Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the most populous city in the Texas panhandle and was home to about 203,729 people in 2024. The city is located in the Llano Estacado region.

Amarillo grew because of its railroad and freight service provided by the Fort Worth and Denver Railway. This helped it become an important center for cattle.

The city was once known as the "Helium Capital of the World" because it had one of the country's most productive helium fields. Amarillo is also called "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and "Yellow City" because its name comes from the Spanish word for yellow. It is known as "Rotor City, USA" for its V-22 Osprey aircraft assembly plant. The city has one of the largest meat-packing areas in the United States. Pantex, the only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility in the country, is also located there, giving rise to the nickname "Bomb City".

History

In April 1887, John T. Berry from Abilene, Texas chose a spot along a railway for a new town. The town was first called Oneida but later renamed Amarillo, which means "yellow" in Spanish, possibly because of yellow wildflowers or the yellow soil nearby.

Amarillo grew quickly because of its railroad, which helped it become a busy place for selling cattle. Later, it became important for farming and for making food for animals. In 1918, natural gas was found nearby, and then oil was discovered in 1921. During World War II, the United States built an army air field and a plant to make weapons. After the war, the air field became an Air Force base, which helped the city grow again. When the base closed in 1968, the city's population went down for a while. In the 1980s, new factories were built, bringing jobs and people to Amarillo.

Geography

Amarillo is found in the middle of the Texas Panhandle. It has very different weather from south and east Texas. The land around Amarillo is mostly grassland with prairies and some desert areas. The weather can change a lot from day to day, with big temperature swings, strong winds, hailstorms, and sometimes tornadoes.

The land near Amarillo is flat with poor drainage, so rain often evaporates or soaks into the ground. The city covers about 90 square miles, most of which is land. Amarillo is close to the borders of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado. A river called the Canadian River flows nearby and creates a lake called Lake Meredith, an important water source. There are also underground mountains hidden beneath the city.

Demographics

Amarillo, Texas, is a big city with lots of people. In 2020, about 200,393 people lived there. This was a little more than in 2010, when there were about 190,695 people.

Most people in Amarillo live in houses or apartments in the city area. The city has many places for people to live, and many families own their homes.

Religion is important to many people in Amarillo. Most people there follow Christianity, and there are many churches. Other religions also have small groups of followers in the city.

Economy

Amarillo is an important economic center for the Texas Panhandle, as well as parts of New Mexico and the Oklahoma Panhandle. Many jobs in Amarillo come from the meat packing industry, which processes about a quarter of all the beef in the United States. The city is also home to the headquarters of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. Another big industry in Amarillo is petroleum extraction. Although the helium industry used to be significant, it became less important after changes in the late 1990s. In 1999, Bell Helicopter Textron opened a helicopter assembly plant near the city's international airport.

Some of the largest employers in Amarillo include Tyson Foods, the Amarillo Independent School District, and Pantex. Other major employers are Baptist St. Anthony's Health Care System, the City of Amarillo, Northwest Texas Healthcare System, Amarillo College, Walmart, and United Supermarkets. The area also has many farms growing corn, wheat, and cotton, with additional crops like sorghum, silage, hay, and soybeans. The Amarillo Economic Development Corporation works to attract new businesses and help existing ones grow. Recently, from 2020 to 2021, Amarillo saw strong economic growth, with companies like Amazon and Texas Tech University Vet School helping to boost the local economy.

Arts and culture

See also: Registered Historic Places in Potter County and Randall County

Several natural places are close to Amarillo. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is one of the biggest canyon systems in the United States, after the Grand Canyon, and is south of Amarillo. People enjoy mountain biking there and a big race happens every year. Palo Duro has a special rock shape that looks like a lighthouse. Another place to see is the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, 30 miles north of Amarillo. Long ago, people got flint there to make tools and weapons. Farther away, in Briscoe County, is Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, home to Texas's official Bison herd.

A rich person named Stanley Marsh 3 paid for many art projects in Amarillo, like the Cadillac Ranch on Interstate 40. There you can see many Cadillacs painted in fun ways, buried upside down in the ground. Marsh also started an art project called the Dynamite Museum with many funny traffic signs all over the city.

Amarillo has events that celebrate Texas cowboy life. Every September, the Tri-State Fair & Rodeo brings people from Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. The Amarillo National Center holds many events, from horse competitions to car races and rodeos. The Big Texan Steak Ranch is famous for offering a huge free steak if you can finish it quickly.

The Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2006 and has concerts and shows. It has a big room that can hold over 1,000 people. The Amarillo Little Theatre puts on plays from September to May. In the summer, a special play called Texas happens outside in Palo Duro Canyon, telling the story of life in old Texas.

The Amarillo Public Library is part of a group of libraries that share books and help each other. Wonderland Amusement Park is in northern Amarillo and has a zoo and places to have picnics.

Museums and art collections

The American Quarter Horse Association has a museum in Amarillo about horses. There is also a hall of fame there. The Amarillo Art Center has the Amarillo Museum of Art. West Texas A&M University has the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, one of the biggest history museums in Texas.

The Don Harrington Discovery Center is a science place with many things to touch and learn. Outside, there is a big sign saying Amarillo is the "Helium Capital of the World." The Amarillo Botanical Gardens has beautiful plants and places to learn.

Cityscape

Most of Amarillo's growth is in the southern and northwestern parts. The downtown area has had hard times, but groups are trying to make it better with art and fun events.

The tallest building in Amarillo is the 31-story FirstBank Southwest Tower, built in 1971. Another big building is the Amarillo National Bank Plaza One, also from 1971. The Santa Fe Building was built in 1930 and is a historic place.

