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Amarillo, Texas

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography

   Amarillo, Texas
   Skyline of Amarillo, Texas

   Official flag of Amarillo, Texas

                                   Official seal of Amarillo, Texas
   Flag                            Seal
   Nickname: "The Yellow Rose of Texas, Helium Capital of the World, Rotor
   City USA"
   Location within the state of Texas
   Location within the state of Texas
   Coordinates: 35°11′57″N, 101°50′43″W
   Country United States
   State Texas
   County Potter (and Randall)
   Mayor Debra McCartt
   Area
    - City 233.9 km²  (90.3  sq mi)
    - Land 232.7 km²  (89.8 sq mi)
    - Water 1.2 km² (0.5 sq mi)
   Elevation 1,099 m  (3,605 ft)
   Population
    - City (2005) 183,021
    - Density 782.5/km² (2,026.8/sq mi)
    - Metro 236,113
   Time zone CST ( UTC-6)
    - Summer ( DST) CDT ( UTC-5)
   Website: http://www.ci.amarillo.tx.us/

   Amarillo is the 14th-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the
   county seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into
   Randall County. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a total
   population of 173,627 (though a July 1, 2005 estimate placed the city's
   population at 183,021). The Amarillo metropolitan area, however, has an
   estimated population of 236,113 in four counties.

   The city was once self-proclaimed as the "Helium Capital of the World"
   for having one of the country's most productive helium fields. The city
   is also known as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and most recently "Rotor
   City, USA" for its V-22 Osprey hybrid aircraft assembly plant. Amarillo
   operates one of the largest meat packing areas in the United States.
   Pantex, the only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility in
   the country, is also a major employer. The attractions, Cadillac Ranch
   and Big Texan Steak Ranch, were located on old U.S. Route 66, which
   passes through the city.

History

   In April 1887, J. T. Berry established a site for a town after he chose
   a well-watered section along the way of the Fort Worth and Denver City
   Railroad, which had begun building across the Texas Panhandle. Berry
   and Colorado City, Texas merchants wanted to make their new town site
   the region's main trading centre. On August 30, 1887, Berry's town site
   won the county seat election and was established in Potter County.
   Availability of the railroad and freight service after the county seat
   election made the town a fast growing cattle marketing centre.

   The settlement originally was called Oneida, it would later change its
   name to Amarillo. Amarillo's name probably derives from the nearby
   Amarillo Lake and Amarillo Creek, named in turn for the yellow soil
   along their banks and shores (Amarillo is the Spanish word for the
   colour yellow) or the yellow wildflowers that were plentiful during the
   spring and summer. Despite having a Spanish origin name, the City of
   Amarillo is pronounced in English as "Am-ah-RILL-ow" rather than
   "Ah-mah-REE-yoh". Early residents pronounced it according to the
   Spanish pronunciation, but within a year, the English pronunciation
   prevailed. Charles F. Rudolph, editor of the Tascosa Pioneer, predicted
   the pronunciation change after blaming Fort Worth and Denver City
   Railroad employees for ignoring the word's Spanish pronunciation.
   An aeroplane view of the Amarillo business district in 1912.
   Enlarge
   An aeroplane view of the Amarillo business district in 1912.

   On June 19, 1888, Henry B. Sanborn, who is given credit as the "Father
   of Amarillo," and his business partner Joseph F. Glidden began buying
   land to the east to move Amarillo after arguing that Berry's site was
   on low ground and would flood during rainstorms. Sanborn also offered
   to trade lots in the new location to businesses in the original city’s
   site and help the expense of moving buildings. His incentives gradually
   won over people, who moved their businesses to Polk Street in the new
   commercial district. It rained heavily and almost flooded Berry’s part
   of the town in 1889, prompting more people to move to Sanborn's
   location. This eventually led to another county seat election making
   Sanborn's town the new county seat in 1893.

