Sonora, Texas

Sonora, Texas
City
Sonora entrance sign
Nickname:  "Home of the Caverns of Sonora"
Location in the state of Texas
Coordinates: 30°34′5″N100°38′39″W / 30.56806°N 100.64417°W / 30.56806; -100.64417
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Sutton
Government
•  Mayor	Wanda Shurley
Area [1]
• Total	2.22 sq mi (5.75 km2)
• Land	2.22 sq mi (5.75 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	2,129 ft (649 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	3,027
• Estimate  (2019) [2]	2,786
• Density	1,256.09/sq mi (484.90/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76950
Area code	Area code 325
FIPS code	48-68756 [3]
GNIS feature ID	1368606 [4]
Website	City of Sonora

The Sutton County Courthouse is perched on a hill overlooking Sonora.

Sonora City Hall

A glimpse of the eastern side of downtown Sonora

Sonora Bank at 102 E. Main St. in Sonora

First Methodist Church of Sonora

Presbyterian Church of the Good Shepherd in Sonora

First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Sonora is named for J. C. Hancock, the pastor there from 1968 to 1983.

Sonora is a city in and the county seat of Sutton County, Texas, United States. ^[5] The population was 3,027 at the 2010 census. ^[6]

Geography and climate

Sonora is located at 30°34′5″N100°38′39″W / 30.56806°N 100.64417°W / 30.56806; -100.64417 (30.568166, –100.644163). ^[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.1 km²), all land.

The area lies in the western portions of the Texas Hill Country, a region of limestone outcrops and rolling terrain dotted with areas of live oaks ( Quercus fusiformis ) and juniper ( Juniperus ashei ) in the form of a woodland or savanna, alternating with a blend of various grasses and other shrubs and cacti.

Sonora's climate is subhumid and subtropical, though periods of long drought are not uncommon due to the proximity of deserts and steppes nearby, to the west. The upland location allows some of the periodic Gulf of Mexico moisture to interact with frontal systems and elevated terrain to create more clouds and precipitation than locations in the brush country to the south, or the steppes and deserts to the west and northwest. Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall are most frequent during spring and fall months, though some lighter, steady precipitation and low clouds can occur during the winter, due in large part to frontal systems originating on the plains and prairies to the north.

Summers are long and hot, often with higher humidity, though a good breeze often moderates the heat. Fall through spring months are often pleasant, though winter can experience brief periods of cold or cloudy weather.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	1,009		—
1930	1,942		92.5%
1940	2,528		30.2%
1950	2,633		4.2%
1960	2,619		−0.5%
1970	2,149		−17.9%
1980	3,856		79.4%
1990	2,751		−28.7%
2000	2,924		6.3%
2010	3,027		3.5%
2019 (est.)	2,786	[2]	−8.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]

2020 census

Sonora racial composition ^[9]
(NH = Non-Hispanic) ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	789	31.53%
Black or African American (NH)	6	0.24%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	2	0.08%
Asian (NH)	4	0.16%
Some Other Race (NH)	12	0.48%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	31	1.24%
Hispanic or Latino	1,658	66.27%
Total	2,502

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,502 people, 1,085 households, and 799 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, 2,924 people, 1,043 households, and 808 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,488.8 inhabitants per square mile (574.8/km²). There were 1,264 housing units at an average density of 643.6 per square mile (248.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.18% White, 0.34% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 23.36% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 53.35% of the population.

Of the 1,043 households, 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were not families. About 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city, the population was distributed as 31.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,272, and for a family was $38,106. Males had a median income of $31,728 versus $17,935 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,128. About 13.0% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

The city government of Sonora uses the aldermanic form of government. It is led by an elected mayor and four other council members. ^[12]

As of February 24, 2016 the mayor of Sonora was Wanda Shurley and the four council members were Doug Chandler, Todd Munn, Jeremy Dawson, and Terri Johnson. ^[13] The Sonora police department is headed by Chief Matthew Routh.

Education

The City of Sonora is served by the Sonora Independent School District. Sonora exhibits a proud tradition of both academic and athletic success in its long history. The Sonora High School Broncos have won the most football state championships in their division (2A) with five, the most recent having been won in 2000 against the Blanco Panthers.

The latest championship team was coached by Jason Herring. 2000 was the first of two State Championships for him, his second coming in 2011 (beating the Broncos on the way there) with the Refugio Bobcats.

History

On the night of April 2, 1901, William Carver, a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, was shot and killed in Jack Owen's Bakery by Sheriff E.S. Briant and his deputies. Briant was trying to arrest Carver on suspicion of the murder of Oliver Thornton in Concho County.

Notable people

• Dan Blocker, who portrayed "Hoss" on Bonanza , was a high-school English and drama teacher in Sonora before he was cast in the NBC western television series
• Bill Ratliff, Former State Senator and Lieutenant Governor of Mount Pleasant was reared in Sonora and graduated from high school there
• Jack Taylor, a mayor of Mesa, Arizona, who served in both houses of the Arizona State Legislature, was born in Sonora in 1907 ^[14]

Attractions

• Caverns of Sonora: approximately eight miles to the west
• Eaton Hill Nature Center: interpretive exhibits and over three miles of hiking trails. ^[15]
• Miers House Museum: restored 1890s Victorian home. ^[16]
• Old Sonora Ice House Ranch Museum, a museum focused on the legacy of Will Carver. ^[17]

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
6. "Population and Housing Unit Counts, 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). Texas: 2010.
7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
10. https://www.census.gov/ ^{[ not specific enough to verify ]}
11. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
12. "City of Sonora, Texas Code of Ordinances Division 1, Sections 2-41 and 2-42" . Retrieved January 30, 2015.
13. "City Council" . Retrieved January 30, 2015.
14. "Jerald Jackson Taylor". apnewsarchive.com. April 3, 1995. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
15. "Eaton Hill Nature Center". Texas Mountain Trail Region. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
16. "Miers Home Museum". Texas Mountain Trail Region. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
17. "Old Sonora Ice House Ranch Museum". Texas Mountain Trail Region. Retrieved November 4, 2014.

1. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. ^{[10] [11]}

External links

• Sonora Chamber of Commerce