States and [New Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/new-spain).\n[The Handbook of Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-handbook-of-texas) defines the southern border of [Swisher County](https://bliptext.com/articles/swisher-county-texas) as the southern boundary of the Texas Panhandle region.\nIts land area is 66883.58 km2, or nearly 10% of the state's total.\nThe Texas Panhandle is slightly larger in size than the US [state of West Virginia](https://bliptext.com/articles/state-of-west-virginia).\nAn additional 162.53 km2 is covered by water.\nIts population as of the [2010 census](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states-census-2010) was 427,927 residents, or 1.7% of the state's total population.\nAs of the 2010 census, the population density for the region was 16.6 /sqmi.\nHowever, more than 72% of the Panhandle's residents live in the Amarillo Metropolitan Area, which is the largest and fastest-growing urban area in the region.\nDespite being geographically the northernmost part of Texas, the Panhandle is distinct from the region commonly called \"[North Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/north-texas)\", which is to the south and east.\nWest of the [Caprock Escarpment](https://bliptext.com/articles/caprock-escarpment) and North and South of the [Canadian River](https://bliptext.com/articles/canadian-river) breaks, the surface of the [Llano Estacado](https://bliptext.com/articles/llano-estacado) is rather flat.\nSouth of the city of [Amarillo](https://bliptext.com/articles/amarillo-texas), the level terrain gives way to [Palo Duro Canyon](https://bliptext.com/articles/palo-duro-canyon), the second-largest canyon in the United States.\nThis colorful canyon was carved by the [Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River](https://bliptext.com/articles/prairie-dog-town-fork-red-river), a tributary of the [Red River](https://bliptext.com/articles/red-river-of-the-south).\nNorth of Amarillo lies [Lake Meredith](https://bliptext.com/articles/lake-meredith), a [reservoir](https://bliptext.com/articles/reservoir-water) created by Sanford Dam constructed on the main stem of the [Canadian River](https://bliptext.com/articles/canadian-river).\nLake Meredith and the [Ogallala Aquifer](https://bliptext.com/articles/ogallala-aquifer) are the primary sources of [freshwater](https://bliptext.com/articles/fresh-water) in this [semi-arid](https://bliptext.com/articles/semi-arid-climate) region of the [High Plains](https://bliptext.com/articles/high-plains-united-states).\nInterstate Highway 40 [passes through](https://bliptext.com/articles/interstate-40-in-texas) the Panhandle, and also [passes through](https://bliptext.com/articles/interstate-40-in-texas) Amarillo.\nThe freeway passes through [Deaf Smith](https://bliptext.com/articles/deaf-smith-county-texas), [Oldham](https://bliptext.com/articles/oldham-county-texas), [Potter](https://bliptext.com/articles/potter-county-texas), [Carson](https://bliptext.com/articles/carson-county-texas), [Gray](https://bliptext.com/articles/gray-county-texas), [Donley](https://bliptext.com/articles/donley-county-texas), and [Wheeler](https://bliptext.com/articles/wheeler-county-texas) Counties.\n# [Caprock Canyons of Briscoe County | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Caprock///Canyons///Haynes///Ridge///2005.JPG]\n# [A canyon formed by Tierra Blanca Creek | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Buffalo///Lake///Texas///Canyon///2009.jpg]\n# [The rugged country of Palo Duro Canyon | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Palo///Duro///2002.jpg]\n\n# Demographics\nAs of the [census of 2020](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states-census-2020), about 434,358 people lived in the Panhandle.\nOf these, 53.6% were [non-Hispanic White](https://bliptext.com/articles/non-hispanic-white), 35.2% were [Hispanic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hispanic-and-latino-americans), 4.8% were [African American](https://bliptext.com/articles/african-american), 2.8% were [Asian](https://bliptext.com/articles/asian-americans).\nOnly 4.1% were of some other ethnicity.\nAbout 92.3% of inhabitants claimed [native birth](https://bliptext.com/articles/native-born), and 8.9% were [veterans](https://bliptext.com/articles/veteran) of the [United States armed forces](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states-armed-forces); 49.9% of the population was male, and 50.1% was female.\nAround 13.2% of the population was [65 years of age or older](https://bliptext.com/articles/senior-citizen), whereas 27.8% of the population was [under 18 years of age](https://bliptext.com/articles/minor-law).\n\n# Counties\nThe twenty-six counties of the Panhandle (west to east, from the northwest corner) are:\n