   By the late 1890s, Amarillo had emerged as one of the world's busiest
   cattle shipping points, and its population grew significantly. The city
   became an elevator, milling, and feed-manufacturing centre after an
   increasing production of wheat and small grains during the early 1900s.
   Discovery of gas in 1918 and oil three years later brought oil and gas
   companies to the Amarillo area. The United States government bought the
   Cliffside Gas Field with high helium content in 1927 and the Federal
   Bureau of Mines began operating the Amarillo Helium Plant two years
   later. The plant would be the sole producer of commercial helium in the
   world for a number of years. The U.S. National Helium Reserve is stored
   in the Bush Dome Reservoir at the Cliffside facility.

   Following the lead of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad, the
   Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Chicago, Rock Island and
   Pacific Railroad established services to and from Amarillo. Each of
   these three carriers maintained substantial freight and passenger
   depots and repair facilities in the city through most of the 20th
   century and were major employers within the community.

   During the 1930s, the city was hit by the Dust Bowl and entered into an
   economic depression. The U.S. Routes 60, 87, 287, and 66 merged at
   Amarillo, making it a major tourist stop with numerous motels,
   restaurants, and curio shops. World War II led the establishment of
   Amarillo Army Air Field in east Amarillo and the nearby Pantex Army
   Ordnance Plant, which produced bombs and ammunition. After the end of
   the war, both of the facilities were closed. The Pantex Plant was
   reopened in 1950 and produced nuclear weapons throughout the Cold War.
   The following year, the army air base was reactivated as Amarillo Air
   Force Base and expanded to accommodate a Strategic Air Command B-52
   Stratofortress wing. The arrival of servicemen and their families ended
   the city's depression. Between 1950 and 1960, Amarillo's population
   grew from 74,443 to 137,969. However, the closure of the Amarillo Air
   Force Base on December 31, 1968, contributed to a decrease in
   population to 127,010 by 1970. In the 1970s, ASARCO, Iowa Beef
   Processors, Owens-Corning and Weyerhaeuser built plants at Amarillo.
   The following decade, Amarillo's city limits encompassed 60 square
   miles in Potter and Randall counties. The intrastate interstate highway
   I-27 connecting Lubbock to Amarillo was built mostly during the 1980s.

Geography and climate

   Lighthouse hoodoo in Palo Duro Canyon. The canyon system is located
   south of the city.
   Enlarge
   Lighthouse hoodoo in Palo Duro Canyon. The canyon system is located
   south of the city.

   Amarillo is located near the middle of the Texas Panhandle and is part
   of the Llano Estacado or Staked Plains region which has a surface that
   is relatively flat and has little drainage in the soil. Due to the lack
   of developed drainage, much of the rainfall either evaporates,
   infiltrates into the ground, or accumulates in playa lakes. According
   to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 90.3
   mi² (233.9 km²). 89.9 mi² (232.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 mi² (1.2
   km²) of it (0.50%) is water. The Amarillo metropolitan area is the
   180th-largest in the United States with a population of 236,113 in four
   counties: Armstrong, Carson, Potter, and Randall.

   About 40 mi (64 km) northeast of Amarillo is the Canadian River, which
   divides the southern part of the High Plains to form the Llano
   Estacado. The river is dammed to form Lake Meredith, a major source of
   drinking water in the Texas Panhandle region. The city is situated near
   the Panhandle Field, in a productive gas and oil area, covering 200,000
   surface acres in Hartley, Potter, Moore, Hutchinson, Carson, Gray,
   Wheeler, and Collingsworth counties. The Potter County portion had the
   nation's largest natural gas reserve. Approximately 25 mi (40 km) south
   of Amarillo is the canyon system, Palo Duro Canyon.

Cityscape

   Most of Amarillo’s population growth and commercial development are
   occurring in the southern and northwestern parts of the city. Similar
   to many towns in the Texas Panhandle, the city’s downtown has suffered
   economic deterioration throughout the years. In order to try to help
   revitalize it, the organization Centre City of Amarillo was formed to
   establish partnerships with groups who have a huge presence in the city
   to support the downtown. Since its conception in the 1990s, Centre City
   created archways over two streets, sponsors public art projects such as
   murals, and started block parties in the downtown area.

