Van Horn, Texas | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 31°2′33″N104°49′59″W / 31.04250°N 104.83306°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
County | Culberson |
Area | |
• Total | 2.84 sq mi (7.35 km2) |
• Land | 2.84 sq mi (7.35 km2) |
• Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
Elevation | 4,042 ft (1,232 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,941 |
• Estimate (2019) [2] | 1,870 |
• Density | 683.45/sq mi (264.08/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
ZIP Code | 79855 |
Area code | 432 |
FIPS code | 48-75032 [3] |
GNIS feature ID | 1370571 [4] |
Website | Official website |
Van Horn is a town in and the seat of Culberson County, Texas, United States. [5] According to the 2010 census, Van Horn had a population of 2,063, [6] down from 2,435 at the 2000 census. The 2020 census results detailed a decline in population to 1,941. Van Horn's official newspaper is The Van Horn Advocate. The town is the westernmost incorporated community in the United States that uses the Central Time Zone, located on the same line of longitude as Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Its earliest sunset in the beginning of December is the latest among incorporated towns in the United States, occurring no earlier than 5:56 pm. [7]
Anglo-Texan [8] settlement began in the late 1850s and early 1860s supportive of the San Antonio-El Paso Overland Mail route. [9] Although U.S. Army Major Jefferson Van Horne is believed to have passed near the area in 1849 on his way to take command of what would later become Fort Bliss, the town is instead named for Lt. James Judson Van Horn who commanded an army garrison at the Van Horn Wells beginning in 1859. Lt. Van Horn's command was relatively short-lived, as the post was seized by Confederate forces in 1861 and Lt. Van Horn taken prisoner. [10] Settlement was further stimulated by the construction of the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881. [11] [12] [13] The town has several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places including the First Presbyterian Church (now Primera Iglesia Bautista), built in 1901.
Van Horn is located in southwestern Culberson County at 31°2′33″N104°49′59″W / 31.04250°N 104.83306°W (31.042489, –104.832928). [14] Interstate 10 passes through the town, leading east 120 miles (190 km) to Fort Stockton and northwest 118 miles (190 km) to El Paso. Van Horn is the western terminus of U.S. Route 90; from Van Horn it leads southeast 73 miles (117 km) to Marfa. Texas State Highway 54 leads north from Van Horn 65 miles (105 km) to Pine Springs and the Guadalupe Mountains.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), all land. [6] Threemile Peak, elevation 4,868 feet (1,484 m), rises to the northwest overlooking the town.
Climate data for Van Horn, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1942–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) | 88 (31) | 94 (34) | 100 (38) | 105 (41) | 112 (44) | 108 (42) | 108 (42) | 104 (40) | 98 (37) | 87 (31) | 82 (28) | 112 (44) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 59.1 (15.1) | 64.2 (17.9) | 71.6 (22.0) | 78.8 (26.0) | 86.6 (30.3) | 94.5 (34.7) | 92.9 (33.8) | 91.9 (33.3) | 85.9 (29.9) | 78.7 (25.9) | 68.1 (20.1) | 59.2 (15.1) | 77.6 (25.3) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.6 (7.0) | 49.0 (9.4) | 56.1 (13.4) | 63.4 (17.4) | 71.9 (22.2) | 80.4 (26.9) | 80.6 (27.0) | 79.5 (26.4) | 73.3 (22.9) | 64.3 (17.9) | 53.2 (11.8) | 45.1 (7.3) | 63.4 (17.4) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30.0 (−1.1) | 33.8 (1.0) | 40.6 (4.8) | 47.9 (8.8) | 57.3 (14.1) | 66.4 (19.1) | 68.3 (20.2) | 67.1 (19.5) | 60.6 (15.9) | 49.8 (9.9) | 38.3 (3.5) | 30.9 (−0.6) | 49.2 (9.6) |
Record low °F (°C) | −7 (−22) | −3 (−19) | 9 (−13) | 24 (−4) | 31 (−1) | 45 (7) | 53 (12) | 48 (9) | 33 (1) | 19 (−7) | 10 (−12) | 0 (−18) | −7 (−22) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.47 (12) | 0.44 (11) | 0.25 (6.4) | 0.22 (5.6) | 0.49 (12) | 1.10 (28) | 2.05 (52) | 1.95 (50) | 1.50 (38) | 0.94 (24) | 0.42 (11) | 0.49 (12) | 10.32 (262) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.7 (1.8) | 0.6 (1.5) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.5 (1.3) | 1.2 (3.0) | 3.3 (8.4) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 2.8 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 5.7 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 46.9 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.4 |