[Dallam](https://bliptext.com/articles/dallam-county-texas)\n

[Sherman](https://bliptext.com/articles/sherman-county-texas)\n

[Hansford](https://bliptext.com/articles/hansford-county-texas)\n

[Ochiltree](https://bliptext.com/articles/ochiltree-county-texas)\n

[Lipscomb](https://bliptext.com/articles/lipscomb-county-texas)\n

[Hartley](https://bliptext.com/articles/hartley-county-texas)\n

[Moore](https://bliptext.com/articles/moore-county-texas)\n

[Hutchinson](https://bliptext.com/articles/hutchinson-county-texas)\n

[Roberts](https://bliptext.com/articles/roberts-county-texas)\n

[Hemphill](https://bliptext.com/articles/hemphill-county-texas)\n

[Oldham](https://bliptext.com/articles/oldham-county-texas)\n

[Potter](https://bliptext.com/articles/potter-county-texas)\n

[Carson](https://bliptext.com/articles/carson-county-texas)\n

[Gray](https://bliptext.com/articles/gray-county-texas)\n

[Wheeler](https://bliptext.com/articles/wheeler-county-texas)\n

[Deaf Smith](https://bliptext.com/articles/deaf-smith-county-texas)\n

[Randall](https://bliptext.com/articles/randall-county-texas)\n

[Armstrong](https://bliptext.com/articles/armstrong-county-texas)\n

[Donley](https://bliptext.com/articles/donley-county-texas)\n

[Collingsworth](https://bliptext.com/articles/collingsworth-county-texas)\n

[Parmer](https://bliptext.com/articles/parmer-county-texas)\n

[Castro](https://bliptext.com/articles/castro-county-texas)\n

[Swisher](https://bliptext.com/articles/swisher-county-texas)\n

[Briscoe](https://bliptext.com/articles/briscoe-county-texas)\n

[Hall](https://bliptext.com/articles/hall-county-texas)\n

[Childress](https://bliptext.com/articles/childress-county-texas)\n\n# Cities and towns\nMajor cities of the Texas Panhandle with populations greater than 10,000 include:\nSome of the smaller towns with populations less than 10,000 include:\n\n# Gallery","current_revision":null,"created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-25T19:09:08.721Z","updated_at":"2025-01-25T19:09:08.721Z","search_vector":"'panhandl':2 'texa':1","search_content":" \n**Name:** Texas panhandle \n**Settlement Type:** Region \n**Image Skyline:** Buffalo Lake Texas Windmill 2009.jpg \n**Image Caption:** Windmill on the level plains of the Texas Panhandle \n**Subdivision Type:** Country \n**Subdivision Type 1:** State \n**Subdivision Name 1:** [Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined) \n**Subdivision Type 2:** Region \n**Subdivision Name 2:** [High Plains](https://bliptext.com/articles/high-plains-united-states) \n**Image Map:** Texas Panhandle.PNG \n**Map Caption:** Map of the Texas Panhandle \n**Coordinates:** 35.48333°N, -101.4°W \n**Area Total Km 2:** 67046 \n**Population As Of:** 2020 \n**Population Total:** 434,358 \n**Population Density Km 2:** auto \n**Timezone 1:** [Central](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-time-zone-americas) \n**Utc Offset 1:** −6 \n**Area Codes:** 806, 940 (Childress County) \n**Website:** Handbook of Texas: \"Panhandle\" \n \n\n# \nThe **[Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/texas) panhandle** is a region of the [U.S. state](https://bliptext.com/articles/u-s-state) of [Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/texas) consisting of the northernmost 26 [counties](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-texas-counties) in the state.\nThe [panhandle](https://bliptext.com/articles/salient-geography) is a square-shaped area bordered by [New Mexico](https://bliptext.com/articles/new-mexico) to the west and [Oklahoma](https://bliptext.com/articles/oklahoma) to the north and east.\nIt is adjacent to the [Oklahoma Panhandle](https://bliptext.com/articles/oklahoma-panhandle), land which Texas previously claimed.