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{{Short description|A city in Howard County, Texas}}
{{Intro length}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
Located in ] at the crossroads of ] and ], '''Big Spring'''’s population of 25,233 (] Census) makes it the largest city between ] to the west, ] to the east, ] to the north, and ] to the south. Big Spring is also the largest city in, and ] of, ], ].
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Distinguish|Spring, Texas}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Big Spring, Texas
|settlement_type = ]
|nickname="The Spring City"
|motto =
<!-- Images --------------->
|image_skyline = BigSpringTX-Aerial (35967724513).jpg
|imagesize = 275px
|image_caption = Aerial view of Big Spring
|image_flag =
|image_seal =
<!-- Maps ----------------->
|image_map = Howard County BigSpring.svg
|mapsize = 250px
|map_caption = Location of Big Spring in ], ]
|image_map1 = {{maplink
| id = Q859362
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| frame-align = center
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| switch = Big Spring;Howard County;Texas;the United States
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|mapsize1 =
|map_caption1 =
<!-- Location ------------->
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = ]
|subdivision_name1 = ]
|subdivision_type2 = ]
|subdivision_name2 = ]
<!-- Government ----------->
|government_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|title=City Council |url=https://www.mybigspring.com/directory.aspx?did=24 |publisher=City of Big Spring, Texas |access-date=June 28, 2024 }}</ref>
|government_type = ]
|leader_title = ]
|leader_name = Robert Moore
|leader_title1 = ]
|leader_name1 = Todd Darden
|leader_title2 = Assistant City Manager
|leader_name2 = Lesa Gamble
|leader_title3 = ]
|leader_name3 = {{Ubl|District 1 – Nick Ornelas|District 2 – Diane Yanez|District 3 – Cody Hughes|District 4 – Homer Wilkerson|District 5 – Troy Tompkins|District 6 – Daniel Moreno}}
|established_title = Founded
|established_date = 1882
|established_title1 = ]
|established_date1 = 1907
<!-- Area ----------------->
|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023">{{cite web|title=2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 28, 2024 }}</ref>
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_km2 = 49.795
|area_land_km2 = 49.566
|area_water_km2 = 0.229
|area_total_sq_mi = 19.226
|area_land_sq_mi = 19.138
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.088
<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of = ]
|population_est = 22373
|pop_est_as_of = 2023
|pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2023" />
|population_footnotes = <ref name="2020 Census (City)" />
|population_total = 26144
|population_density_km2 = 451.4
|population_density_sq_mi = 1169
|population_rank = TX: ]
<!-- General information -->
|timezone = ]
|utc_offset = –6
|timezone_DST = CDT
|utc_offset_DST = –5
|elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis />
|elevation_m = 744
|elevation_ft = 2441
|coordinates = {{coord|32|14|36|N|101|28|31|W|region:US-TX_type:city|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type = ]s
|postal_code = 79720, 79721
|area_code = ]
|blank_name = ]
|blank_info = 48-08236
|blank1_name = ] feature ID
|blank1_info = 1330654<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1330654}}</ref>
|blank2_name = ]
|blank2_info = 8.25%<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avalara.com/taxrates/en/state-rates/texas/cities/big-spring.html|title=Big Spring (TX) sales tax rate|access-date=June 28, 2024}}</ref>
|website = {{URL|https://www.mybigspring.com/|mybigspring.com}}
|footnotes =
}}
]


'''Big Spring''' is a city in and the ] of ], ], United States, at the crossroads of ] and ]. The population was 26,144 at the ].<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Big_Spring_city,_Texas?g=160XX00US4808236 |publisher=] |access-date=June 28, 2024 }}</ref> Big Spring was established as the county seat of Howard County in 1882; it is the largest community in the county.
In recent years Big Spring has been the site of several major ] championship tournaments, including the U.S. ] Nationals. Big Spring will host the ] World Championship in ].


The city took its name from the single, large spring that issued into a small gorge between the base of Scenic Mountain and a neighboring hill in the southwestern part of the city limits. Although the name is sometimes still mistakenly pluralized, it is officially singular. "To the native or established residents who may wince at the plural in Big Spring, it should be explained that until about 1916, when for some unexplained reason the name dropped the final 's', the official name of the town was indeed Big Springs."<ref>{{cite book |last=Pickle |first=Joe |title=Gettin' Started, Howard County's first 25 years |date=1980 |publisher=Heritage Museum |location=Big Springs , Tex. |isbn=0-89015-268-3 }}</ref>
The opening scenes of the film ], the ] ] winner for Best Picture, were filmed in Big Spring. The city was also the site for the filming of parts of ].


== History ==
] ] ], although born in ], was raised and played ] ] in Big Spring.
] located {{convert|10|mi|0|abbr=on}} to the southeast of Big Spring (], 1889)<ref>] 1890. "A brief description of the Cretaceous rocks of Texas and their economic value". In: Dumble, E.T. (ed.), ''First Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Texas'', 1889. Austin: State Printing Office, pp. 105–141.</ref>]]
]
]
]
]]]
]


The area had long been a popular watering hole for ] residents and nomads, including members of the more recently established ], ], and ] tribes. The first European to view the site was probably a member of a Spanish expedition exploring the ] from ]. During the 1840s and 1850s, Big Spring was often where Comanches assembled and organized themselves before departing on large-scale raids into northern Mexico during the ].<ref>Smith, Ralph A. (1985–1986), "The Comanches' Foreign War: Fighting Head Hunters in the Tropics," ''Great Plains Journal,'' Vol. 24-25, p. 21</ref>

Captain ]'s expedition in 1849 was the first United States expedition to explore and map the area.<ref>Marcy, R.B. 1850. "Report of Captain R.B. Marcy's route from Fort Smith to Santa Fe." In: ''Reports of the Secretary of War'', Executive Document 64, Washington, D.C., pp. 169–233. (See p. 208)</ref> Marcy marked the spring as a campsite on the ] to ]. The site began to collect inhabitants, and by the late 1870s, a settlement had sprung up to support ] hunters who frequented the area. The original settlement consisted largely of hide huts and saloons. ] quickly became a major industry in the area; early ranchers included F.G. Oxsheer, C.C. Slaughter, and B.F. Wolcott.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=heb09|name=Big Spring}}</ref>

One notable early rancher was ] Joseph Heneage Finch, the Seventh ]. Finch purchased {{convert|37000|acre|km2|0|abbr=on}} of ranchland in the area in 1883, and is credited with building Big Spring's first permanent structure, a butcher shop.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas|id=hch20|name=Howard County}}</ref>

The completion of the ] led to the founding in the early 1880s of Abilene, ], and Big Spring, three railroading and ranching cities where saloons and gambling dens flourished.