   The 31-story Chase Tower, the tallest building between Dallas and
   Denver, was opened in Amarillo's downtown in 1971. It is an office
   building and had two prior names: SPS Tower and Bank One Centre.
   Completed in the same year as the Chase Tower, the Amarillo National
   Bank Plaza One building houses the headquarters of Amarillo National
   Bank, the city's largest financial institution. The Santa Fe Building,
   completed in 1930, was the regional offices of the Atchison, Topeka and
   Santa Fe Railway company but was vacant for several years until Potter
   County bought the building for US$426,000 in 1995 to gain new office
   spaces.
   The Santa Fe Building in the downtown area.
   Enlarge
   The Santa Fe Building in the downtown area.

   Amarillo's historic homes and buildings listed on the National Register
   of Historic Places reflect the economic growth from around 1900 to the
   start of World War II. Polk Street contains many of the city's historic
   downtown buildings and homes. The large historic homes on this street
   were built close to downtown, and homes were located on the west side
   of the street as a symbol of status because they would be greeted with
   the sunrise every morning. A local newspaper article in 1914 promoted
   the planting of trees as a sanitary asset due to the author cited
   studies by the New York County Medical Society and the New York City
   Park Commission which claims areas with trees have less bacteria and
   fewer dust particles. The trees that lasted the Texas Panhandle
   environment line the streets in Amarillo's older neighborhoods.

   The City of Amarillo's Parks and Recreation Department operates over 50
   municipal parks including a skatepark, west of the city. Amarillo's
   largest parks are Medical Park, Thompson Memorial Park, and Memorial
   Park, near Amarillo College's Washington Street Campus. From 1978 to
   2002, the Junior League of Amarillo and the City of Amarillo's Parks
   and Recreation Department co-sponsored Funfest, a family entertainment
   festival, benefiting the city parks and the league's Community Chest
   Trust Fund. Funfest was held in Thompson Memorial Park during Memorial
   Day weekend. Completed in 2000, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
   Park adjoins with a shallow playa lake which located south of it was
   the original town site of Amarillo.

Climate

   Amarillo and along with the Texas Panhandle's climate is classified as
   subhumid to semiarid. It is characterized by a rush of cold air from
   the north or northwest into a warmer area and occasionally, by
   blizzards during the winter season and a hot summer. The normal annual
   rainfall for Amarillo is approximately 20 inches (508 mm). Most of the
   region's precipitation occurs in the late spring and summer months, and
   the least occurs from November through March. The January's average
   high in the city is 49 °F (9 °C) and average low is 22 °F (-6 °C);
   July's average high is 91 °F (33 °C) and average low is 65 °F (18 °C).
   The highest temperature ever recorded in Amarillo was 108 °F (42 °C);
   the lowest was -16 °F (-27 °C). Amarillo is in an area of the United
   States which tornadoes are most frequent called the " Tornado Alley."

   CAPTION: Amarillo's climate

   Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
   Average high temperature °F ( °C) 49
   (9.4) 53
   (11.7) 61
   (16.1) 71
   (21.7) 79
   (26.1) 88
   (31.1) 91
   (32.8) 89
   (31.7) 82
   (27.8) 72
   (22.2) 59
   (15.0) 51
   (10.5) 71
   (21.6)
   Average low temperature °F (°C) 22
   (–5.5) 26
   (–3.3) 32
   (0.0) 42
   (5.5) 52
   (11.1) 61
   (16.1) 66
   (18.9) 64
   (17.8) 57
   (13.9) 45
   (7.2) 32
   (0.0) 24
   (–4.4) 44
   (6.7)
   Average precipitation inches ( mm) 0.5
   (12.7) 0.6
   (15.2) 0.9
   (22.9) 1.1
   (27.9) 2.8
   (71.1) 3.5
   (88.9) 2.8
   (71.1) 3.0
   (76.2) 1.9
   (48.3) 1.3
   (33.0) 0.6
   (15.2) 0.5
   (12.7) 19.6
   (497.8)

Demographics

   This map shows the city's average number of inhabitants per square mile
   of land in 2000.
   Enlarge
   This map shows the city's average number of inhabitants per square mile
   of land in 2000.