\nThe 1820 [Missouri Compromise](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-compromise) declared no [slavery](https://bliptext.com/articles/slavery-in-the-united-states) would be allowed in states admitted from the [Louisiana Purchase](https://bliptext.com/articles/louisiana-purchase) above [36°30′ north latitude](https://bliptext.com/articles/parallel-36-30-north).\nTexas was annexed in 1845 from still more westerly land.\nThe [Compromise of 1850](https://bliptext.com/articles/compromise-of-1850) removed territory north of this line from Texas, and set the border between the Texas Panhandle and the [New Mexico Territory](https://bliptext.com/articles/new-mexico-territory) at the [103rd meridian west](https://bliptext.com/articles/103rd-meridian-west).\nThe eastern border at the [100th meridian west](https://bliptext.com/articles/100th-meridian-west) was inherited from the [Adams–Onís Treaty](https://bliptext.com/articles/adams-on-s-treaty) of 1819, which defined the border between the United States and [New Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/new-spain).\n[The Handbook of Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-handbook-of-texas) defines the southern border of [Swisher County](https://bliptext.com/articles/swisher-county-texas) as the southern boundary of the Texas Panhandle region.\nIts land area is 66883.58 km2, or nearly 10% of the state's total.\nThe Texas Panhandle is slightly larger in size than the US [state of West Virginia](https://bliptext.com/articles/state-of-west-virginia).\nAn additional 162.53 km2 is covered by water.\nIts population as of the [2010 census](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states-census-2010) was 427,927 residents, or 1.7% of the state's total population.\nAs of the 2010 census, the population density for the region was 16.6 /sqmi.\nHowever, more than 72% of the Panhandle's residents live in the Amarillo Metropolitan Area, which is the largest and fastest-growing urban area in the region.\nDespite being geographically the northernmost part of Texas, the Panhandle is distinct from the region commonly called \"[North Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/north-texas)\", which is to the south and east.\nWest of the [Caprock Escarpment](https://bliptext.com/articles/caprock-escarpment) and North and South of the [Canadian River](https://bliptext.com/articles/canadian-river) breaks, the surface of the [Llano Estacado](https://bliptext.com/articles/llano-estacado) is rather flat.\nSouth of the city of [Amarillo](https://bliptext.com/articles/amarillo-texas), the level terrain gives way to [Palo Duro Canyon](https://bliptext.com/articles/palo-duro-canyon), the second-largest canyon in the United States.\nThis colorful canyon was carved by the [Prairie Dog Town Fork [Red River](https://bliptext.com/articles/red-river-of-the-south)](https://bliptext.com/articles/prairie-dog-town-fork-red-river), a tributary of the [Red River](https://bliptext.com/articles/red-river-of-the-south).\nNorth of Amarillo lies [Lake Meredith](https://bliptext.com/articles/lake-meredith), a [reservoir](https://bliptext.com/articles/reservoir-water) created by Sanford Dam constructed on the main stem of the [Canadian River](https://bliptext.com/articles/canadian-river).\nLake Meredith and the [Ogallala Aquifer](https://bliptext.com/articles/ogallala-aquifer) are the primary sources of [freshwater](https://bliptext.com/articles/fresh-water) in this [semi-arid](https://bliptext.com/articles/semi-arid-climate) region of the [High Plains](https://bliptext.com/articles/high-plains-united-states).\nInterstate Highway 40 [passes through](https://bliptext.com/articles/interstate-40-in-texas) the Panhandle, and also [passes through](https://bliptext.com/articles/interstate-40-in-texas) Amarillo.