200px|right|thumb|[[U.S. Post Office in Thorndale]]
Thorndale is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States, with a small section in Williamson County. The population was 1,263 at the 2020 census. It was founded in 1878, approximately three miles west of its present site, and moved to its current site in 1880.
History
Antonio Gómez, a Mexican-American teenager, was lynched on June 19, 1911, in Thorndale following his lethal stabbing of a German-American garage owner, Charles Zieschang. Concerns about prejudice and violence against Mexican-American youths, such as the Gómez hanging, inspired Jovita Idar to found the League of Mexican Women (La Liga Femenil Mexicanista).
Geography
Thorndale is located at (30.612549, –97.204523), about 40 miles northeast of Austin and 12 miles west of Rockdale. Most of the city lies in Milam County, with only a small portion in Williamson County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.5 km<sup>2</sup>), all land.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Thorndale has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Thorndale had a population of 1,263. The median age was 41.1 years. 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.7 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 489 households in Thorndale, of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.1% were married-couple households, 15.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 925 || 73.2%
|-
| Black or African American || 57 || 4.5%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 10 || 0.8%
|-
| Asian || 7 || 0.6%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 124 || 9.8%
|-
| Two or more races || 140 || 11.1%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 297 || 23.5%
|}
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 1,278 people, 485 households, and 354 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 542 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.26% White, 6.81% African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 6.18% from other races, and 2.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.14% of the population. including Christian music festivals and the eastern edition of the Nocturnal Wonderland (formerly known as the Nocturnal Fest), one of the largest electronic music festivals in the United States which found 50,000 musical enthusiasts attending in 2012. Apache Pass also hosts the Annual Texas Trail Riders Convention and Trail Ride and the Annual Silver Spurs Spring Jam, which benefits the SS BEVO Endowment, which has been established to fund the care and expenses of BEVO (the UT Longhorn steer mascot), provides scholarships for UT students and supports the University of Texas Neighborhood Longhorns program. Apache Pass also hosts a number of local events and concerts, and has become a vital part of the Thorndale community and its tradition of the arts, music and film. Apache Pass also has a historical museum dedicated to the Apache nation and the contribution of Native Americans in the history of Texas.
Notable people
- Lee Roy Caffey, Former All-Pro NFL linebacker who played on the legendary Green Bay Packers teams of the 1960s, was born in nearby Rockdale but attended and played football at Thorndale High School
- Sam Smith, World War II combat photographer, painter, and multimedia artist, was born in Thorndale in 1918