The City of Amarillo is located in Potter County, Texas.  It is the county seat and the 11th largest city in the state.  Amarillo is known as the "Helium Capital of the World" because it has the most productive helium fields in the country.  Amarillo real estate is the economic center of Texas and is home to one of the largest meat packing plants in the US.  The people of Amarillo boast unhurried friendliness, great spirit and attitude, making Amarillo one of the best places to buy real estate.  Amarillo was once voted as Entrepreneur magazine's "25 Best Cities for Small Business."  The city now has a flourishing economy with new businesses coming to the city every day.

Amarillo Climate
Amarillo has a semi-arid climate that's characterized by cold air from the north and warm air from the south.  Occasionally, winter months will see snow, with average lows of 22 degrees and average highs of 53 degrees.  Summer months are hot with moderate humidity.  Average lows are 62 degrees F and average highs are 91 degrees F.  Precipitation mostly occurs in the summer months and sees an annual rainfall of 20 inches.

Educating Amarillo Students
The Amarillo Independent School District  serve the City of Amarillo.  There are 36 elementary, nine middle and four high schools in the Amarillo Independent School District and four elementary, two junior and one high school in the Canyon Independent School District within Amarillo's city limits.  For alternatives to public schools, there are several private schools occupying Amarillo real estate. 

Higher education needs are met by Amarillo College, West Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University at Amarillo and Wayland Baptist University.

Travel in Amarillo
Amarillo is located near the Texas Panhandle along Interstate 40.  The downtown streets of Amarillo real estate conform to a grid pattern.  The north to south streets are named after past presidents.  East to west streets are numbered avenues.  National and international air travel is provided by Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, with major air carriers providing non-stop air travel to cities such as Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Dallas, Denver, Houston and many more.

Local transit is provided by the Amarillo City Transit, which operates bus service routes.  Approximately 350,000 passengers use the transit service each year.  There is also a no passenger rail service, the BNSF Railway. 

Amarillo Attractions and Activities
Amarillo real estate has tons of natural attractions.  State parks are big attractions for residents and visitors alike.  The Palo Duro Canyon State Park is the second biggest canyon after the Grand Canyon.  City events offer great opportunities to meet your neighbors, such as the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo, the national equestrian competitions, motorsports and rodeos.  Each year, Amarillo hosts the World Championship Ranch Rodeo and the World Championship Chuckwagon Roundup. 

Other great places to visit are the Globe News Center for Performing Arts, the Amarillo Civic Center, the Amarillo Little Theatre, the Palo Duro Canyon Amphitheater and Wonderland Amusement Park, the city's largest park.  Each of these attractions provide complete family fun.  Sports enthusiasts will enjoy games played by local professional sports teams such as the Amarillo Dusters, the Amarillo Gorillas, and the the Amarillo Dillas.  College and high school teams provide even more sports fun.

Outdoor fun can be enjoyed at the many local parks that provide playgrounds, picnic areas, BBQ pits, pavilions, walking trails recreation centers, ball fields, ball courts and so much more.  Golf is another popular outdoor activity.  There are eight private and semi-private courses to choose from.  No matter which one you choose, you are sure to get a great challenge.

Amarillo's History
The town was established in April 1887, after J. Berry found a well water section of the state along the railroad.  Merchants saw great opportunity to make the new town site the main trading center of the region.  So, on August 30, 1887, the area was elected county seat.  The town was called Oneida before it was known as Amarillo.  The name Amarillo is believed to come from the yellow wildflowers of the area. 

In 1888, Henry B. Sanborn and Joseph Gildden began buying land east of Amarillo real estate and began moving the town.  The original town site was too low and prone to flooding after heavy rain.  By 1890, Amarillo was one of the world's largest cattle shipping points, growing the the city's population.  The city soon became a manufacturing center for milling, feed and elevators.  Gas was discovered in 1918 followed by oil three years later, bringing several gas and oil companies to Amarillo.  In 1927, the Cliffside Gas Field was found to have a high helium content.  The US government soon bought the field.  Today, the US National Helium Reserve is stored here.

During the 1930s, the city entered an economic depression but came out on top a few short years later.  Today, the economy is stable and thriving, making Amarillo real estate a great choice to settle down.


        

Amarillo Demographics:

Population: 173,526
Median Household Income:
$34,940
Median Home Value:
$74,400








Amarillo Utilities:

Water: City of Amarillo
Garbage: Amarillo Waste Collection
Electric: Xcel Energy
Gas: Atmos Energy
Phone: AT&T
Cable: Suddenlink Communications