   CAPTION: Amarillo
   Population by year

      Year        Pop.
   1940         51,686
   1950         74,246
   1960        137,969
   1970        127,010
   1980        149,230
   1990        157,615
   2000        173,627
   2005 (est.) 183,021

   As of the census^ GR2 of 2000, there were 173,627 people, 67,699
   households, and 45,764 families residing in the city. The population
   density was 1,932.1/mi² (746.0/km²). There were 72,408 housing units at
   an average density of 805.8/mi² (311.1/km²). Given Amarillo's growth
   rate, however, the numbers have increased, and the city's population is
   approximately 183,021 according to a July 1, 2005 estimate.

   The racial makeup of the city was 77.50% White, 5.97% African American,
   0.78% Native American, 2.05% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 11.32% from
   other races, and 2.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of
   any race were 21.86% of the population which had a significant increase
   of 63.35% compare to the 1990 U.S. Census report.

   There were 67,699 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age
   of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together,
   12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were
   classified as non-families by the United States Census Bureau. Of
   67,699 households, 2,981 were unmarried partner households: 2,713
   heterosexual, 82 same-sex male, and 186 same-sex female. 27.7% of all
   households were made up of individuals and 9.9% have someone living
   alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was
   2.53 and the average family size was 3.10.

   In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of
   18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and
   12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years.
   For every 100 females there are 92.4 males. For every 100 females age
   18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

   The median income for a household in the city was $34,940, and the
   median income for a family was $42,536. Males had a median income of
   $31,321 versus $22,562 for females. The per capita income for the city
   was $18,621. About 11.1% of families and 14.5% of the population were
   below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 9.3%
   of those age 65 or over. Approximately 37.5% of African American
   households in 2000 had an income below $15,000, compared to 17.59% of
   White households and 22.08% of Hispanic households. In addition, about
   over 34.6% of the total African American population lived in poverty,
   compared to 22.8% of the Hispanic population and 10% of the White
   population.

Law and government

   In 1913, Amarillo became the first Texas city and the fifth in United
   States to use the council-manager form of municipal government, with
   all governmental powers resting in a legislative body called a
   commission. Amarillo's commission composed of five elected
   commissioners, one of whom is the mayor of the city. The mayor and each
   commissioner serves a two-year term. The role of the commission is to
   pass ordinances and resolutions, adopt regulations, and appoint city
   officials, including the city manager. While the mayor serves as a
   presiding officer of the commission, the city manager is the
   administrative head of the municipal government, and is responsible for
   the administration of all departments. The city commission holds its
   regular meetings on Tuesday of each week.

   CAPTION: 2005 Commission members

   Mayor                Debra McCartt
   Commissioner Place 1 Madison Scott
   Commissioner Place 2 Paul Harpole
   Commissioner Place 3 Robert Keys
   Commissioner Place 4 Jim Simms

   CAPTION: City administration

   City manager           Alan M. Taylor
   Assistant city manager Jarrett Atkinson

   Amarillo is in the U.S. House 13th Congressional district, and is
   represented by Representative Mac Thornberry. In the Texas Legislature,
   the city is in the 31st District in the Texas Senate and in the 87th
   district in the Texas House of Representatives. As the seat of Potter
   County, the city is the location of the county's trial, civil, and
   criminal courts. The Randall County Amarillo Annex building is located
   within the city limits and houses its Sheriff's Office and Justice of
   the Peace Court, Precinct 4.

Economy

   The Potter County Courthouse contains the offices of the county judge
   and clerk.
   Enlarge
   The Potter County Courthouse contains the offices of the county judge
   and clerk.