More important in the city's history was the discovery of oil in the region during the 1920s. The early discoveries in the area marked the beginning of the oil industry in the ] area of West Texas, and the oil industry has continued to be a dominant part of the area's economy. The oil industry in Big Spring reached its peak during the oil boom of the 1950s.

Another major part of Big Spring's economy and life during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s was ]. It initially opened during World War II as the Big Spring Bombardier School. Following the war, it was converted to a US Air Force training base and was named for James Webb, a Big Spring native who died in action during World War II. Webb Air Force Base was active until 1977, when the base facilities were deeded to the city.

Big Spring was featured in the 1969 film '']'', which starred ] and ], and received the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1969. The opening scenes featuring Voight, then a relatively unknown actor, playing the character Joe Buck, were filmed in Big Spring and the neighboring city of ].

In 1980, Hollywood returned to Big Spring with the filming of '']'',<ref name=hangar>{{cite web |url=http://reflectionsonfilmandtelevision.blogspot.com/2005/11/cult-movie-blogging-hangar-18-1980.html |title=Cult Movie Blogging: Hangar 18 (1980) |publisher=John Kenneth Muir |access-date=June 14, 2013|date=November 27, 2005}}</ref> a low-budget science-fiction movie about a space shuttle's collision with an alien spacecraft and the ensuing government cover-up. Several local residents were used as on-screen extras.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://space1970.blogspot.com/2012/01/hangar-18-197.html |title=The Secrets of HANGAR 18 (1980) |publisher=Space: 1970 |access-date=June 14, 2013|date=January 24, 2012}}</ref>


In 1999, a New York energy company erected the first {{convert|80|m|ft|adj=on}} tower for one of North America's largest wind turbines for that time at Big Spring.<ref>"Turbine timeline: The History of AWEA and the U.S. Wind Industry: 1990s." American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved November 24, 2015. </ref><ref>"Same Big Spring Wind Farm, New Owners" (January 16, 2003). Retrieved November 24, 2015. </ref>

The World Hang Gliding Championship was hosted by Big Spring in August 2007.

=== Origin of the name "Big Spring" ===
The area's "big spring", long dry but recently modified to draw water from Comanche Trail Lake, was of major importance to all life in the surrounding area. In the early 1840s, it was the center of a territorial dispute between ] and ] tribes, and has been a major watering hole for wildlife and prehistoric people in this semiarid area.<ref name="Brune, G 1981. p. 235">Brune, G. 1981. ''Springs of Texas''. Vol. I, Fort Worth: Branch Smith, p. 235</ref> Early military scouting reports and pioneer accounts describe the water as cold, clear, and dependable; the spring pool was about {{convert|15|ft|0|abbr=on}} deep, with the overflow going only a short distance down the draw before it sank beneath the surface. The spring has mistakenly been described in other writings as being located in Sulphur Draw. It is actually located to the south, near the top of a small, rugged, unnamed draw running eastwards from the spring, and is itself a tributary to Beal's Creek, the name given to Sulphur Draw as it flows into, through, and past the city of Big Spring.

Long used by regional inhabitants, both permanent and nomadic, with a large number of locally collected artifacts testifying to its heavy occupation, the spring sat astride the several branches of the later-developed Comanche War Trail as they converged on this important water hole from beyond Texas, coming south across the Northern Plains and the ]. From the Big Spring, the war trail continued south via three branches, one to the southeast through the western part of the Concho country; one going almost due south, heading for Castle Gap and Horsehead Crossing on the ]; and one heading west to Willow Springs in the sand country southwest of present Midland, before turning south down the Pecos, all headed ultimately for ]. As whites began to settle the western territories, the spring continued to serve as a major watering place on the southern route of the Gold Rush Trail of the early 1850s and continued in use well beyond that time, as the cross-continental trail turned into a major road for later pioneers coming into the area.

The spring was sourced from a relatively small ] situated on the northern end of the ] and the southern end of the ], being, structurally, a collecting sink of lower ] (Fredericksburg) limestones and sands.<ref name="Brune, G 1981. p. 235" /> The spring aquifer held a large quantity of water due to the great number of fractures, solution channels, and interstices in the rocks and underlying sands, although the areal extent of the Big Spring sink is estimated to be only {{convert|1|mi|0|abbr=on}} in diameter, with the main area only {{convert|3000|ft|0|abbr=on}} wide and almost circular, with some ellipticity trending towards the west. The Cretaceous beds subsided about {{convert|280|ft|0|abbr=on}} below their normal position, centered on the southeast quarter of Section 12, Block 33 T1S; T&P RR Co survey, and the entire stratum appears to be preserved within the sink, the surface topography roughly following the subsurface subsidence.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Livingston |first1=P.P. |last2=Bennett |first2=R.R. |title=Geology and ground-water resources of the Big Spring area, Texas |series=Water Supply Paper 913 |date=1944 |publisher=United States Geological Survey |page=113 }}</ref> This writing identifies the sink as one of a number of similar subsurface geologic features in the surrounding area, differing from the Big Spring sink only in the fact that the surface topography above the others, while showing some decline, does not dip low enough to intersect the top of the water tables; hence, no springs could form from the other aquifers. In a passing comment, enigmatic in its content and disappointing in its brevity, the report states no other comparable deep sinks formed elsewhere on the Edwards Plateau.

The same publication suggests the spring's discharge volume was in excess of {{convert|100000|gal|liter|0}} per day at the time of the railroad's arrival in the area in the late 1880s. The water was heavily mined by wells built by both the railroad and the early town of Big Spring, greatly in excess of its modest recharge rate, until the water table first dropped below the level of the spring outlet, and finally, was completely depleted by the mid-1920s. The city now artificially fills the spring from its current source of water as a means of allowing residents and visitors to maintain some idea of how it appeared in times past.


