| Floydada, Texas aka "WHIRLWIND COUNTRY" | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location of Floydada, Texas | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Floyd |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.0 sq mi (5.3 km2) |
| • Land | 2.0 sq mi (5.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,182 ft (970 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 3,038 |
| • Density | 1,810.8/sq mi (699.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 79235 |
| Area code(s) | 806 |
| FIPS code | 48-26268[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1357507[2] |
Floydada is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Texas, United States.[3] The population was 3,038 at the 2010 census.
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According to the Texas State Historical Association, the community of Floydada, originally named Floyd City, was established on 640 acres of land donated by James B. and Caroline Price of Jefferson City, Missouri. Floydada won the county seat over Della Plain. When a post office came to town, the name was changed to Floydada. Some claim the new name was meant to be Floydalia and was garbled in transmission to Washington; others say it was a combination of the county name and that of donor James Price's mother, Ada; still another version is that it was named for Caroline Price's parents, Floyd and Ada. Floydada became an important railroad junction in 1928 when the Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway finally arrived.[4]
Floydada is located at (33.983771, -101.337259).[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), all of it land.
The City of Floydada is located near the edge of the South Panhandle Caprock. This area is characterized by a higher elevation than that of land to the East.
The City of Floydada and Floyd County experience all four seasons of weather. Winters are cool and windy with little or no precipitation with the exception of snowfall. Summers experience a more mild wind and moderately high temperatures.
The following is a list of average climate data to give a general idea of the weather in the area. Note these values are averages and estimates. They are not intended to provide precise data in a given time frame.
| Category | Summer | Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Average High Temperature | 92F | 50F |
| Average Low Temperature | 68F | 25F |
| Average Precipitation | 3.75in | 0.5in |
| Average Morning Humidity | 75% | 70% |
| Average Afternoon Humidity | 50% | 50% |
| Average Wind Speed | 11.5 mph | 14.5 mph |
| Average Snowfall | 0.0in | 5.0in |
| Average Sunshine | 78% | 65% |
As of the census[1] of 2010, there were 3,038 people.
According to the census of 2000, there were 1,304 households, and 980 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,810.8 people per square mile (699.2/km²). There were 1,507 housing units at an average density of 742.3 per square mile (286.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.35% White, 4.13% African American, 1.09% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 22.20% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.63% of the population.
There were 1,304 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,429, and the median income for a family was $30,038. Males had a median income of $25,179 versus $17,381 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,431. About 24.7% of families and 26.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.2% of those under age 18 and 19.7% of those age 65 or over.
The City of Floydada is served by the Floydada Independent School District. Apple has teamed up with Floydada and has distributed laptop computers to the students and staff of Floydada's Jr. High and High School. In 2007-08, Floydada was the only town in Texas to be an Apple distinguished school.[6]
Floydada has a number of free training programs provided by the Floydada Professional Development Center and the Floydada Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Employers can access financial assistance for training through the Skills Development Fund and the Self-Sufficiency Fund administered by the Texas Workforce Commission. Local training facilities include Caprock Communicty Action and the Floydada Technology Center.
The Floydada Technology Center (FTC) began in 2003 and is provided by the Floydada EDC and is housed in the EDC offices at 105 South 5th Street. The Center itself was designed to provide workforce development to both citizens and businesses upon request. It houses a twelve student capacity classroom with an instructor's podium and computer that is attached to a projector. Caprock Community Action was opened in 2002 and operates a learning lab that offers citizens the opportunity to earn their GED. They are located at 701 E. Lee Street.
Archaeologists from Wichita State University excavated in Blanco Canyon, 5 miles south of Floydada. They discovered significant evidence that Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado established a major camp there during his search for Quivira, one of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold.[7] The Floyd County Historical Museum in downtown Floydada displays some of the significant artifacts from Coronado's campsite. There is also an historical marker in Blanco Canyon telling of Coronado's expedition which led through said canyon.
The City of Floydada is located in what many call the wind corridor of the United States. The wind corridor stretches from the Panhandle of Texas up into Minnesota, including some of the most wind rich states in the country.
There are several reasons why Floyd County and Floydada, Texas are ideal for wind development. Those reasons include the quality of wind in the region, the potential to connect into two different electric grid systems, the plan scheduled for transmission build-out in the area and much more.[8]
Wind Classification: The quality of wind is ranked on a scale of one to seven. In Floyd County the wind ranking is class 4, which is considered good for wind energy development.
Electric Grids: Texas is served by several electric grid operators. Those operating in the Floyd County area are Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). It is beneficial for the area to be in such close vicinity to both grids because it allows for the opportunity to send electricity generated from wind farms either direction. Even though Floyd County is located primarily in the SPP grid, lines can be built in the area that connect to the ERCOT grid. You can find out more about the electric grid system in the electricity chapter of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Energy Report 2008.
Transmission Build-out: In January 2009 the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) chose several transmission service providers (TSPs) to construct a build-out of transmission lines across the State of Texas. The purpose of the transmission overhaul was to help harness the wind rich regions of West Texas and the Texas Panhandle in order to send the energy generated into more populated areas of Texas where the energy can be used. Two TSPs have Floyd County included in their study area, Sharyland Utilities and Wind Energy Transmission Texas (WETT). The Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) project in Texas has the potential to help spur wind energy development in Floyd County. The CREZ segment for Floyd Count has been approved and will begin construction in the autumn of 2011. Xcel Energy is also making plans to construct a transmission line through Floyd County.
The City of Floydada and Floyd County have a strong agriculture-based economy like that of many other counties in the region. However, several other unique industries have added to the economic base to make it diverse in nature, including custom-built metal assembly irrigation motor development, efficient rock crushing systems, and a product called "The Row Stalker."
Floydada was the inspiration for the James McMurtry song Levelland, also covered by musician Robert Earl Keen. As McMurtry explains on the track Max's Theormem on the live album Live in Aught-Three, he named the song "Levelland" because Floydada wouldn't fit the meter.
Floydada is referenced in the Kevin Costner golf movie Tin Cup during a scene where Costner's character, Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy is playing in the U.S. Open when the golf analysts are speculating about the location of Roy's hometown Salome (a fictional town). CBS golf executive Lance Barrow makes the comment, "I think it's somewhere near Floydada."
Floydada was the code name for a 1991 Department of Energy Atomic Weapon Test.[13]
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