   Amarillo is considered the regional economical centre for the Texas
   Panhandle as well as Eastern New Mexico and the Oklahoma Panhandle. The
   meat packing industry is a major employer in Amarillo; about
   one-quarter of the United States' beef supply is processed in the area.
   The city is also the location of headquarters for the Texas Cattle
   Feeders Association. Petroleum extraction is also a major industry. The
   helium industry has decreased in significance since the federal
   government privatized local operations in the late 1990s. Bell
   Helicopter Textron opened a helicopter assembly plant near the city's
   international airport in 1999. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
   Statistics, the industry with the largest contribution to personal
   income in the city was the services industry with 23.52% in 2000. The
   government industry contributed 16.37% while retail trade category
   contributed 10.16%.

   The city's largest employer in 2005 is Tyson Foods with 3,700
   employees. The Amarillo Independent School District is next with 3,659
   employees followed by BWXT Pantex, Baptist St. Anthony’s Health Care
   System, City of Amarillo, Northwest Texas Healthcare System, Amarillo
   College, and United Supermarkets. Other major employers include Bell
   Helicopter Textron, Owens-Corning, and ASARCO.

   Approximately 14 million acres (5.7 million hectares) of agricultural
   land surrounds the city with corn, wheat and cotton as the primary
   crops. Other crops in the area include sorghum, silage, hay and
   soybeans. The Texas Panhandle, particularly in Hereford, Texas, serves
   as a fast growing milk producing area as several multi-million dollar
   state of the art dairies were built in early 2000s.

   The Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) is funded by a
   city sales tax, and it provides aggressive incentive packages to
   existing and prospective employers. In the mid-to-late 1990s, the AEDC
   gained notoriety by sending mock checks to businesses across the
   country, placing full-page advertisements in The Wall Street Journal,
   and paying an annual $1 million subsidy to American Airlines to retain
   jet service. The AEDC is largely responsible for bringing Bell
   Helicopter Textron's development of the V-22 Osprey hybrid aircraft and
   the future site of Marine One assembly in Amarillo.

Education

   The clock tower at the Amarillo College's Washington Street Campus.
   Enlarge
   The clock tower at the Amarillo College's Washington Street Campus.

   According to the 2000 United States Census, 20.5% of all adults over
   the age of 25 in Amarillo have obtained a bachelor's degree, as
   compared to a national average of 24.4% of adults over 25, and 79.3% of
   Amarillo residents over the age of 25 have earned a high school
   diploma, as compared to the national average of 80.4%.

   The higher education institutions in the city are Amarillo College, a
   two-year community college with over 10,000 students; Wayland Baptist
   University, a private university based in Plainview, has a branch
   campus in Amarillo; and Texas Tech University at Amarillo, a branch
   campus of Texas Tech University that offers selected master's degree
   programs. West Texas A&M University, in nearby Canyon, is the regional
   university in the Amarillo area and the Texas Panhandle.

   The public primary and secondary education are mostly handled by the
   Amarillo Independent School District (AISD) and Canyon Independent
   School District. (CISD) The AISD has approximately 29,000 students in
   2004 while CISD has over 8,000 students in 2005. The AISD operates 4
   high schools, 9 middle schools, 36 elementary schools, a specialty high
   school, and an alternative school. While, the CISD has 1 high school, 2
   junior high/intermediate schools, and 4 elementary schools in Amarillo.
   Other school districts in the city are River Road, Highland Park, and
   Bushland Independent School Districts. Nonreligious and Christian
   denomination private schools in Amarillo include St. Andrew's Episcopal
   School, Holy Cross Catholic Academy, Amarillo Montessori Academy, San
   Jacinto Christian Academy, Bible Heritage Christian School, and Arbor
   Christian Academy.