== Geography == == Geography ==
Big Spring is located slightly south of the center of Howard County in the valley of Beals Creek, an eastward-flowing tributary of the ]. Interstate 20 runs through the northern side of the city, with access from exits 174 through 182. I-20 leads east {{convert|108|mi}} to Abilene and west {{convert|40|mi}} to Midland. U.S. Route 87 (Gregg Street) until recently ran through the center of Big Spring, leading north {{convert|106|mi}} to Lubbock and southeast {{convert|86|mi}} to San Angelo. A bypass to the west of the city now carries US 87, while the old route is now Business US 87.
]
Big Spring is located at 32&deg;14'36" North, 101&deg;28'31" West (32.243198, -101.475231){{GR|1}}.


According to the ], the city has a total area of 49.7 ] (19.2 ]). 49.5 km&sup2; (19.1 mi&sup2;) of it is land and 0.2 km&sup2; (0.1 mi&sup2;) of it is water. The total area is 0.42% water. According to the ], the city has a total area of {{convert|19.226|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|19.138|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.088|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023" />

=== Climate ===
{{Weather box
|location = Big Spring, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–2021)
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Y
| Jan record high F = 85
| Feb record high F = 91
| Mar record high F = 97
| Apr record high F = 105
| May record high F = 109
| Jun record high F = 114
| Jul record high F = 110
| Aug record high F = 112
| Sep record high F = 108
| Oct record high F = 101
| Nov record high F = 92
| Dec record high F = 86
| year record high F =
|Jan avg record high F = 78.0
|Feb avg record high F = 81.9
|Mar avg record high F = 88.5
|Apr avg record high F = 94.4
|May avg record high F = 100.7
|Jun avg record high F = 104.1
|Jul avg record high F = 103.5
|Aug avg record high F = 102.1
|Sep avg record high F = 97.8
|Oct avg record high F = 93.6
|Nov avg record high F = 83.5
|Dec avg record high F = 77.2
|year avg record high F = 106.4
|Jan high F = 58.0
|Feb high F = 62.5
|Mar high F = 71.0
|Apr high F = 79.4
|May high F = 87.0
|Jun high F = 93.8
|Jul high F = 95.8
|Aug high F = 94.7
|Sep high F = 87.9
|Oct high F = 79.1
|Nov high F = 67.1
|Dec high F = 58.2
|year high F = 77.9
| Jan mean F = 44.7
| Feb mean F = 48.6
| Mar mean F = 56.7
| Apr mean F = 64.7
| May mean F = 73.3
| Jun mean F = 81.0
| Jul mean F = 83.9
| Aug mean F = 83.1
| Sep mean F = 75.7
| Oct mean F = 66.1
| Nov mean F = 53.9
| Dec mean F = 45.5
| year mean F = 64.8
|Jan low F = 31.4
|Feb low F = 34.7
|Mar low F = 42.4
|Apr low F = 50.1
|May low F = 59.5
|Jun low F = 68.2
|Jul low F = 72.1
|Aug low F = 71.5
|Sep low F = 63.6
|Oct low F = 53.1
|Nov low F = 40.7
|Dec low F = 32.8
|year low F = 51.7
|Jan avg record low F = 19.0
|Feb avg record low F = 21.5
|Mar avg record low F = 27.3
|Apr avg record low F = 36.2
|May avg record low F = 46.4
|Jun avg record low F = 59.0
|Jul avg record low F = 64.9
|Aug avg record low F = 64.0
|Sep avg record low F = 51.7
|Oct avg record low F = 36.8
|Nov avg record low F = 26.1
|Dec avg record low F = 20.1
|year avg record low F = 15.0
| Jan record low F = -2
| Feb record low F = -5
| Mar record low F = 9
| Apr record low F = 25
| May record low F = 31
| Jun record low F = 43
| Jul record low F = 51
| Aug record low F = 50
| Sep record low F = 39
| Oct record low F = 19
| Nov record low F = 15
| Dec record low F = 1
| year record low F =
|precipitation color = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.73
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.80
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.15
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.55
|May precipitation inch = 2.54
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.49
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.58
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.40
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.39
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.84
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.35
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.78
|year precipitation inch= 19.60
|Jan snow inch = 0.3
|Feb snow inch = 0.7
|Mar snow inch = 0.0
|Apr snow inch = 0.0
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.3
|Dec snow inch = 0.7
|year snow inch = 2.0
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 2.8
| Feb precipitation days = 3.3
| Mar precipitation days = 3.5
| Apr precipitation days = 2.8
| May precipitation days = 4.1
| Jun precipitation days = 5.3
| Jul precipitation days = 4.0
| Aug precipitation days = 5.2
| Sep precipitation days = 5.0
| Oct precipitation days = 4.1
| Nov precipitation days = 2.6
| Dec precipitation days = 2.8
| year precipitation days = 45.5
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 0.2
| Feb snow days = 0.2
| Mar snow days = 0.0
| Apr snow days = 0.0
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.0
| Nov snow days = 0.1
| Dec snow days = 0.3
| year snow days = 0.8
|source 1 = NOAA<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=maf |title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = ] |access-date = May 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00023041&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL |title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020 |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = April 26, 2023}}</ref>
}}


== Demographics == == Demographics ==
{{US Census population
As of the ]{{GR|2}} of ], there are 25,233 people, 8,155 households, and 5,463 families residing in the city. The ] is 509.8/km&sup2; (1,320.4/mi&sup2;). There are 9,865 housing units at an average density of 199.3/km&sup2; (516.2/mi&sup2;). The racial makeup of the city is 76.69% ], 5.31% ], 0.59% ], 0.63% ], 0.02% ], 14.41% from ], and 2.35% from two or more races. 44.64% of the population are ] or ] of any race.
|1890= 1158
|1910= 4102
|1920= 4273
|1930= 13735
|1940= 12604
|1950= 17286
|1960= 31230
|1970= 28735
|1980= 24804
|1990= 23093
|2000= 25233
|2010= 27282
|2020= 26144
|estyear=2023
|estimate=22373
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=June 28, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 28, 2024 }}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 4, 2015 }}</ref><br>Texas Almanac: 1850–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/CityPopHist%20web.pdf|title=Texas Almanac: City Population History from 1850–2000|website=Texas Almanac|access-date=June 28, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf|title=Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010|website=Texas Almanac|access-date=June 28, 2024}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)" />
}}