Source: NOAA [15] [16] |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1890 | 450 | — | |
1900 | 30 | −93.3% | |
1910 | 500 | 1,566.7% | |
1920 | 800 | 60.0% | |
1930 | 1,600 | 100.0% | |
1940 | 2,070 | 29.4% | |
1950 | 1,161 | −43.9% | |
1960 | 1,953 | 68.2% | |
1970 | 2,889 | 47.9% | |
1980 | 2,772 | −4.0% | |
1990 | 2,930 | 5.7% | |
2000 | 2,435 | −16.9% | |
2010 | 2,063 | −15.3% | |
2020 | 1,941 | −5.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [17] |
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (NH) | 347 | 17.88% |
Black or African American (NH) | 14 | 0.72% |
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 11 | 0.57% |
Asian (NH) | 25 | 1.29% |
Some Other Race (NH) | 3 | 0.15% |
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 33 | 1.7% |
Hispanic or Latino | 1,508 | 77.69% |
Total | 1,941 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,941 people, 607 households, and 339 families residing in the town.
As of the census [3] of 2000, 2,435 people, 834 households, and 652 families resided in the town. The population density was 846.9 inhabitants per square mile (327.0/km2). The 976 housing units averaged 339.5 per square mile (130.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 64.6% White, 0.7% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 31.5% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 78.6% of the population.
The United States Postal Service operates the Van Horn Post Office. [21]
Van Horn is served by the Culberson County-Allamoore Independent School District and is home to the Van Horn High School Eagles.
In late 2006, The Wall Street Journal reported that Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, had acquired 290,000 acres (1,200 km2) of land 25 miles (40 km) north of Van Horn, including the Figure 2 Ranch Airport, to house his fledgling space tourism company, Blue Origin. A 2006 article on Space.com reported that Blue Origin was expected to start commercial operations as early as 2010, aiming for 52 launches per year from the Van Horn facility. [22] This spaceport is named Corn Ranch.
In early 2010, NASA awarded Blue Origin US$3.7 million to work on an advanced technology, which detaches a crew cabin from its launcher if the shuttle malfunctions. [23]
An August 2016 update reported Blue Origin was still conducting test flights with plans to begin flying piloted tests in 2017 and paying customers in 2018. [24] [25] Blue Origin's actual first human launch from, and return to, Van Horn occurred on the morning of July 20, 2021, with a crew of four people. [26]
In 2009, the Van Horn Advocate announced that the Long Now Foundation was starting geologic testing for an underground space to house a 10,000-year Clock of the Long Now, on the Bezos ranch, north of Van Horn. [27]
Van Horn provided the inspiration for the 2019 song "Van Horn" by alternative-rock band Saint Motel which was featured on their EP The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Part 1 after the band spent a night there on a recent tour. [28]
Famed football coach John Madden put Chuy's Restaurant on the national map after a 1987 stop with his Madden Cruiser bus. [29]
Reeves County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,748. Its county seat and most populous city is Pecos. The county was created in 1883 and organized the next year. It is named for George R. Reeves, a Texas state legislator and colonel in the Confederate Army. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. Reeves County comprises the Pecos micropolitan statistical area.
Presidio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,131. Its county seat is Marfa. The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1875. Presidio County is in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas and is named for the border settlement of Presidio del Norte. It is on the Rio Grande, which forms the Mexican border.
Jeff Davis County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,996. Its county seat is Fort Davis. The county is named for Jefferson Davis, who served as the 23rd United States Secretary of War in the 1850s, and as Confederate president.