Culture

   Amarillo has a number of natural attractions near the city. The Palo
   Duro Canyon State Park is United States' second largest canyon system,
   after the Grand Canyon and is located south of Amarillo. Palo Duro has
   a distinct hoodoo that resembles a lighthouse. Another natural landmark
   near the city, the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument is located
   30 miles (48.2 km) north of Amarillo. It is once known as the site for
   prehistoric inhabitants to obtain flint in order to make tools and
   weapons. About 100 miles (161 km) southeast of Amarillo in Briscoe
   County is Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, the state park is
   the home of the official Texas State Bison Herd, who were captured and
   taken care of by cattle rancher Charles Goodnight.

   Local millionare Stanley Marsh 3 has funded many public art projects in
   the city including the Cadillac Ranch, located west of Amarillo on
   I-40, a monument of painted Cadillac automobiles that were dug into the
   ground head first. Marsh also participates an on-going art project
   called the Dynamite Museum, which consist of thousands of mock traffic
   signs. These signs, bearing messages such as "Road does not end" or
   displaying a random picture, are scattered throughout the city of
   Amarillo.

   The city has events and attractions honoring the cowboy and Texas
   culture. During the third week of September, the Tri-State Fair & Rodeo
   brings participants mostly from Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas to
   Amarillo since 1921. On the Tri-State Exposition grounds, the Amarillo
   National Centre is a special events centre for events ranging from
   national equestrian competitions to motor sports and rodeos. The World
   Championship Ranch Rodeo sponsored by the Working Ranch Cowboys
   Association is held every November in the Amarillo Civic Centre.
   Amarillo hosts the annual World Championship Chuckwagon Roundup the
   first weekend in June. Teams in competition prepare a feast of breaded
   beef cutlets, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and sourdough biscuits and
   attempt to duplicate the food served on western cattle trails of the
   1860s and 1870s. The Amarillo Livestock Auction holds a free to the
   public cattle auction on Tuesdays. Now located on I-40, The Big Texan
   Steak Ranch, was made famous by offering visitors a free 72 ounce (2
   kg) beef steak if they eat it and its accompanying dinner in under an
   hour.

   Globe-News Centre for the Performing Arts, opened in 2006, houses the
   Amarillo Opera, Amarillo Symphony, and Lone Star Ballet concerts. The
   facility, located just across the Amarillo Civic Center, features a
   1,300-seat auditorium. The Globe-News Centre was built in hope by the
   city officials and others that it will spur a revitalization of the
   downtown area. The nonprofit community theatre group, Amarillo Little
   Theatre, has its season run from September to May. The theatre group's
   two facilities are located west of Amarillo's downtown. In the Palo
   Duro Canyon’s amphitheatre, an outdoor musical called Texas plays
   nightly during the summer. The musical depicts a story about the
   history of Texas Panhandle settlers throughout the years. In 2002, the
   producers changed its name to Texas Legacies after retiring the
   previous script that was used for 37-years for a more historically
   accurate one but they decided to revert back to the original script due
   to declining attendance in 2006.
   The Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts building is located near
   the Amarillo Civic Center.
   Enlarge
   The Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts building is located near
   the Amarillo Civic Centre.

   The Amarillo Public Library is affiliated with the Harrington Library
   Consortium. The consortium consist of public, college, and school
   libraries located in the Texas Panhandle that share resources and
   cooperate with one another. Other members include the Amarillo's public
   schools, Amarillo College, Canyon Area Library, Lovett Memorial Library
   in Pampa, Texas, and Hutchinson County Library in Borger, Texas. The
   Amarillo Public Library's main branch is located in downtown and
   operates 4 neighbourhood branches.

   Amarillo residents are known as Amarilloans. Notable Amarilloans
   include the Dory Funk wrestling family, astronaut Rick Husband, actress
   Carolyn Jones, actress and dancer Cyd Charisse, politican John Marvin
   Jones, businessman T. Boone Pickens, Jr., and famed gambler Thomas "
   Amarillo Slim" Preston.

Museums and art collections

   The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is an international
   organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and
   record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse breed. The organization is
   headquartered in Amarillo and has a museum. In addition, the AQHA and
   Centre City of Amarillo co-sponsors the project, "Hoof Prints of the
   American Quarter Horse" which consist of horse statues located in front
   of several Amarillo businesses. An area business would purchase a horse
   statue and a local artist paints on it.