\nThe freeway passes through [Deaf Smith](https://bliptext.com/articles/deaf-smith-county-texas), [Oldham](https://bliptext.com/articles/oldham-county-texas), [Potter](https://bliptext.com/articles/potter-county-texas), [Carson](https://bliptext.com/articles/carson-county-texas), [Gray](https://bliptext.com/articles/gray-county-texas), [Donley](https://bliptext.com/articles/donley-county-texas), and [Wheeler](https://bliptext.com/articles/wheeler-county-texas) Counties.\n# [Caprock Canyons of Briscoe County | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Caprock///Canyons///Haynes///Ridge///2005.JPG]\n# [A canyon formed by Tierra Blanca Creek | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Buffalo///Lake///Texas///Canyon///2009.jpg]\n# [The rugged country of Palo Duro Canyon | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Palo///Duro///2002.jpg]\n\n# Demographics\nAs of the [census of 2020](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states-census-2020), about 434,358 people lived in the Panhandle.\nOf these, 53.6% were [non-[Hispanic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hispanic-and-latino-americans) White](https://bliptext.com/articles/non-hispanic-white), 35.2% were [Hispanic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hispanic-and-latino-americans), 4.8% were [African American](https://bliptext.com/articles/african-american), 2.8% were [Asian](https://bliptext.com/articles/asian-americans).\nOnly 4.1% were of some other ethnicity.\nAbout 92.3% of inhabitants claimed [native birth](https://bliptext.com/articles/native-born), and 8.9% were [veterans](https://bliptext.com/articles/veteran) of the [United States armed forces](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states-armed-forces); 49.9% of the population was male, and 50.1% was female.\nAround 13.2% of the population was [65 years of age or older](https://bliptext.com/articles/senior-citizen), whereas 27.8% of the population was [under 18 years of age](https://bliptext.com/articles/minor-law).\n\n# Counties\nThe twenty-six counties of the Panhandle (west to east, from the northwest corner) are:\n [Dallam](https://bliptext.com/articles/dallam-county-texas)\n [Sherman](https://bliptext.com/articles/sherman-county-texas)\n [Hansford](https://bliptext.com/articles/hansford-county-texas)\n [Ochiltree](https://bliptext.com/articles/ochiltree-county-texas)\n [Lipscomb](https://bliptext.com/articles/lipscomb-county-texas)\n [Hartley](https://bliptext.com/articles/hartley-county-texas)\n [Moore](https://bliptext.com/articles/moore-county-texas)\n [Hutchinson](https://bliptext.com/articles/hutchinson-county-texas)\n [Roberts](https://bliptext.com/articles/roberts-county-texas)\n [Hemphill](https://bliptext.com/articles/hemphill-county-texas)\n [Oldham](https://bliptext.com/articles/oldham-county-texas)\n [Potter](https://bliptext.com/articles/potter-county-texas)\n [Carson](https://bliptext.com/articles/carson-county-texas)\n [Gray](https://bliptext.com/articles/gray-county-texas)\n [Wheeler](https://bliptext.com/articles/wheeler-county-texas)\n [Deaf Smith](https://bliptext.com/articles/deaf-smith-county-texas)\n [Randall](https://bliptext.com/articles/randall-county-texas)\n [Armstrong](https://bliptext.com/articles/armstrong-county-texas)\n [Donley](https://bliptext.com/articles/donley-county-texas)\n [Collingsworth](https://bliptext.com/articles/collingsworth-county-texas)\n [Parmer](https://bliptext.com/articles/parmer-county-texas)\n [Castro](https://bliptext.com/articles/castro-county-texas)\n [Swisher](https://bliptext.com/articles/swisher-county-texas)\n [Briscoe](https://bliptext.com/articles/briscoe-county-texas)\n [Hall](https://bliptext.com/articles/hall-county-texas)\n [Childress](https://bliptext.com/articles/childress-county-texas) \n\n# Cities and towns\nMajor cities of the Texas Panhandle with populations greater than 10,000 include:\nSome of the smaller towns with populations less than 10,000 include:\n\n# Gallery","revisionCount":0},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}

History