Amarillo is the county seat of Potter County in the U.S. state of Texas within the West Texas region. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 173,627 (though a July 1, 2004 estimate placed the city's population at 180,791). The Amarillo metropolitan area, however, has an estimated population of 236,113 in four counties.
Amarillo's name probably derives from the nearby Amarillo Lake and Amarillo Creek, named in turn for the yellow soil along their banks and shores (Amarillo is the Spanish word for yellow, the color) or the yellow wildflowers that were plentiful during the spring and summer. Despite having a Spanish origin name, the City of Amarillo is pronounced Am-ah-rillow not Ah-mah-ree-yoh. Amarillo residents are known as Amarilloans.
The city once self-proclaimed as the "Helium Capital of the World" for having one of the United States' most productive helium fields. The city is also known as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and most recently "Rotor City, USA" for its V-22 Osprey hybrid aircraft assembly plant. Amarillo operates one of the largest meat packing areas in the United States and has the famous U.S. Highway 66 as it passes through the city.
As of the census of 2000, there were 173,627 people, 67,699 households, and 45,764 families residing in the city. The population density is 746.0/km2 (1,932.1/mi2). There are 72,408 housing units at an average density of 311.1/km2 (805.8/mi2). Given Amarillo's growth rate, however, the numbers have increased, and the city's population is approximately 180,791 according to a July 1, 2004 estimate.
The racial makeup of the city is 77.50% White, 5.97% African American, 0.78% Native American, 2.05% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 11.32% from other races, and 2.34% from two or more races. 21.86% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race which had a significant increase of 63.35% compare to the 1990 U.S. Census report.
There are 67,699 households out of which 33.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% are married couples living together, 12.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% are non-families. 27.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.53 and the average family size is 3.10.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $34,940, and the median income for a family is $42,536. Males have a median income of $31,321 versus $22,562 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,621. 14.5% of the population and 11.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.6% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. Approximately 37.5% of African American households in 2000 have an income below $15,000, compared to 17.59% of White households and 22.08% of Hispanic households. In addition, about over 34.6% of the total African American population lived in poverty, compared to 22.8% of the Hispanic population and 10% of the White population.
Amarillo is considered the regional economical center for the Texas Panhandle as well as eastern New Mexico and the Oklahoma Panhandle. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry with the largest contribution to personal income in the city was the services industry with 23.52% in 2000. The government industry contributed 16.37% while retail trade category contributed 10.16%.
The city's largest employer in 2005 is Tyson Foods with 3,700 employees. The Amarillo Independent School District is next with 3,659 employees followed by BWXT Pantex, Baptist St. Anthony's Health Care System, City of Amarillo, Northwest Texas Healthcare System, Amarillo College, and United Supermarkets. Other major employers include Bell Helicopter Textron, Owens Corning, and ASARCO. Amarillo National Bank is the largest financial institution serving the city. As the dairy industry flees California, the Amarillo region particularly in Hereford, Texas, serves as a fast growing milk producing area as several multi-million dollar state of the art dairies were built in early 2000s. The city is also surrounded by farmers with wheat and irrigated corn as the main crops.
The Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) is funded by a city sales tax, and it provides aggressive incentive packages to existing and prospective employers. In the mid-to-late 1990s, the AEDC gained notoriety by sending mock checks to businesses across the country, placing full-page advertisements in The Wall Street Journal, and paying an annual $1 million USD subsidy to American Airlines to retain jet service. The AEDC is largely responsible for bringing Bell Helicopter Textron's development of the V-22 Osprey hybrid aircraft and the future site of Marine One assembly in Amarillo.
In April 1887, J. T. Berry established a site for a town after he chose a well-watered section along the way of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad, which had begun building across the Texas Panhandle. Berry and Colorado City, Texas merchants wanted to make their new town site the region's main trading center. On August 30, 1887, Berry's town site won the county seat election and was established in Potter County. The settlement originally was called Oneida, it would later changed it name to Amarillo. Most of the town's first houses were painted yellow in tribute of the name change. Availability of the railroad and freight service after the county seat election made the town a fast growing cattle marketing center.
On June 19, 1888, Henry B. Sanborn began buying land to the east to move Amarillo after arguing that Berry's site was on low ground and would flood during rainstorms. He also offered to trade lots in the new location to businesses in the original city's site and help the expense of moving buildings. Sanborn's incentives gradually won over people, who moved their businesses to Polk Street in the new commercial district. It rained heavily and almost flooded Berry's part of the town in 1889 and prompted more people to move to Sanborn's location. Eventually it would lead to another county seat election made Sanborn's town the new county seat in 1893.
By the late 1890s, Amarillo had emerged as one of the world's busiest cattle shipping points and population grew significantly. The city became an elevator, milling, and feed-manufacturing center after an increasing production of wheat and small grains during the early 1900s. The discovery of gas in 1918 and oil three years later brought oil and gas companies to the Amarillo area. The United States government bought the Cliffside Gas Field with high helium content in 1927 and the Federal Bureau of Mines began operating the Amarillo Helium Plant two years later. The plant would be the sole producer of commercial helium in the world for a number of years.
During the 1930s, the city was hit by the Dust Bowl and enter into an economic depression. The U.S. Highways 60, 87, 287, and 66 merged at Amarillo, making it a major tourist stop with numerous motels, restaurants, and curio shops. World War II led the establishment of Amarillo Army Air Field at the Amarillo airport and the nearby Pantex Army Ordinance Plant, which produced bombs and ammunition. After the end of the war, both of the facilities were closed. The Pantex plant was reopened and produced nuclear weapons throughout the Cold War in 1950. The following year, the air base was reactivated and expanded to accommodate a Strategic Air Command wing. The arrival of servicemen and their families ended the city's depression. Between 1950 and 1960, Amarillo's population grew from 74,443 to 137,969. However, the closure of the Amarillo Air Force Base on December 31, 1968, contributed to a decrease in population to 127,010 by 1970. In the 1970s, ASARCO, Iowa Beef Processors, and Owens-Corning built plants at Amarillo. The following decade, Amarillo's city limits encompassed 60 square miles in Potter and Randall counties. The intrastate interstate highway Interstate 27 connecting Lubbock to Amarillo was built mostly during the 1980s.
Meat packing industry is a major employer in Amarillo about one-quarter of the United States' beef supply is processed in the area. Petroleum extraction is also a major industry. The Pantex Plant, the only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility in the United States is still in operations. Since the federal government privatized local operations in the late 1990s, the helium industry has decreased in significance. Bell Helicopter Textron opened a helicopter assembly plant near the city's international airport in 1999.
Source:
AmarilloTexas.com
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