Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo, Texas
City
Downtown Amarillo
Flag of Amarillo, Texas
Flag
Official seal of Amarillo, Texas
Seal
Map
Map
Map
Map
Map
Amarillo is located in Texas
Amarillo
Amarillo
Location within Texas
Amarillo is located in the United States
Amarillo
Amarillo
Location within the United States
Amarillo is located in North America
Amarillo
Amarillo
Amarillo (North America)
Coordinates: 35°11′57″N 101°50′43″W / 35.19917°N 101.84528°W / 35.19917; -101.84528
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountiesPotter and Randall
Named forAmarillo Lake
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • BodyCity Council
 • MayorCole Stanley (Since May 2023)
 • Councilmember Place 1Josh Craft (Since July 2023)
 • Councilmember Place 2Don Tipps (Since May 2023)
 • Councilmember Place 3Tom Scherlen (Since May 2023)
 • Councilmember Place 4Les Simpson (Since July 2023)
Area
[1]
 • City103.86 sq mi (268.99 km2)
 • Land102.30 sq mi (264.97 km2)
 • Water1.56 sq mi (4.03 km2)
Elevation
[3]
3,662 ft (1,116 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City200,393
 • Density1,948.81/sq mi (752.44/km2)
 • Urban
205,860 (US: 187th)[2]
 • Urban density2,450.9/sq mi (946.3/km2)
 • Metro
269,703 (US: 182nd)
DemonymAmarilloan
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
79101–79111, 79114, 79116–79121, 79123–79124, 79159, 79163, 79166–79168, 79171–79172, 79174, 79178, 79182, 79185, 79187, 79189
Area code806
FIPS code48-03000[4]
GNIS feature ID2409694[3]
Websitewww.amarillo.gov

Amarillo (/ˌæməˈrɪloʊ/[6] AM-ə-RIL-oh; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the most populous city in the Texas panhandle.[7] A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The estimated population of Amarillo was 200,393 as of April 1, 2020, comprising nearly half of the population of the panhandle.[8] The Amarillo metropolitan area had an estimated population of 308,297 as of 2020.[9]

The city of Amarillo, originally named Oneida, is situated in the Llano Estacado region.[10] The availability of the railroad and freight service provided by the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad contributed to the city's growth as a cattle-marketing center in the late 19th century.[11]

Amarillo was once the self-proclaimed "Helium Capital of the World" for having one of the country's most productive helium fields.[12] The city is also known as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" (as the city takes its name from the Spanish word for yellow),[13] "Yellow City" for its name, and "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 location of this facility also gave rise to the nickname "Bomb City".[14]

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Amarillo, Texas
  4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  6. ^ Jones, Daniel (2003) [1917], Peter Roach; James Hartmann; Jane Setter (eds.), English Pronouncing Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 3-12-539683-2
  7. ^ Texas State Library this facility/ U.S. Census Bureau. "2000 Census: Population of Texas Cities". Archived from the original on September 23, 2006. Retrieved November 22, 2006.
  8. ^ "Texas Population Projections". Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  9. ^ "Census profile: Amarillo, TX Metro Area". Census Reporter. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  10. ^ Rathjen, Fredrick W. The Texas Panhandle Frontier (1973). pg. 11. The University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-78007-9.
  11. ^ Amarillo from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved on January 25, 2007.
  12. ^ "A Helium Shortage?". Wired. August 2000. Archived from the original on January 27, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  13. ^ Amarillo from the Handbook of Texas Online
  14. ^ Amarillo Economic Development Corporation. "What Is Rotor City, USA". Archived from the original on January 16, 2006. Retrieved January 28, 2006.