Abilene, Texas

Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 176,579 as of 2020. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.

Abilene is located on Interstate 20, which forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing south of downtown Abilene "SODA" district is located on the south side of the tracks.

History

left|thumb|An 1883 map of Abilene

left|thumb|The restored [[Texas & Pacific Railway depot in Abilene serves as the tourist information center.]]

Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.

Abilene was incorporated soon after its founding in 1881,

From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school (Cooper High School) was added to the city's school system.

In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.

In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.

Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year, an $8 million, Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CJC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the loop.

Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as "The Big Country", but also known as the "Texas Midwest". It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.

Timeline

1881
Settlement established.
Abilene Reporter newspaper begins publication.
1883
Town of Abilene incorporated.
D. B. Corley becomes mayor.
Abilene becomes seat of Taylor County.
1891 – Simmons College founded.
1903 – Saloons banned in Abilene.
1923 – McMurry College established.
1930
Paramount Theatre in business.
1937
Abilene Reporter-News in publication.
1942 – Temple Mizpah (synagogue) built.
1946 – Abilene Blue Sox baseball team formed.
1947 – Office of city manager established.
1960 – Population: 90,368.
1978 – Alcohol prohibition ends in Abilene.
2000 – City website online (approximate date).
2001 – World War II-related "12th Armored Division Memorial Museum" opens.
2005 – Republican Randy Neugebauer was elected as U.S. representative for Texas's newly redrawn 19th congressional district, including Abilene.
2010 – Population: 117,063.
2017 – Jodey Arrington becomes U.S. representative for Texas's 19th congressional district.
2019 – revamping the downtown area of North Abilene. As of October 2019 a couple of buildings were torn down and Hilton developed a new Double Tree hotel.

2025 - Abilene suffered a ransomware attack by the Qilin ransomware group, encrypting and deleting lots of content.
2026 – the Stargate AI infrastructure project in Abilene, Texas, has become one of the city's largest employers, with over 6,400 workers at the local campus. The facility currently operates at a 1.2 GW capacity, utilizing NVIDIA Blackwell-series hardware for large-scale AI training workloads.

Geography

Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east to Fort Worth and west to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north to Anson and south to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwestern part of the city but leads southeast to Coleman and west with I-20 to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwestern side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene to San Angelo.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of , of which are land and are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake, southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeastern corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.

The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.

Notable architecture

Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:

Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.
First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.
The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: "No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here."
The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.
The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.
Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street (opened in 1930 and restored in 1986) had an original marquee, with 1,400 lights.
Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into "a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses." The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Abilene city, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!% 2000

!% 2010

|White alone (NH)

|79,712

|73,016

|style='background: #ffffe6; |70,391

|68.76%

|62.37%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |56.23%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|9,947

|10,638

|style='background: #ffffe6; |12,242

|8.58%

|9.09%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |9.78%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|428

|448

|style='background: #ffffe6; |496

|0.37%

|0.38%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.40%

|Asian alone (NH)

|1,492

|1,865

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,678

|1.29%

|1.59%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.14%

|Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|63

|94

|style='background: #ffffe6; |141

|0.05%

|0.08%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.11%

|Some Other Race alone (NH)

|95

|137

|style='background: #ffffe6; |388

|0.08%

|0.12%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.31%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|1,645

|2,199

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,212

|1.42%

|1.88%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.16%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|22,548

|28,666

|style='background: #ffffe6; |33,634

|19.45%

|24.49%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |26.87%

|Total

|115,930

|117,063

|style='background: #ffffe6; |125,182

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Abilene had a population of 125,182, 46,134 households, and 29,111 families. The population density was . There were 51,508 housing units at an average density of .

92.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 7.4% lived in rural areas.

Of the 46,134 households in Abilene, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them; 43.6% were married-couple households; 20.4% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present; 29.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present; 29.7% of households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Percent

| White || 64.9%

| Black or African American || 10.4%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 0.9%

| Asian || 2.2%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0.1%

| Some other race || 9.3%

| Two or more races || 12.2%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 26.9%

American Community Survey

The 2016–2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $52,518 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,091) and the median family income was $67,079 (+/- $3,258). Males had a median income of $32,038 (+/- $1,216) versus $22,765 (+/- $1,577) for females, and the median income for those 16 years and older was $27,110 (+/- $739). Approximately 9.9% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.5% of those ages 65 or over.

The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.1. The percent of residents with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 16.5% of the population.

At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518 and the mean household income was $70,807.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063.

The racial and ethnic makeup in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino.

Top employers

According to the city's 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, Abilene's top employers are:

{| class="wikitable"

! Rank !! Employer !! Employees

| 1 || Dyess Air Force Base || 8,864

| 2 || Hendrick Health System || 2,896

| 3 || Abilene Independent School District || 2,500

| 4 ||Abilene State Supported Living Center|| 1,475

|5 || City of Abilene || 1,299

| 6 || Texas Department of Criminal Justice|| 1,187

| 7 ||Abilene Christian University|| 1,164

| 8 ||Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas || 760

| 9 || Wylie Independent School District || 700

| 10 || Taylor County || 560

Government and infrastructure

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.

The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.

On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.

