Pecan Gap is a city in Delta and Fannin counties within the U.S. state of Texas. It is sometimes informally referred to as "The Gap" by area residents. The population was 178 at the time of the 2020 census. It is named for the gap between two pecan trees, but one of the two pecan trees was destroyed by a tornado in 1963.
History
thumb|right|The site of Cooper was near the westernmost edge of [[Caddo civilization.|alt=A map of where the Caddo live]]
The first inhabitants of the area that is now Pecan Gap were the Caddo people, who settled large portions of eastern Texas as early as 800 AD. The Caddo were highly advanced, living in large wooden structures, and were skilled farmers. The first European to visit the area was French explorer François Hervey, around 1750. A few decades afterwards, European disease and attacks from neighboring tribes as well as attacks from European settlers forced the Caddo out of the area around Pecan Gap. Around 1820, Delaware, Quapaw, and Seminole tribes began settling in the area. In 1836, the Republic of Texas officially recognized the region around Pecan Gap as part of Red River County. In 1840, Lamar County was formed, which absorbed much of the area just south of Pecan Gap. However, just six years later, the region was designated as part of the newly formed Hopkins County. In 1870 Delta County was created. As Pecan Gap grew it expanded west into Fannin County.
Geography
Pecan Gap is located at the junction of Farm to Market Roads 64 and 128.
Pecan Gap is one of just two incorporated communities in Delta County. The city is the second largest in the county, population-wise, behind Cooper. According to statistics from the Census Bureau, the city covers a total area of , of which , or 1.13%, is water.
Pecan Gap, as well as most of Delta County, is located in the Texas blackland prairies region, a flat, tallgrass prairie ecosystem that covers a large portion of north-central Texas. The region's elevation rarely varies from around . The area's geology consists mainly of deep clay, or clay mixed with a dark-colored loam. However, the county is also known to have high-quality topsoil, ideal for crop growing.
Under the Köppen climate classification, Pecan Gap is located in zone Cfa, which experiences warm, wet summers and a humid subtropical climate. Temperatures in Pecan Gap are generally high, with the average in January being and in July being . The highest recorded temperature for Pecan Gap was in July 1936, while the lowest recorded temperature was in January 1930. On average, the hottest month of the year is August, when temperatures stay around an average of . January is generally the coolest month, when the average temperature is around . The community receives low precipitation, with the average monthly high being around in May and June. August is the driest month for the city, when it receives an average of just of rain.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Pecan Gap had a population of 178. The median age was 55.0 years. 14.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 37.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 114.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.7 males age 18 and over.
There were 76 households in Pecan Gap, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.1% were married-couple households, 22.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 149 || 83.7%
|-
| Black or African American || 6 || 3.4%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 1 || 0.6%
|-
| Asian || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 6 || 3.4%
|-
| Two or more races || 16 || 9.0%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 7 || 3.9%
|}
2000 census
At the 2000 census, 214 people, 103 households, and 57 families resided in the city. The population density was . There were 123 housing units averaged 197.5 per square mile (76.6/km). The racial makeup of the city was 88.32% White, 7.94% African American, 0.47% Asian, 2.80% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.54% of the population.