=== 2020 census ===
There are 8,155 households out of which 32.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% are ] living together, 14.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% are non-families. 29.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.51 and the average family size is 3.10.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Big Spring city, Texas – Demographic Profile<br>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')
! Race / ethnicity
! Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Big Spring city, Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US4808236&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 |publisher=]}}</ref>
! Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Big Spring city, Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?q=Big%20Spring%20city,%20Texas%20households%20families |publisher=]}}</ref>
! % 2010
! % 2020
|-
| ] (NH)
| 12,742
| 9,753
| %
| 37.30%
|-
| ] (NH)
| 2,030
| 1,416
| %
| 5.42%
|-
| ] or ] (NH)
| 173
| 159
| %
| 0.61%
|-
| ] (NH)
| 237
| 328
| %
| 1.25%
|-
| ] (NH)
| 9
| 9
| 0.03%
| 0.03%
|-
| ] (NH)
| 76
| 49
| %
| 0.19%
|-
| ] (NH)
| 264
| 569
| %
| 2.18%
|-
| ]
| 11,751
| 13,861
| 43.1%
| 53.02%
|-
| '''Total'''
| '''27,282'''
| '''26,144'''
| '''100.0%'''
| '''100.00%'''
|}


As of the ], there were 26,144 people, 8,320 households, and 5,333 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Big%20Spring%20city,%20Texas%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=June 28, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The ] was {{convert|1382.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 9,965 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 64.6% ], 6.1% ], 1.2% ], 1.3% ], 0.1% ], 11.9% from some other races and 14.9% from two or more races. ] of any race were 53.0% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How many people live in Big Spring city, Texas |url=https://data.usatoday.com/census/total-population/total-population-change/big-spring-city-texas/160-4808236/ |access-date=June 28, 2024 |publisher=USA Today}}</ref> 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.1% were under 5 years of age, and 11.3% were 65 and older.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 125.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 132.3 males.


=== 2010 census ===
The median income for a household in the city is $28,257, and the median income for a family is $35,448. Males have a median income of $27,636 versus $21,863 for females. The ] for the city is $14,119. 22.2% of the population and 17.1% of families are below the ]. Out of the total population, 30.0% of those under the age of 18 and 18.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
As of the ], there were 27,282 people, 8,267 households, and _ families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1428.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 9,640 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 69.7% ], 7.8% ], 0.9% ], 0.9% ], 0.0% ], 18.4% from some other races and 2.3% from two or more races. ] of any race were 43.1% of the population.


== Points of Interest == == Arts and culture ==
Big Spring is the site of several major ] championship tournaments, including the U.S. Hang Gliding Nationals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ushpa.aero/news.asp?id=136|title=iMIS|publisher=Advanced Solutions International |website=Ushpa.aero|access-date=April 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131053437/http://www.ushpa.aero/news.asp?id=136|archive-date=January 31, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The city was also the site for the filming of parts of ''Midnight Cowboy'' and ''Hangar 18''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080836/|title=Hangar 18|date=March 13, 1981|access-date=April 4, 2018|via=IMDb.com}}</ref>
'''Landmarks'''
* Settles Hotel (abandoned)
* Howard County Courthouse
* Big Spring Municipal Auditorium
*
* Comanche Trail Park
* McMahon-Wrinkle Industrial Airpark
*
*
* Signal Mountain
*
*
*


=== Points of interest ===
'''Organizations'''
] was built by the ] in the 1930s.]]
*
*
*
* Downtown Revitalization Association


* ]
'''Media'''
* Big Spring Municipal Auditorium (a 1,400-seat, city-owned facility, which is home to the Big Spring Symphony and center for local and traveling performances<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.mybigspring.com/Facilities/Facility/Details/Municipal-Auditorium-8 | title=Municipal Auditorium}}</ref>)
*
* ] Courthouse
*
* Heritage Museum of Big Spring (a 13,000 square foot museum featuring exhibits of local history and interest<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.heritagebigspring.com/ | title=Heritage Museum of Big Spring &#124; Home}}</ref>)
* ]
* Hangar 25 Air Museum (a museum, housed in a fully restored World War II-era hangar, which promotes education through the collection, preservation, and exhibition of the history of the Big Spring Army Air Force Bombardier School and ]<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.hangar25airmuseum.org/main/index.asp |title = Hangar 25 Air Museum in Big Spring, Texas at former Webb AFB}}</ref>)
* ]
* ]
* Comanche Trail Park (a 400-acre city park that features the historic "big spring", a 6,900-seat limestone amphitheater, an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, baseball fields, playgrounds, and pavilions, as well as hike, bike and nature trails<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://tx-bigspringcvb.civicplus.com/198/Comanche-Trail-Park | title=Comanche Trail Park &#124; Big Spring, TX CVB}}</ref>)
* Moss Creek Lake (a 400-acre recreational area offering a beach swimming area, paintball course, dirt-bike course, and a playground, as well as an RV park with full hook-ups and 26 sheltered campsites<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://tx-bigspringcvb.civicplus.com/203/Moss-Creek-Lake |title = Moss Creek Lake &#124; Big Spring, TX CVB}}</ref>)
* ] (also called Signal Mountain, a landmark 10 miles southeast of Big Spring near Moss Creek Lake, used by Native Americans and early Anglo settlers<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rjs38 |title = Signal Mountains|date = June 15, 2010}}</ref>)
* George H. O'Brien, Jr. VA Medical Center (primary facility for the West Texas VA Health Care System, which serves veterans in 33 counties across 53,000 sq mi of West Texas and eastern New Mexico<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bigspring.va.gov/ |title = West Texas VA Health Care System}}</ref>)
* ]
* ]
* ] Refinery (formerly Alon USA)
* McMahon-Wrinkle Industrial Airpark (formerly ])

== Government ==
Following the 2011 redistricting, Howard County is represented in the ] by the District 72 ] ] of San Angelo.

== Education ==
* ]
* ]
* Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf

== Media ==
* ''Big Spring Herald''
* KBST/KBTS Radio
* KBYG-AM Radio * KBYG-AM Radio
* KWDC (FM) Radio (and translators)
* KBXJ (FM) Radio from neighboring Lamesa, Texas
* KTPR (FM) Public Radio licensed nearby Stanton, Texas


== Infrastructure ==
'''Education'''
]
*
*
*


=== Services and facilities ===
'''Prisons'''
The ] operates the Big Spring District Parole Office in the city.<ref>" {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926122729/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/parole/parole-directory/paroledir-rgnldisparoff5.htm |date=September 26, 2011 }}." ]. Retrieved on May 22, 2010.</ref>
* Big Spring FCI
* Big Spring Federal Prison Camp
* Big Spring Correctional Center (Cornell Companies)


The ] operates a 200-bed psychiatric hospital, opened in 1939. The hospital has reduced its number of beds over the years, but remains one of the largest employers in Big Spring.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}
== Culture and Economics ==


The ] operates the Big Spring Post Office.<ref>" {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612040717/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/big-spring-501-s-main-st-big-spring-tx-1354936 |date=June 12, 2012}}." ]; retrieved May 22, 2010.</ref>
Big Spring’s ] is primarily based on ] (with ] as the primary crop) and ] production and ]. Public-sector institutions such as Howard College, a ], and a ] are also major employers in the area.