Amarillo has many parks, including Medical Park, Thompson Memorial Park, and Memorial Park. For many years, there was a fun festival called Funfest during Memorial Day weekend.

Tallest buildings

Sports

Amarillo, Texas, is a place where many sports teams play. The Amarillo Warbirds and Amarillo Bombers teams, along with the Amarillo Wranglers, all play in the Amarillo Civic Center. In the past, Amarillo had baseball and soccer teams that played in local stadiums.

College and high school sports are also popular in Amarillo. West Texas A&M University and Amarillo College have teams that compete in college sports leagues. High school football games are held in big stadiums like Dick Bivins Stadium and Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.

Amarillo has a history with professional wrestling, thanks to local wrestlers and promoters. In spring 2026, indoor football will return with the Amarillo Warbirds.

Government

Local government

In 1913, Amarillo became the first city in Texas and the fifth in the United States to use a special way of running its city government. This system has a group of elected leaders called a council, which makes important decisions. The mayor is one of these leaders. They meet every Tuesday to talk about city rules and choose people to help run the city. The person in charge of daily work is called the city manager. Right now, the mayor is Cole Stanley, and the city manager is Jared Miller.

Amarillo has had many mayors over the years, starting from 1892. Some well-known mayors include Ernest O. Thompson, Kel Seliger, Trent Sisemore, Paul Harpole, and others who have served the city.

County, state, and federal representation

Amarillo is the main city of Potter County, so many important courts are located here. There is also a building for Randall County inside the city that holds some of its offices.

The city has offices for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the United States Postal Service. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Amarillo is part of Texas's 13th congressional district, represented by Ronny Jackson. In the Texas Legislature, the city is in the 31st District of the Texas Senate and the 87th District of the Texas House of Representatives.

Education

Amarillo has many places for people to learn. About 23% of adults have a college degree, and 85% have finished high school.

The city has several schools, including Amarillo College, which helps students start their college journey. There are also branches of bigger universities like Wayland Baptist University, Texas Tech University at Amarillo, and West Texas A&M University. Young students go to five different school districts: Amarillo ISD, Bushland ISD, Canyon ISD, Highland Park ISD, and River Road ISD.

Media

See also: List of newspapers in Texas, List of radio stations in Texas, and List of television stations in Texas

The main newspaper in Amarillo is the Amarillo Globe-News, which is owned by GateHouse Media. It combines three older newspapers: the Amarillo Daily News, the Amarillo Globe, and the Amarillo Times. There are also other publications, such as a local monthly magazine called Accent West and a daily online paper called The Amarillo Pioneer. The American Quarter Horse Association publishes two monthly journals as well.

Amarillo has several major television stations, including KACV-TV 2 (PBS), KAMR 4 (NBC), KVII 7 (ABC, with The CW on DT2), KFDA 10 (CBS), KCIT 14 (Fox), KEYU 31 (Telemundo), and KCPN-LD 33 (MyNet). In the 2024–2025 television season, Amarillo was the 131st largest television market in the United States.

For radio, Amarillo is the 168th largest market in the United States. Some of the popular stations include KXGL-FM at 100.9 FM playing Classic Hits, KGNC-FM at 97.9 FM playing Country music, and KQIZ-FM at 93.1 FM with Rhythmic Top 40 music. The area also has High Plains Public Radio, which operates KJJP-FM at 105.7.

Infrastructure

Air transportation

Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is a public airport located 10 miles east of Amarillo's central business district. It was renamed in 2003 to honor NASA astronaut Rick Husband, who grew up in Amarillo. The airport offers flights to several cities including Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Denver, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.

There are also two smaller airports, Tradewind Airport and Buffalo Airport, used for private planes and helicopters.

Ground transportation

The city has a bus system called Amarillo City Transit (ACT) that has been running since 1966. It provides regular bus routes and special services for people with disabilities. Amarillo does not have passenger train service anymore, but it is still an important place for freight trains.

The streets in downtown Amarillo follow a grid pattern. Many streets are named after past U.S. presidents. Some streets are made of bricks, and the city has kept some of these historic streets in good condition.

Major highways

Amarillo is connected by two major highways: Interstate 27 and Interstate 40. Interstate 40 is the main east-west highway through the city. There is also a beltway called Loop 335 that goes around the city.

Medical centers and hospitals

Amarillo has several important medical facilities, including Baptist St. Anthony's and Northwest Texas Hospitals. There is also a cancer center, a nursing home, and a veterans' medical center. These facilities are all part of the Harrington Regional Medical Center, the first city hospital district in Texas.

Utilities

The city provides drinking water, trash collection, and recycling services. Natural gas, electricity, and telephone services are provided by private companies.

In popular culture

Outside media attention

The city of Amarillo became well-known nationwide in 1998 when local cattle farmers sued a famous TV host for comments she made about American beef. The trial took place in Amarillo, and she even moved her show there for a while. Another big trial happened in 1977 involving a wealthy man and a murder case. In 1999, a nearby town called Tulia had a controversial situation involving unfair treatment, which led to a big settlement.

In music

Amarillo has been featured in many songs, such as "Amarillo" by Gorillaz, "Amarillo by Morning" by George Strait, "Amarillo Sky" by Jason Aldean, "Is This the Way to Amarillo" by Tony Christie, and "Amarillo" by Emmylou Harris.

In film and television

Amarillo has been a popular place for movies and TV shows. Films like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Switchback, and The Plutonium Circus were set there. The TV show Better Call Saul also featured Amarillo in one of its episodes.