The South Plains is a region in northwest Texas , United States , consisting of 24 counties.
15-629: The South Plains region includes 24 counties: The northernmost four (Parmer, Castro, Swisher, and Briscoe) also form part of the Texas Panhandle region. The region consists of a portion of the Texas side of the geographical Llano Estacado and the western portion of the lower part of the Southwestern Tablelands ecological region. South Plains extends south of the Texas Panhandle , centered at Lubbock . While prominent in
30-754: The Llano Estacado is rather flat. South of the city of Amarillo , the level terrain gives way to Palo Duro Canyon , the second-largest canyon in the United States. This colorful canyon was carved by the Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River , a tributary of the Red River . North of Amarillo lies Lake Meredith , a reservoir created by Sanford Dam constructed on the main stem of the Canadian River . Lake Meredith and
45-807: The Ogallala Aquifer are the primary sources of freshwater in this semi-arid region of the High Plains . Interstate Highway 40 passes through the Panhandle, and also passes through Amarillo. The freeway passes through Deaf Smith , Oldham , Potter , Carson , Gray , Donley , and Wheeler Counties. As of the census of 2020 , about 434,358 people lived in the Panhandle. Of these, 53.6% were non-Hispanic White , 35.2% were Hispanic , 4.8% were African American , 2.8% were Asian . Only 4.1% were of some other ethnicity. About 92.3% of inhabitants claimed native birth , and 8.9% were veterans of
60-527: The United States armed forces ; 49.9% of the population was male, and 50.1% was female. Around 13.2% of the population was 65 years of age or older , whereas 27.8% of the population was under 18 years of age . The twenty-six counties of the Panhandle (west to east, from the northwest corner) are: Major cities of the Texas Panhandle with populations greater than 10,000 include: Some of
75-550: The Panhandle's residents live in the Amarillo Metropolitan Area, which is the largest and fastest-growing urban area in the region. Despite being geographically the northernmost part of Texas, the Panhandle is distinct from the region commonly called " North Texas ", which is to the south and east. West of the Caprock Escarpment and North and South of the Canadian River breaks, the surface of
90-630: The South Plains Regional Chapter of the American Red Cross ; South Plains Council of the Boy Scouts of America ; and numerous other public and private organizations. Texas Panhandle The Texas panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a square-shaped area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to
105-663: The South Plains, more than a million bales of cotton were harvested in 2005. This makes the South Plains the world’s largest cotton-producing region. There are many businesses and organizations that use “South Plains” as part of their name, helping to form the South Plains regional identity. These include South Plains College in Levelland ; the Panhandle-South Plains Fair held annually in Lubbock ;
120-592: The Texas Panhandle and the New Mexico Territory at the 103rd meridian west . The eastern border at the 100th meridian west was inherited from the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, which defined the border between the United States and New Spain . The Handbook of Texas defines the southern border of Swisher County as the southern boundary of the Texas Panhandle region. Its land area is 25,823.89 sq mi (66,883.58 km ), or nearly 10% of
135-557: The area of petroleum production, the South Plains is mainly an agricultural region, producing a great percentage of the nation's cotton and possessing numerous large cattle ranches. The South Plains is also home to several colleges and universities, the largest being Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Cotton is the most common crop grown in South Plains region. In 2004 and again in 2005, records were broken for cotton production. In an extended area comprising 31 counties in and near
150-704: The large Palo Duro Canyon southeast of Amarillo, Texas . One will notice the change in elevation of several hundred feet while crossing the Caprock Escarpment on Interstate 40 between Adrian, Texas and San Jon, New Mexico . The overall slight upslope, and in some areas, convergent, terrain of the Caprock is implicated in altering local weather and climate, such as enhancing precipitation and promoting thunderstorm initiation and organization. Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway , located near Quitaque, Texas , opened in 1982. A 65-mi (105-km) trail
165-544: The north and east. It is adjacent to the Oklahoma Panhandle , land which Texas previously claimed. The 1820 Missouri Compromise declared no slavery would be allowed in states admitted from the Louisiana Purchase above 36°30′ north latitude . Texas was annexed in 1845 from still more westerly land. The Compromise of 1850 removed territory north of this line from Texas, and set the border between
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#1732765677674180-650: The northeast corner of the Texas Panhandle near the Oklahoma border. The escarpment is especially notable, from north to south, in Briscoe , Floyd , Motley , Crosby , Dickens , Garza , and Borden Counties. In New Mexico, a prominent escarpment exists along the northernmost extension of the Llano Estacado, especially to the south of San Jon and Tucumcari , both in Quay County, New Mexico . Along
195-462: The smaller towns with populations less than 10,000 include: Caprock Escarpment The Caprock Escarpment is a term used in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico to describe the geographical transition point between the level High Plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain. In Texas, the escarpment stretches around 200 mi (320 km) south-southwest from
210-454: The state's total. The Texas Panhandle is slightly larger in size than the US state of West Virginia . An additional 62.75 sq mi (162.53 km ) is covered by water. Its population as of the 2010 census was 427,927 residents, or 1.7% of the state's total population. As of the 2010 census, the population density for the region was 16.6 per square mile (6.4/km ). However, more than 72% of
225-544: The western edge of the Llano Estacado, the portion of the escarpment that stretches from Caprock to Maljamar, New Mexico , is called the Mescalero Ridge . The escarpment is made of caliche —a layer of calcium carbonate that resists erosion. In some places, the escarpment rises around 1,000 ft (300 m) above the plains to the east. The escarpment's features formed by erosion from rivers and streams, creating arroyos and highly diverse terrain, including
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