   Two of the Amarillo area's higher education institutions have at least
   one museum in their campuses. The Amarillo Art Centre, opened in 1972,
   is a building complex with an art museum and concert hall located on
   the Washington Street Campus of Amarillo College. In addition, Amarillo
   College's Washington Street Campus is the home of the largest natural
   history museum of any two-year college in the United States. Located on
   the campus of West Texas A&M University, the Panhandle-Plains
   Historical Museum claims to be the largest historical museum in Texas.

   Don Harrington Discovery Centre, located in the city's hospital
   district, is an interactive science center and space theatre with over
   60 hands-on exhibits. Outside of the building contains a steel
   structure called the Helium Monument which has time capsules and
   designates Amarillo the "Helium Capital of the World." Near the
   proximity of the Discovery Centre, the Amarillo Botanical Gardens has
   gardens, indoor exhibits, and a library for visitation throughout the
   year. The Texas Pharmacy Museum claims to be the only Texas museum
   specialized in the research, collection, preservation, and exhibition
   of the history of pharmacy, is also located in the city's hospital
   district.

   Other notable museums in the area are the Kwahadi Kiva Indian Museum
   and the English Field Air & Space Museum. The Kwahadi Kiva Indian
   Museum features a collection of Native American artifacts and provides
   dance performances. The English Field Air & Space Museum is operated by
   the Texas Aviation Historical Society and features aircraft and space
   exhibits. The museum's facility used to be city's main airport
   terminal.

Sports

   The af2 indoor American football team Amarillo Dusters and the CHL
   hockey team Amarillo Gorillas both play in the Amarillo Civic Centre.
   Amarillo's minor league baseball team, Amarillo Dillas of the United
   League Baseball, plays its home games in the Potter County Memorial
   Stadium. Before the founding of the Dillas, the city was the home of
   the AA Amarillo Gold Sox. Amarillo had a minor league in-door soccer
   team called the Amarillo Challengers that competed in the SISL and
   later the USISL.

   West Texas A&M University features a full slate of NCAA Division II
   teams; however, Amarillo College is one of the few community colleges
   in Texas without an athletic program. From 1968 to 1996, Amarillo
   hosted the annual National Women's Invitational Tournament, a
   postseason women's college basketball tournament. During high school
   American football season, the Amarillo Independent School District
   schools' home games are in Dick Bivins Stadium which had a $5.7 million
   renovation in 2005. Randall High School (part of the adjacent Canyon
   Independent School District) plays its home games in Kimbrough Memorial
   Stadium in Canyon. River Road and Highland Park High Schools, also play
   football, as well as other sports.

Infrastructure

Transportation

   Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is located on the east side
   of Amarillo, north of Interstate 40. A portion of the former Amarillo
   Air Force Base was converted to civilian use and became part of the
   airport. The airport was named after Amarillo native Rick Husband, a
   NASA space shuttle astronaut and the commander of STS-107 (Columbia)
   who died in 2003 while returning from a mission in space. The airport
   is served by several major air carriers with non-stop service to
   Dallas, Houston, Albuquerque, Clovis, Denver, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.
   Several streets around Amarillo's downtown area are still paved in
   bricks.
   Enlarge
   Several streets around Amarillo's downtown area are still paved in
   bricks.

   Local transit services in the city have been available since 1925 and
   have been provided through the City of Amarillo's Amarillo City Transit
   (ACT) department since 1966; prior to that time the system was
   privately owned. ACT operates bus services that include fixed route
   transit and demand response paratransit which are designed for people
   with disabilities. The ACT transports approximately 350,000 passengers
   per year on the fixed route and 30,000 paratransit passengers, but it
   is a declining ridership. ACT has no plans to scale back any of their
   transit routes or services.