The ] (BOP) operates the ] in Big Spring.<ref>"." ]. Retrieved on May 22, 2010.</ref> The nearby Big Spring Correctional Center is privately operated (]) on behalf of the BOP.<ref>"." ]. Retrieved on May 22, 2010.</ref><ref>"{{cite web|url=http://www.geogroup.com/Maps/LocationDetails/20 |title=Big Spring Correctional Center – the GEO Group Inc|access-date=August 29, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815020810/http://www.geogroup.com/Maps/LocationDetails/20|archive-date=August 15, 2016}}", ]. Retrieved on July 25, 2013.</ref>
Big Spring’s ] and ] have seen steady declines since the closure of ], a training site for ] ] and ], in ].


The Colorado River Municipal Water District operates a ] treatment plant in Big Spring, the first of its kind in Texas, the product of which is then delivered to the potable water treatment plants of Big Spring, Stanton, Midland, and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mybigspring.com/water_treatment|title=Water Treatment Plant|website=Big Spring, Texas|publisher=City of Big Spring|access-date=March 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155631/http://www.mybigspring.com/water_treatment|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.watereuse.org/node/3300|title=Foundation Partners with Carollo Engineers on Innovative Research|publisher=]|access-date=March 8, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402090144/http://www.watereuse.org/node/3300|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.watereuse.org/node/3300|title=Testing Water Quality in a Municipal Wastewater Effluent Treated to Drinking Water Standards|publisher=]|access-date=March 8, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402090144/http://www.watereuse.org/node/3300|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref>
The people are the friendliest you'll meet! And if you like barbecue and Tex-Mex food Big Spring has some outstanding restaurants. Brenda’s Barbecue is highly recommended, although residents of Big Spring are quite opinionated when it comes to a discussion of barbecue or Tex-Mex food. There is one truly amazing display of Christmas lights at the Partee residence. The "Live Drive Through Nativity" is one of a kind. Housing costs are unbelievably inexpensive and many people have adapted to the arid climate by xeriscaping their lawns.

=== Organizations ===
* Big Spring Economic Development Corporation
* Big Spring Area Chamber of Commerce
* Big Spring Convention and Visitors Bureau
* Big Spring Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
* Downtown Revitalization Association
* Keep Big Spring Beautiful

=== Major roads and highways ===
* ] ]
* ] ]
* ] ]
* ] ]
* ] ]
* ] ]

== Notable people ==
* ], a writer and scholar, graduated from Big Spring High School in 1967.
* ] is a Tony Award-winning theater, film, and television actress and singer.
* ] was the drummer for ] during the "Winter Dance Party" tour in 1959 in which Holly died (]), and later for ] and ].
* ] was a ] (NFL) player for the ].
* ]; was an ] player for the ], ], ] and ]
* ], conductor
* ], billionaire businessman and conservative political activist
* ] is the current head coach of the ] team.
* ] was an American football center who won an NFL Championship with the Green Bay Packers.
* ], professional football player
* ], former NFL ] for the Green Bay Packers, was born in ], but was raised and played ] ] in Big Spring.<ref> on , the official website of the Green Bay Packers</ref>
* ], American country music singer-songwriter and honky-tonk singer who led the house band for a local nightclub "Ace of Clubs" in the early 1950s
* ], United Methodist Church bishop
* ], oncologist and co-developer of ], the computerized blood cell separator
* ], NFL quarterback for the ], ], and ]
* ], Western actor
* ], ] ] from the ] of ] from 1963 to 1995
* ], creator of New Texas cuisine and a founding father of ''haute'' Southwestern cuisine
* ], professional football player
* ], president/CEO of Rosendin Electric
* ], quarterback for the ]
* ], NFL player for the ] and Green Bay Packers, was a member of the 1961 and 1962 NFL-champion Packers.
* ], an American country music singer, was nominated by the ] in 1992 for Top New Female Vocalist.

== Sister cities ==
* ], ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/states/TX.html|title=Texas – Israel Cooperation|website=JewishVirtualLibrary.org|access-date=April 4, 2018}}</ref>
* ], ], ] (2010)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mywesttexas.com/news/top_stories/article_b169f68d-f414-5681-adc7-a747b181380d.html |title=Big Spring, San Miguel El Alto announces sister city status |website=mywesttexas.com |date=January 20, 2010 |access-date=April 4, 2018 }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Notelist}}


== External links == == External links ==
{{Commons category|Big Spring, Texas}}
{{Portal|Texas}}
*
*

{{Howard County, Texas}}
{{Texas county seats}}


{{Authority control}}
*
{{Mapit-US-cityscale|32.243198|-101.475231}}
*


] ]
] ]
]
{{Texas}}
]

Latest revision as of 21:05, 22 December 2024

A city in Howard County, Texas

Not to be confused with Spring, Texas. City in Texas, United States
Big Spring, Texas
City
Aerial view of Big SpringAerial view of Big Spring
Nickname: "The Spring City"
Location of Big Spring in Howard County, TexasLocation of Big Spring in Howard County, Texas
Show Big SpringShow Howard CountyShow TexasShow the United States
Coordinates: 32°14′36″N 101°28′31″W / 32.24333°N 101.47528°W / 32.24333; -101.47528
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyHoward
Founded1882
Incorporated1907
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • MayorRobert Moore
 • City managerTodd Darden
 • Assistant City ManagerLesa Gamble
 • Councilmember
  • District 1 – Nick Ornelas
  • District 2 – Diane Yanez
  • District 3 – Cody Hughes
  • District 4 – Homer Wilkerson
  • District 5 – Troy Tompkins
  • District 6 – Daniel Moreno
Area
 • Total19.226 sq mi (49.795 km)
 • Land19.138 sq mi (49.566 km)
 • Water0.088 sq mi (0.229 km)
Elevation2,441 ft (744 m)
Population
 • Total26,144
 • Estimate 22,373
 • RankTX: 140th
 • Density1,169/sq mi (451.4/km)
Time zoneUTC–6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC–5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes79720, 79721
Area code432
FIPS code48-08236
GNIS feature ID1330654
Sales tax8.25%
Websitemybigspring.com
The Municipal Auditorium in Big Spring

Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. The population was 26,144 at the 2020 census. Big Spring was established as the county seat of Howard County in 1882; it is the largest community in the county.

