Panhandle is a city in and the county seat of Carson County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,378 at the 2020 census.
In 1887, Panhandle obtained a post office, and in 1888, the city was planned as the terminus of the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway. At that time, the city was surrounded by several large cattle ranches. The community soon acquired a bank, a mercantile store, a wagonyard, a school, a newspaper, and three saloons.
Panhandle was scandalized in 1897 after George E. Morrison, a preacher at the Methodist Episcopal Church, poisoned his wife Minnie with a strychnine-laced apple so that he could marry his mistress Miss Annie Whittlesey of Topeka, Kansas. Morrison was sentenced to die in the gallows at Vernon in Wilbarger County, Texas, his last words being: "Jesus, Lover of My Soul".
In 1909, Panhandle voted to incorporate with a mayor-council government.
The population grew in the 1920s when Panhandle became the center of a natural gas field.
A new county courthouse was completed in 1950.
Panhandle continued to thrive in the 1980s as a regional marketing and shipping center for cattle, wheat, and petroleum products. The collision triggered a fireball, resulting in three crew member deaths and one injury. Estimated damage was $16 million.
Geography
Panhandle is located slightly south of the center of Carson County. U.S. Route 60 passes through the city, leading northeast to Pampa and southwest the same distance to Amarillo. Texas State Highway 207 crosses US 60 in Panhandle and passes through the center of the city; it leads north to Borger and south to Interstate 40 at Conway.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Panhandle has a total area of , all land.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Panhandle has a borderline humid subtropical (Cfa)/cool semi-arid (BSk) climate. It features hot summers with moderate rainfall and cold, though extremely variable, and generally dry winters.
Demographics
2020 census
{| class="wikitable"
|+Panhandle racial composition<br /> (NH = Non-Hispanic)
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|White (NH)
|1,987
|83.56%
|-
|Black or African American (NH)
|13
|0.55%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)
|17
|0.71%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|7
|0.29%
|-
|Pacific Islander (NH)
|1
|0.04%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|3
|0.13%
|-
|Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)
|109
|4.58%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|241
|10.13%
|-
|Total
|2,378
|
|}
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,378 people, 1,058 households, and 723 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census