Childress ( ) (established 1887; incorporated 1890) is a city in and the county seat of Childress County, Texas, United States. Its population was 5,737 at the 2020 census.

The city and county were named after George Campbell Childress, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, who was the principal author of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The county and city were incorporated more than four decades after Childress' death.

thumb|left|Map of the city in 1890

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Childress had a population of 5,737 and 1,316 families residing in the city. The median age was 34.0 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 141.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 151.8 males age 18 and over.

78.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 21.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,893 households in Childress, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.2% were married-couple households, 18.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Percent

|-

| White || 62.5%

|-

| Black or African American || 9.9%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 0.5%

|-

| Asian || 0.9%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || &lt;0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 16.5%

|-

| Two or more races || 9.6%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 33.0%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Childress has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Childress was on June 27, 1994 and June 26, 2011, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 17, 1930.

|source 2 = National Weather Service

Government and politics

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Childress Distribution Center and the Roach prison in Childress.

In December 2015, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer voted Childress ninth among the 10 "most conservative" cities in the United States in regard to political contributions.

Education

Childress is served by the Childress Independent School District, which operates an elementary school (prekindergarten to grade 5), Childress Elementary School, middle school (grades 6 to 8), Childress Junior High School, and a high school (grades 9 to 12), Childress High School.

Clarendon College, a two-year community college, has a campus in Childress.

Media

Radio

  • K221FL
  • K237EE
  • KCTX-AM
  • KCTX-FM

Newspaper

  • The Red River Sun, formerly The Childress Index

Notable people

  • Hardy Brown, athlete
  • Walter Chrysler, auto company founder, lived in Childress 1905-1906.
  • Lou Dobbs, radio and television host
  • Margaret A. Edwards, educator and librarian
  • Roy Furr, chain restaurant founder, lived in Childress County as a youth
  • Ruby Gilbert, Kansas politician
  • James "T" Jones, athlete
  • Bubba McDaniel, mixed martial artist
  • Minnie Lou Bradley, rancher

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Image:Childress, Texas welcome sign.jpg|

Image:Childress, TX, Municipal Building IMG_6208.JPG|

Image:Second revision, First Baptist Church of Childress, TX IMG_6207.JPG|

Image:Museum IMG 0684.JPG|

Image:Downtown sign in Childress IMG_0691.JPG|

Image:Main_Street_-_Downtown_Childress_TX.JPG|

Image:Childress streets IMG 0687.JPG|

Image:Trade Winds Motel IMG_0692.JPG|

Image:Fair Park in Childress IMG 0684.JPG|

Image:Childress Bobcats Stadium IMG 0689.JPG|

Image:Sunset at Childress, Texas IMG_0677.JPG|

Image:Abandoned buildings south of Childress, TX IMG_6210.JPG|

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See also

  • List of municipalities in Texas

Note

References

  • Childress, Texas in The Handbook of Texas Online
  • Childress Independent School District
  • Childress Regional Medical Center
  • Official website of the City of Childress