The city took its name from the single, large spring that issued into a small gorge between the base of Scenic Mountain and a neighboring hill in the southwestern part of the city limits. Although the name is sometimes still mistakenly pluralized, it is officially singular. "To the native or established residents who may wince at the plural in Big Spring, it should be explained that until about 1916, when for some unexplained reason the name dropped the final 's', the official name of the town was indeed Big Springs."

History

Signal Peak located 10 mi (16 km) to the southeast of Big Spring (Robert T. Hill, 1889)
Big Spring decorative sign
The "big spring" in Comanche Trail Park
Big Spring City Hall
Newly refurbished Settles Hotel
Big Spring Veterans Hospital

The area had long been a popular watering hole for Native American residents and nomads, including members of the more recently established Jumano, Apache, and Comanche tribes. The first European to view the site was probably a member of a Spanish expedition exploring the Great Plains from New Mexico. During the 1840s and 1850s, Big Spring was often where Comanches assembled and organized themselves before departing on large-scale raids into northern Mexico during the Comanche-Mexico Wars.

Captain Randolph B. Marcy's expedition in 1849 was the first United States expedition to explore and map the area. Marcy marked the spring as a campsite on the Overland Trail to California. The site began to collect inhabitants, and by the late 1870s, a settlement had sprung up to support buffalo hunters who frequented the area. The original settlement consisted largely of hide huts and saloons. Ranching quickly became a major industry in the area; early ranchers included F.G. Oxsheer, C.C. Slaughter, and B.F. Wolcott.

One notable early rancher was Briton Joseph Heneage Finch, the Seventh Earl of Aylesford. Finch purchased 37,000 acres (150 km) of ranchland in the area in 1883, and is credited with building Big Spring's first permanent structure, a butcher shop.

The completion of the Texas and Pacific Railroad led to the founding in the early 1880s of Abilene, Colorado City, and Big Spring, three railroading and ranching cities where saloons and gambling dens flourished.

More important in the city's history was the discovery of oil in the region during the 1920s. The early discoveries in the area marked the beginning of the oil industry in the Permian Basin area of West Texas, and the oil industry has continued to be a dominant part of the area's economy. The oil industry in Big Spring reached its peak during the oil boom of the 1950s.

Another major part of Big Spring's economy and life during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s was Webb Air Force Base. It initially opened during World War II as the Big Spring Bombardier School. Following the war, it was converted to a US Air Force training base and was named for James Webb, a Big Spring native who died in action during World War II. Webb Air Force Base was active until 1977, when the base facilities were deeded to the city.

Big Spring was featured in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, which starred Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, and received the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1969. The opening scenes featuring Voight, then a relatively unknown actor, playing the character Joe Buck, were filmed in Big Spring and the neighboring city of Stanton.

In 1980, Hollywood returned to Big Spring with the filming of Hangar 18, a low-budget science-fiction movie about a space shuttle's collision with an alien spacecraft and the ensuing government cover-up. Several local residents were used as on-screen extras.


In 1999, a New York energy company erected the first 80-metre (260 ft) tower for one of North America's largest wind turbines for that time at Big Spring.

The FAI World Hang Gliding Championship was hosted by Big Spring in August 2007.

Origin of the name "Big Spring"

The area's "big spring", long dry but recently modified to draw water from Comanche Trail Lake, was of major importance to all life in the surrounding area. In the early 1840s, it was the center of a territorial dispute between Comanche and Pawnee tribes, and has been a major watering hole for wildlife and prehistoric people in this semiarid area. Early military scouting reports and pioneer accounts describe the water as cold, clear, and dependable; the spring pool was about 15 ft (5 m) deep, with the overflow going only a short distance down the draw before it sank beneath the surface. The spring has mistakenly been described in other writings as being located in Sulphur Draw. It is actually located to the south, near the top of a small, rugged, unnamed draw running eastwards from the spring, and is itself a tributary to Beal's Creek, the name given to Sulphur Draw as it flows into, through, and past the city of Big Spring.

Long used by regional inhabitants, both permanent and nomadic, with a large number of locally collected artifacts testifying to its heavy occupation, the spring sat astride the several branches of the later-developed Comanche War Trail as they converged on this important water hole from beyond Texas, coming south across the Northern Plains and the Llano Estacado. From the Big Spring, the war trail continued south via three branches, one to the southeast through the western part of the Concho country; one going almost due south, heading for Castle Gap and Horsehead Crossing on the Pecos River; and one heading west to Willow Springs in the sand country southwest of present Midland, before turning south down the Pecos, all headed ultimately for Mexico. As whites began to settle the western territories, the spring continued to serve as a major watering place on the southern route of the Gold Rush Trail of the early 1850s and continued in use well beyond that time, as the cross-continental trail turned into a major road for later pioneers coming into the area.

The spring was sourced from a relatively small aquifer situated on the northern end of the Edwards Plateau and the southern end of the High Plains, being, structurally, a collecting sink of lower Cretaceous (Fredericksburg) limestones and sands. The spring aquifer held a large quantity of water due to the great number of fractures, solution channels, and interstices in the rocks and underlying sands, although the areal extent of the Big Spring sink is estimated to be only 1 mi (2 km) in diameter, with the main area only 3,000 ft (914 m) wide and almost circular, with some ellipticity trending towards the west. The Cretaceous beds subsided about 280 ft (85 m) below their normal position, centered on the southeast quarter of Section 12, Block 33 T1S; T&P RR Co survey, and the entire stratum appears to be preserved within the sink, the surface topography roughly following the subsurface subsidence. This writing identifies the sink as one of a number of similar subsurface geologic features in the surrounding area, differing from the Big Spring sink only in the fact that the surface topography above the others, while showing some decline, does not dip low enough to intersect the top of the water tables; hence, no springs could form from the other aquifers. In a passing comment, enigmatic in its content and disappointing in its brevity, the report states no other comparable deep sinks formed elsewhere on the Edwards Plateau.