   Amarillo has no passenger rail service but remains an important part of
   the rail freight system. The BNSF Railway complex in Amarillo continues
   to serve a heavy daily traffic load, approximately 100-110 trains per
   day. The Union Pacific Railroad also sends substantial shipments to or
   through Amarillo. In addition to intermodal and general goods, a big
   portion of rail shipments involve grains and coal.

   The streets in Amarillo's downtown area conform to a grid pattern. The
   city's original street layout was set up by William H. Bush, beginning
   at the west end of the town moving to the east. Bush named the north to
   south streets for past United States presidents, in chronological order
   except for John Quincy Adams because the surname was taken with the
   second president, John Adams. (The last president so honored was Grover
   Cleveland; though the city has expanded eastward the pattern was not
   continued.)

   In 1910, the Amarillo voters approved to pay for street paving and the
   materials used to pave the streets were bricks. As of 2003, the city
   still has 16.2 mi (26.1 km) of brick streets in some parts of the
   downtown area. The city spent $200,000 in 2002 to restore one block of
   brick street on Ninth Avenue between Polk and Tyler streets.

   Less than one mile of intrastate interstate highway I-27 is located in
   Potter County. The highway terminates at the city's main west-east
   highway I-40 near the Potter-Randall County line. The roadway continues
   northward into downtown Amarillo via U.S. 60, 87, and 287, a series of
   four one-way streets. North of downtown the highway becomes U.S. 87 and
   continues northward to Dumas, Texas.

Medical centers and hospitals

   The Harrington Regional Medical Center has two of the city's major
   hospitals.
   Enlarge
   The Harrington Regional Medical Centre has two of the city's major
   hospitals.

   Amarillo is home to medical facilities including Baptist St. Anthony’s
   and Northwest Texas Hospitals, the Don & Sybil Harrington Cancer
   Centre, Bivins Memorial Nursing Home, Texas Tech University Health
   Sciences Centre, and Texas Tech School of Pharmacy. All are located in
   the Harrington Regional Medical Centre, the first specifically
   designated city hospital district in Texas.

   Baptist St. Anthony's, known locally as BSA, had some of its services
   listed on the U.S. News & World Report's "Top 50 Hospitals" from 2002
   to 2005. BSA was a result of a merger between the Texas Panhandle's
   first hospital, St Anthony's, with High Plains Baptist Hospital in
   1996. The BSA Hospice & Life Enrichment Centre provides important
   services to the Amarillo area. The BSA facility, opened in 1985, was
   the first free-standing hospice west of the Mississippi River that was
   built and opened without debt.

   The Thomas E. Creek Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center is
   located east of Harrington Regional Medical Centre. The facility opened
   in 1940 and was renamed in 2005, honoring the 18-year old Amarillo
   Marine who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour. Construction
   began in 2006 for a new Texas State Veterans Home in northwest
   Amarillo. The United States government, through the Veterans Affairs
   Medical Centre, provided the funding to build the facility, while the
   Texas government will run it after construction is completed. The home
   is scheduled to open in 2007.

Utilities

   Drinking water is provided by the City of Amarillo and its Utilities
   Division. Amarillo's water supply comes from Lake Meredith and the
   Ogallala Aquifer. The city's drinking water is a blend of both sources.
   Lake Meredith is located northeast of Amarillo contains at least 114
   billion gallons (431 million m³) of water. The city's daily water
   production averages between 40-50 million gallons (151,000-189,000 m³).

   Collection and disposal of city's trash or garbage are the
   responsibility of City of Amarillo's Solid Waste Collection and Solid
   Waste Disposal Departments. Amarillo's non-hazardous solid waste are
   collected and disposed it through burial in the city's landfill. The
   City of Amarillo also operates recycling collection centers located one
   near the downtown area and at 4 fire stations in the city. Other
   utilities are primarily provided by private organizations. Natural gas
   is distributed by Atmos Energy. Electric power service is distributed
   by Xcel Energy. Wired telephone service provider is primarily by AT&T.
   Cable television is provided by Suddenlink Communications.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarillo%2C_Texas"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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