Hudspeth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,202. Its county seat is Sierra Blanca, and the largest community is Fort Hancock. The county is named for Claude Benton Hudspeth, a state senator and United States Representative from El Paso. It is northeast of the Mexico–U.S. border.
Gaines County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 21,598. The county seat is Seminole.
El Paso County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 865,657, making it the ninth-most populous county in the state of Texas. Its seat is the city of El Paso, the sixth-most populous city in Texas and the 22nd-most populous city in the United States. The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1871.
Culberson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,188. The county seat is Van Horn. Culberson County was founded in 1911 and organized the next year. It is named for David B. Culberson, a Confederate soldier and U.S. representative.
Brewster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in West Texas and its county seat is Alpine. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region, and borders Mexico. Brewster County is the largest county by area in the state - at 6,192 square miles (16,040 km2) it is over three times the size of the state of Delaware, and more than 500 square miles (1,300 km2) bigger than Connecticut.
Tornillo is a border town in El Paso County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,568 at the 2010 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined this unincorporated community as a census-designated place (CDP). It is part of the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Tornillo and Guadalupe, Chihuahua, area is connected by the Tornillo–Guadalupe International Bridge.
Sierra Blanca is an unincorporated area in Hudspeth County, Texas, United States. It is also the county seat of the county and the namesake of a census-designated place (CDP) in which it is located. The town is part of the Trans-Pecos region of far West Texas, is located northeast of the Mexican border and is within the Mountain Time Zone. As of the 2020 census, its population was 315.
Fort Davis is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,201 at the 2010 census, up from 1,050 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Jeff Davis County.
Valentine is a town in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 134 at the 2010 census, down from 187 at the 2000 census.
Cotulla is a city in and the county seat of La Salle County, Texas, United States. Its population was 3,718 as of the 2020 census.
Fort Stockton is a city in and the county seat of Pecos County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 10, future Interstate 14, U.S. Highways 67, 285, and 385, and the Santa Fe Railroad, 329 mi (529 km) northwest of San Antonio and 240 mi (390 km) southeast of El Paso. Its population was 8,466 at the 2020 census.
The Trans-Pecos, as originally defined in 1887 by the Texas geologist Robert T. Hill, is the distinct portion of Texas that lies west of the Pecos River. The term is considered synonymous with Far West Texas, a subdivision of West Texas. The Trans-Pecos is part of the Chihuahuan Desert, the largest desert in North America. It is the most mountainous and arid portion of the state, and most of its vast area is sparsely populated. Among the nine counties in the region are the five largest counties by area in Texas and eight of the eleven largest in the state. The area is known for the natural environment of the Big Bend and the gorge of the Rio Grande, part of which has been designated a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. With the notable exceptions of Big Bend Ranch State Park, Big Bend National Park and the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the vast majority of the Trans-Pecos region consists of privately owned ranchland. However, most of the region's population reside in the El Paso metropolitan area. Besides El Paso and its metropolitan area, the major cities are Pecos (12,916), Fort Stockton (8,466), and Alpine (6,035). All other settlements have under 5,000 people.
State Highway 54 is a 55.2-mile (88.8 km) highway maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) that runs from Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 90 in Van Horn north to US 62 and US 180 between Salt Flat and Pine Springs near Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The route, located in western Culberson County, is largely isolated passing through no cities or towns beyond Van Horn and intersecting no other highways between Van Horn and its northern terminus. Within Van Horn, the route has intersections with Business Interstate 10-D and Farm to Market Road 2185.
Corn Ranch, commonly referred to as Launch Site One (LSO), is a spaceport owned and operated by Blue Origin which is located approximately 30 miles north of the town of Van Horn, Texas, United States.
Lobo is a ghost town in Culberson County, Texas, United States, that was abandoned in 1991.
Allamoore is a small, unincorporated community in Hudspeth County, Texas, United States. It is located just north of Interstate 10, approximately 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Sierra Blanca and 11 miles (18 km) west of Van Horn.
The Sierra Diablo is a small mountain range in the US state of Texas, extending north and south along the border between Hudspeth and Culberson counties. It is in the Chihuahuan Desert, and is near Van Horn, Texas.