Stratford, Texas

Stratford, Texas
Town
Stratford, 2006
Location of Stratford, Texas
Coordinates: 36°20′15″N102°04′34″W / 36.33750°N 102.07611°W / 36.33750; -102.07611
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Sherman
Settled	c. 1885
Named for	Stratford Hall
Area [1]
• Total	2.31 sq mi (5.98 km2)
• Land	2.31 sq mi (5.98 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	3,694 ft (1,126 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,939
• Density	840/sq mi (320/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code	79084
Area code	806
FIPS code	48-70544 [3]
GNIS feature ID	2411988 [2]
Website	www.stratfordtx.com

Stratford is a town and county seat of Sherman County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,939 at the 2020 Census, ^[4] down from 2,017 in 2010. ^[5]

History

Stratford was first settled around 1885, when a man named Aaron Norton bought 100 parcels of land from the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway. His manager, Walter Colton, named it for Stratford Hall, the childhood home of Robert E. Lee, whom he admired. A post office was established in 1900. In July 1901, Stratford was voted county seat, replacing Coldwater. In 1928, the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway was connected to Stratford. The town was incorporated at some point before 1940. ^[6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.3 km²), all land.

Stratford is situated in the Llano Estacado. The Rita Blance National Grasslands are due west of the town. ^[7]

Climate

Stratford has a semiarid climate (BSk) with long, hot summers and short, cool, and somewhat snowy winters.

A dust storm is approaching Stratford on April 18, 1935.

Climate data for Stratford, Texas (1981–2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	48.3 (9.1)	51.5 (10.8)	59.9 (15.5)	69.2 (20.7)	78.0 (25.6)	87.1 (30.6)	91.5 (33.1)	89.4 (31.9)	82.2 (27.9)	70.8 (21.6)	58.5 (14.7)	47.6 (8.7)	69.5 (20.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	19.7 (−6.8)	22.1 (−5.5)	29.3 (−1.5)	37.6 (3.1)	48.1 (8.9)	58.0 (14.4)	62.9 (17.2)	61.8 (16.6)	53.3 (11.8)	40.5 (4.7)	28.7 (−1.8)	20.2 (−6.6)	40.2 (4.6)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.53 (13)	0.45 (11)	1.26 (32)	1.24 (31)	2.24 (57)	2.21 (56)	2.24 (57)	2.59 (66)	1.68 (43)	1.29 (33)	0.69 (18)	0.72 (18)	17.15 (436)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	5.4 (14)	2.9 (7.4)	4.3 (11)	1.4 (3.6)	0.1 (0.25)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.51)	2.0 (5.1)	5.1 (13)	21.4 (54)
Source: NOAA [8]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	520		—
1920	472		−9.2%
1930	873		85.0%
1940	877		0.5%
1950	1,385		57.9%
1960	1,380		−0.4%
1970	2,139		55.0%
1980	1,917		−10.4%
1990	1,781		−7.1%
2000	1,991		11.8%
2010	2,017		1.3%
2020	1,939		−3.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]

2020 census

Stratford racial composition ^[4]
(NH = Non-Hispanic) ^[a]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	822	42.39%
Black or African American (NH)	10	0.52%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	4	0.21%
Asian (NH)	1	0.05%
Some Other Race (NH)	5	0.26%
Mixed/multiracial (NH)	51	2.63%
Hispanic or Latino	1,046	53.95%
Total	1,939

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,939 people, 702 households, and 554 families residing in the city.

2000 census

At the 2000 Census, 1,991 people, 722 households, and 535 families were living in the city. The population density was 980.2 inhabitants per square mile (378.5/km²). The 794 housing units had an average density of 390.9 per square mile (150.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.02% White, 0.30% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 14.41% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 30.44%. ^[3]

Of the 722 households, 39.2% had children under 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were not families. About 24.4% of households were one person and 11.4% were one person 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.21.

The age distribution was 30.5% under 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.

The median household income was $32,656 and the median family income was $37,955. Males had a median income of $27,113 versus $19,524 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,790. About 11.2% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Stratford is at the intersection of US Routes 54 and 287, and is the western terminus of Texas State Highway 15. ^[7]

The nearest major airport, Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport, is 82 miles and two states away in Liberal, Kansas, although Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is only slightly further away, at 91 miles. ^[12]

Education

The city of Stratford is served by the Stratford Independent School District, and is home to Stratford High School.

Notes

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]}

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Stratford, Texas
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race". Census Bureau Table. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
6. Association, Texas State Historical. "Stratford, TX". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
7. "Rita Blanca National Grasslands to Stratford, Texas". Google Maps. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
8. "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Retrieved May 5, 2013.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
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. "Major Airports near Stratford, Texas". Travelmath. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2021.

External links

• Sherman County