Fritch, Texas
Encyclopedia
Fritch is a city in Hutchinson
and Moore counties in the U.S. state
of Texas
. The population was 2,235 at the 2000 census. Fritch and the surrounding area is served by ZIP code 79036. The town is colloquially known as "Fritch, America." The current Mayor is Kevin Keener, City Manager is Ernest Terry, and the City Secretary is Leslie Bass.
region. It is 30 miles north-northeast of Amarillo
and 15 miles west of Borger
in an area of where the typically flat High Plains
are broken up into canyons and draws by the Canadian River
. The city itself sits on a flat piece of land surrounded by undulating terrain due to this phenomenon.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land. Lake Meredith
lies just outside the city of Fritch and is a main source of water for surrounding communities, though the city actually uses well water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer
for its municipal water supply.
of 2000, there were 2,235 people, 886 households, and 679 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,840.9 people per square mile (713.2/km²). There were 961 housing units at an average density of 791.5 per square mile (306.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.53% White, 0.09% African American, 1.66% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 1.30% from other races
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.30% of the population.
There were 886 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52, and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,098, and the median income for a family was $46,600. Males had a median income of $41,134 versus $21,860 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,745. None of the population were below the poverty line.
The city of Fritch is primarily a bedroom community with the majority of citizens commuting to nearby Borger
and Amarillo for work. Major employers in the area include Pantex
, ConocoPhillips
and Agrium
, all located with a short distance of Fritch. Due to its nature as a commuting town, Fritch differs from most small towns in the region which rely more on agriculture
as their economic base. Though there are several large ranches adjacent to the town, there is little to no farming due to the uneven topography, and the town has no agriculture
-related services to speak of.
offering residents and visitors ample opportunities for outdoor activities including boating, fishing, camping, hiking, and seasonal hunting. Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument
, the only U.S. National Monument
in Texas, is also located near the city.
Hutchinson County, Texas
Hutchinson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas in the northern portion of the Texas Panhandle. In 2000, its population was 23,857. Its seat is Stinnett . Hutchinson County is named for Andrew Hutchinson, an early Texas attorney....
and Moore counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The population was 2,235 at the 2000 census. Fritch and the surrounding area is served by ZIP code 79036. The town is colloquially known as "Fritch, America." The current Mayor is Kevin Keener, City Manager is Ernest Terry, and the City Secretary is Leslie Bass.
Geography
Fritch is located at 35°38′23"N 101°36′3"W (35.639639, -101.600921) in the geographic center of the Texas PanhandleTexas 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 rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
region. It is 30 miles north-northeast of Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
and 15 miles west of Borger
Borger, Texas
Borger is the largest city in Hutchinson County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,302 at the 2000 census. Borger is named for businessman Asa Philip "Ace" Borger, who also established the Hutchinson County seat of Stinnett and several other small towns in Texas and Oklahoma.- History...
in an area of where the typically flat High Plains
High Plains (United States)
The High Plains are a subregion of the Great Plains mostly in the Western United States, but also partly in the Midwest states of Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota, generally encompassing the western part of the Great Plains before the region reaches the Rocky Mountains...
are broken up into canyons and draws by the Canadian River
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and most of Oklahoma....
. The city itself sits on a flat piece of land surrounded by undulating terrain due to this phenomenon.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land. Lake Meredith
Lake Meredith
Lake Meredith is a reservoir formed by Sanford Dam on the Canadian River at Sanford, Texas. It is located about northeast of Amarillo, Texas in the Texas Panhandle. It is a major source of drinking water for Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas, located about to the south along with many other towns in...
lies just outside the city of Fritch and is a main source of water for surrounding communities, though the city actually uses well water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer
Ogallala Aquifer
The Ogallala Aquifer, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, is a vast yet shallow underground water table aquifer located beneath the Great Plains in the United States...
for its municipal water supply.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,235 people, 886 households, and 679 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,840.9 people per square mile (713.2/km²). There were 961 housing units at an average density of 791.5 per square mile (306.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.53% White, 0.09% African American, 1.66% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 1.30% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.30% of the population.
There were 886 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52, and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,098, and the median income for a family was $46,600. Males had a median income of $41,134 versus $21,860 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,745. None of the population were below the poverty line.
The city of Fritch is primarily a bedroom community with the majority of citizens commuting to nearby Borger
Borger, Texas
Borger is the largest city in Hutchinson County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,302 at the 2000 census. Borger is named for businessman Asa Philip "Ace" Borger, who also established the Hutchinson County seat of Stinnett and several other small towns in Texas and Oklahoma.- History...
and Amarillo for work. Major employers in the area include Pantex
Pantex
The Pantex plant is America's only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility and is charged with maintaining the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. The facility is located on a 16,000 acre site 17 miles northeast of Amarillo, in Carson County,...
, ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational energy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States...
and Agrium
Agrium
Agrium Inc. is a major retail supplier of agricultural products and services in North and South America, a leading global wholesale producer and marketer of all three major agricultural nutrients and the premier supplier of specialty fertilizers in North America through its Advanced Technologies...
, all located with a short distance of Fritch. Due to its nature as a commuting town, Fritch differs from most small towns in the region which rely more on agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
as their economic base. Though there are several large ranches adjacent to the town, there is little to no farming due to the uneven topography, and the town has no agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
-related services to speak of.
Recreation
Fritch is located adjacent to the Lake Meredith National Recreation AreaLake Meredith National Recreation Area
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area located about north of Amarillo, Texas, in the Texas Panhandle. The main attraction of the recreation area is Lake Meredith, an artificial reservoir created by Sanford Dam on the Canadian River.Activities at Lake...
offering residents and visitors ample opportunities for outdoor activities including boating, fishing, camping, hiking, and seasonal hunting. Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in the State of Texas. For thousands of years, people came to the red bluffs above the Canadian River for flint, vital to their existence. Demand for the high quality, rainbow-hued flint is reflected in the distribution of...
, the only U.S. National Monument
U.S. National Monument
A National Monument in the United States is a protected area that is similar to a National Park except that the President of the United States can quickly declare an area of the United States to be a National Monument without the approval of Congress. National monuments receive less funding and...
in Texas, is also located near the city.
External links
- City of Fritch - Official site.
- Lake Meredith National Recreation Area