The same publication suggests the spring's discharge volume was in excess of 100,000 U.S. gallons (378,541 L) per day at the time of the railroad's arrival in the area in the late 1880s. The water was heavily mined by wells built by both the railroad and the early town of Big Spring, greatly in excess of its modest recharge rate, until the water table first dropped below the level of the spring outlet, and finally, was completely depleted by the mid-1920s. The city now artificially fills the spring from its current source of water as a means of allowing residents and visitors to maintain some idea of how it appeared in times past.

Geography

Big Spring is located slightly south of the center of Howard County in the valley of Beals Creek, an eastward-flowing tributary of the Colorado River. Interstate 20 runs through the northern side of the city, with access from exits 174 through 182. I-20 leads east 108 miles (174 km) to Abilene and west 40 miles (64 km) to Midland. U.S. Route 87 (Gregg Street) until recently ran through the center of Big Spring, leading north 106 miles (171 km) to Lubbock and southeast 86 miles (138 km) to San Angelo. A bypass to the west of the city now carries US 87, while the old route is now Business US 87.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.226 square miles (49.80 km), of which, 19.138 square miles (49.57 km) is land and 0.088 square miles (0.23 km) is water.

Climate

Climate data for Big Spring, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–2021)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 85
(29) 		91
(33) 		97
(36) 		105
(41) 		109
(43) 		114
(46) 		110
(43) 		112
(44) 		108
(42) 		101
(38) 		92
(33) 		86
(30) 		114
(46)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 78.0
(25.6) 		81.9
(27.7) 		88.5
(31.4) 		94.4
(34.7) 		100.7
(38.2) 		104.1
(40.1) 		103.5
(39.7) 		102.1
(38.9) 		97.8
(36.6) 		93.6
(34.2) 		83.5
(28.6) 		77.2
(25.1) 		106.4
(41.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 58.0
(14.4) 		62.5
(16.9) 		71.0
(21.7) 		79.4
(26.3) 		87.0
(30.6) 		93.8
(34.3) 		95.8
(35.4) 		94.7
(34.8) 		87.9
(31.1) 		79.1
(26.2) 		67.1
(19.5) 		58.2
(14.6) 		77.9
(25.5)
Daily mean °F (°C) 44.7
(7.1) 		48.6
(9.2) 		56.7
(13.7) 		64.7
(18.2) 		73.3
(22.9) 		81.0
(27.2) 		83.9
(28.8) 		83.1
(28.4) 		75.7
(24.3) 		66.1
(18.9) 		53.9
(12.2) 		45.5
(7.5) 		64.8
(18.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 31.4
(−0.3) 		34.7
(1.5) 		42.4
(5.8) 		50.1
(10.1) 		59.5
(15.3) 		68.2
(20.1) 		72.1
(22.3) 		71.5
(21.9) 		63.6
(17.6) 		53.1
(11.7) 		40.7
(4.8) 		32.8
(0.4) 		51.7
(10.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 19.0
(−7.2) 		21.5
(−5.8) 		27.3
(−2.6) 		36.2
(2.3) 		46.4
(8.0) 		59.0
(15.0) 		64.9
(18.3) 		64.0
(17.8) 		51.7
(10.9) 		36.8
(2.7) 		26.1
(−3.3) 		20.1
(−6.6) 		15.0
(−9.4)
Record low °F (°C) −2
(−19) 		−5
(−21) 		9
(−13) 		25
(−4) 		31
(−1) 		43
(6) 		51
(11) 		50
(10) 		39
(4) 		19
(−7) 		15
(−9) 		1
(−17) 		−5
(−21)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.73
(19) 		0.80
(20) 		1.15
(29) 		1.55
(39) 		2.54
(65) 		2.49
(63) 		1.58
(40) 		2.40
(61) 		2.39
(61) 		1.84
(47) 		1.35
(34) 		0.78
(20) 		19.60
(498)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.3
(0.76) 		0.7
(1.8) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.3
(0.76) 		0.7
(1.8) 		2.0
(5.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 2.8 3.3 3.5 2.8 4.1 5.3 4.0 5.2 5.0 4.1 2.6 2.8 45.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.8
Source: NOAA

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18901,158—
19104,102—
19204,2734.2%
193013,735221.4%
194012,604−8.2%
195017,28637.1%
196031,23080.7%
197028,735−8.0%
198024,804−13.7%
199023,093−6.9%
200025,2339.3%
201027,2828.1%
202026,144−4.2%
2023 (est.)22,373−14.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
Texas Almanac: 1850–2000
2020 Census

2020 census

Big Spring city, Texas – Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 12,742 9,753 % 37.30%
Black or African American (NH) 2,030 1,416 % 5.42%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 173 159 % 0.61%
Asian (NH) 237 328 % 1.25%
Pacific Islander (NH) 9 9 0.03% 0.03%
Some Other Race (NH) 76 49 % 0.19%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 264 569 % 2.18%
Hispanic or Latino 11,751 13,861 43.1% 53.02%
Total 27,282 26,144 100.0% 100.00%

As of the 2020 census, there were 26,144 people, 8,320 households, and 5,333 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,382.3 inhabitants per square mile (533.7/km). There were 9,965 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 64.6% White, 6.1% African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 11.9% from some other races and 14.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 53.0% of the population. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.1% were under 5 years of age, and 11.3% were 65 and older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 27,282 people, 8,267 households, and _ families residing in the city. The population density was 1,428.4 inhabitants per square mile (551.5/km). There were 9,640 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 69.7% White, 7.8% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 18.4% from some other races and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 43.1% of the population.

Arts and culture

Big Spring is the site of several major hang-gliding championship tournaments, including the U.S. Hang Gliding Nationals. The city was also the site for the filming of parts of Midnight Cowboy and Hangar 18.