D. B. Corley, 1883–1885
F. C. Digby Roberts, 1901–1904
R. W. Ellis, 1904–1905
Morgan Weaver, 1905–1907
E. N. Kirby, 1906–1919
Dallas Scarborough, 1919–1923
Charles E. Coombes, 1923–1927
Thomas E. Hayden, 1927–1931
Lee R. York, 1931–1933
C. L. Johnson, 1933–1937
Will Hair, 1937–1947
B. R. Blankenship, 1947–1949
Hudson Smart, 1949–1951
Ernest Grissom, 1951–1953
C. E. Gatlin, 1953–1957
Jess F. (T-Bone) Winters, 1957–1959
George L Minter, 1959–1961
C. R. Kinard, 1961–1963
W. L. Byrd, 1963–1966
Ralph N. Hooks, 1966–1969
J. C. Hunter Jr., 1969–1975
Fred Lee Hughes, 1975–1978
Oliver Howard, 1978–1981
Elbert E. Hall, 1981–1984
David Stubbeman, 1984–1987
Dale E. Ferguson, 1987–1990
Gary D. McCaleb, 1990–1999
Grady Barr, 1999–2004
Norm Archibald, 2004–2017
Anthony Williams, 2017–2023
Weldon Hurt, 2023–present

Education

Primary education

thumb|[[Abilene High School (Abilene, Texas)|Abilene High School]]

, within Taylor County, most of Abilene is in the Abilene Independent School District (AISD), while portions extend into Wylie Independent School District (WISD), Eula Independent School District and Merkel Independent School District. Within Jones County, most of Abilene is in AISD, while portions extend into Clyde Consolidated Independent School District and Hawley Independent School District.

High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.

Colleges and universities

thumb|[[Abilene Christian University campus]]

Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Name

!Affiliation

!Founded

!Enrollment

|Abilene Christian University

|Churches of Christ

|1906

|6,219

|Cisco College

|1972

|Hardin–Simmons University

|Baptist

|1891

|1,765

|McMurry University

|Methodist

|1923

|1,237

|Texas State Technical College West Texas

|1985

|1,049

|Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Abilene Campus

|2006

|332

The Texas Legislature designated Taylor County as being in the Cisco Junior College District, while it designated Jones County as being in the Western Texas College District.

Healthcare

Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.

Culture

thumb|[[The Grace Museum]]

The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).

Media

Newspapers

The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.

Television

KRBC-TV (NBC)
KTES-LD (TBD)
KTXS-TV (ABC)
KTAB-TV (CBS)
KXVA-TV (FOX)

Radio

88.1 FM KGNZ (Christian contemporary)
89.5 FM KACU (Public Radio)
90.5 FM KAGT (Christian contemporary)
91.3 FM KAQD (Religious)
91.7 FM KQOS (Religious)
92.5 FM KMWX (Red Dirt Country)
93.3 FM KBGT (Tejano)
94.1 FM KVVO-LP (Inspirational Country)
95.1 FM KABW (Country)
96.1 FM KORQ (Farm, Country)
98.1 FM KTLT (Active Rock)
99.7 FM KBCY (Country)
100.7 FM KULL (Classic hits)
101.7 FM KABT (Americana and red dirt country)
102.7 FM KHXS (Classic Rock)
103.7 FM KCDD (Top 40)
105.1 FM KEAN (Country)
106.3 FM KTJK (variety hits)
106.9 FM KLGD (Country)
107.9 FM KEYJ (Active Rock)
1280 AM KSLI (Country)
1340 AM KWKC (News Talk)
1470 AM KYYW (News Talk)
1560 AM KZQQ (Sports talk)

Transportation

Major highways

thumb|A section of Business Loop 20 (formerly US 80) in Abilene

32px Interstate 20
32px Business Loop 20
32px US 80 (former)
32px US 83
32px US 84
32px US 277
32px SH 36
32px Loop 322
32px SH 351
32px FM 89 (Buffalo Gap Road)
32px FM 600
32px FM 707 (Beltway South)
32px UR 18
32px UR 3438

Airport

The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.

Notable people

Ken Baumann, actor
Raleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judge
Doyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons College
Randall "Tex" Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actor
Charles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACU
Carole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances Cook
Roy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)
Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in Abilene
Bob Estes, professional golfer
W. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894
Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coach
Ryan Guzman, actor
Homer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian University
David W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981
Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilder
Jerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors College
Katie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25
Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singer
Gregory Hoblit, film director
Robert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian University
Bill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs
Morgan Jones, railroad builder
Rainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)
Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh
Case Keenum, quarterback for the Houston Texans
Johnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago Bears
John Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs
Deirdre Lovejoy, best known for her role as Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman on HBO's The Wire
Billy Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour events
Mildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan Moody
Bobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports Illustrated
Scott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketball
Billy Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world records
Ty O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actor
Terry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHS
Mason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental "Classical Gas"

Sister cities

Abilene, Kansas

References

Bibliography

Abilene...On Catclaw Creek: A Profile of a West Texas Town (Abilene, Texas: Reporter Publishing, 1969)
Katharyn Duff and Betty Kay Seibt. Catclaw Country: An Informal History of Abilene in West Texas (Burnet, Texas: Eakin Press, 1980)
Fane Downs, ed. The Future Great City of West Texas: Abilene, 1881–1981 (Abilene: Richardson, 1981).
Paul D. Lack et al. The History of Abilene (Abilene, Texas: McMurry College, 1981)
Juanita Daniel Zachry. Abilene (Northridge, California: Windsor, 1986).
Lost Abilene: Images of America, Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. 2013.

External links

Convention & Visitors Bureau
Abilene.com
(circa 1900s-1950s)
Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)