Points of interest

The picnic pavilion at Big Spring State Park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
  • Settles Hotel
  • Big Spring Municipal Auditorium (a 1,400-seat, city-owned facility, which is home to the Big Spring Symphony and center for local and traveling performances)
  • Howard County Courthouse
  • Heritage Museum of Big Spring (a 13,000 square foot museum featuring exhibits of local history and interest)
  • Potton–Hayden House
  • Hangar 25 Air Museum (a museum, housed in a fully restored World War II-era hangar, which promotes education through the collection, preservation, and exhibition of the history of the Big Spring Army Air Force Bombardier School and Webb Air Force Base)
  • Big Spring Vietnam Memorial
  • Big Spring State Park
  • Comanche Trail Park (a 400-acre city park that features the historic "big spring", a 6,900-seat limestone amphitheater, an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, baseball fields, playgrounds, and pavilions, as well as hike, bike and nature trails)
  • Moss Creek Lake (a 400-acre recreational area offering a beach swimming area, paintball course, dirt-bike course, and a playground, as well as an RV park with full hook-ups and 26 sheltered campsites)
  • Signal Peak (also called Signal Mountain, a landmark 10 miles southeast of Big Spring near Moss Creek Lake, used by Native Americans and early Anglo settlers)
  • George H. O'Brien, Jr. VA Medical Center (primary facility for the West Texas VA Health Care System, which serves veterans in 33 counties across 53,000 sq mi of West Texas and eastern New Mexico)
  • Dorothy Garrett Coliseum
  • Panther Creek Wind Farm
  • Delek US Refinery (formerly Alon USA)
  • McMahon-Wrinkle Industrial Airpark (formerly Webb Air Force Base)

Government

Following the 2011 redistricting, Howard County is represented in the Texas House of Representatives by the District 72 Republican Drew Darby of San Angelo.

Education

Media

  • Big Spring Herald
  • KBST/KBTS Radio
  • KBYG-AM Radio
  • KWDC (FM) Radio (and translators)
  • KBXJ (FM) Radio from neighboring Lamesa, Texas
  • KTPR (FM) Public Radio licensed nearby Stanton, Texas

Infrastructure

Scenic Mountain Medical Center serves the community.

Services and facilities

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Big Spring District Parole Office in the city.

The Texas Department of State Health Services operates a 200-bed psychiatric hospital, opened in 1939. The hospital has reduced its number of beds over the years, but remains one of the largest employers in Big Spring.

The United States Postal Service operates the Big Spring Post Office.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) operates the Federal Correctional Institution, Big Spring in Big Spring. The nearby Big Spring Correctional Center is privately operated (GEO Group) on behalf of the BOP.

The Colorado River Municipal Water District operates a reclaimed water treatment plant in Big Spring, the first of its kind in Texas, the product of which is then delivered to the potable water treatment plants of Big Spring, Stanton, Midland, and Odessa.

Organizations

  • Big Spring Economic Development Corporation
  • Big Spring Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Big Spring Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Big Spring Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
  • Downtown Revitalization Association
  • Keep Big Spring Beautiful

Major roads and highways

Notable people

Sister cities

References

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  2. ^ "2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Big Spring, Texas
  4. ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  5. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2023". United States Census Bureau. June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  6. "Big Spring (TX) sales tax rate". Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  7. Pickle, Joe (1980). Gettin' Started, Howard County's first 25 years. Big Springs , Tex.: Heritage Museum. ISBN 0-89015-268-3.
  8. Hill, R.T. 1890. "A brief description of the Cretaceous rocks of Texas and their economic value". In: Dumble, E.T. (ed.), First Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Texas, 1889. Austin: State Printing Office, pp. 105–141.
  9. Smith, Ralph A. (1985–1986), "The Comanches' Foreign War: Fighting Head Hunters in the Tropics," Great Plains Journal, Vol. 24-25, p. 21
  10. Marcy, R.B. 1850. "Report of Captain R.B. Marcy's route from Fort Smith to Santa Fe." In: Reports of the Secretary of War, Executive Document 64, Washington, D.C., pp. 169–233. (See p. 208)
  11. Big Spring from the Handbook of Texas Online
  12. Howard County from the Handbook of Texas Online
  13. "Cult Movie Blogging: Hangar 18 (1980)". John Kenneth Muir. November 27, 2005. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  14. "The Secrets of HANGAR 18 (1980)". Space: 1970. January 24, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  15. "Turbine timeline: The History of AWEA and the U.S. Wind Industry: 1990s." American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved November 24, 2015. AWEA website
  16. "Same Big Spring Wind Farm, New Owners" (January 16, 2003). Retrieved November 24, 2015. Renewable Energy World.com website
  17. ^ Brune, G. 1981. Springs of Texas. Vol. I, Fort Worth: Branch Smith, p. 235
  18. Livingston, P.P.; Bennett, R.R. (1944). Geology and ground-water resources of the Big Spring area, Texas. Water Supply Paper 913. United States Geological Survey. p. 113.
  19. "NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  20. "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  21. "Census of Population and Housing". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  22. "Texas Almanac: City Population History from 1850–2000" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  23. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  24. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Big Spring city, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  25. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Big Spring city, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  26. "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  27. "How many people live in Big Spring city, Texas". USA Today. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  28. "iMIS". Ushpa.aero. Advanced Solutions International. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  29. "Hangar 18". March 13, 1981. Retrieved April 4, 2018 – via IMDb.com.
  30. "Municipal Auditorium".
  31. "Heritage Museum of Big Spring | Home".
  32. "Hangar 25 Air Museum in Big Spring, Texas at former Webb AFB".
  33. "Comanche Trail Park | Big Spring, TX CVB".
  34. "Moss Creek Lake | Big Spring, TX CVB".
  35. "Signal Mountains". June 15, 2010.
  36. "West Texas VA Health Care System".
  37. "Parole Division Region V Archived September 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 22, 2010.
  38. "Post Office Location – BIG SPRING Archived June 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine." United States Postal Service; retrieved May 22, 2010.
  39. "FCI Big Spring, Contact Information." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on May 22, 2010.
  40. "CI Big Spring Contact Information." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on May 22, 2010.
  41. ""Big Spring Correctional Center – the GEO Group Inc". Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.", GEO Group. Retrieved on July 25, 2013.
  42. "Water Treatment Plant". Big Spring, Texas. City of Big Spring. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  43. "Foundation Partners with Carollo Engineers on Innovative Research". WateReuse. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  44. "Testing Water Quality in a Municipal Wastewater Effluent Treated to Drinking Water Standards". Texas Water Development Board. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  45. Daniel "Bubba" Franks bio (2000 NFL draft preview) on packers.com, the official website of the Green Bay Packers
  46. "Texas – Israel Cooperation". JewishVirtualLibrary.org. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  47. "Big Spring, San Miguel El Alto announces sister city status". mywesttexas.com. January 20, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2018.

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County seat: Big Spring
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