Valentine, Texas
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Valentine, Texas | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates: 30°35′17″N 104°29′54″W / 30.58806°N 104.49833°WCoordinates: 30°35′17″N 104°29′54″W / 30.58806°N 104.49833°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Jeff Davis |
| Government | |
| Area | |
| • Total | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| • Land | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| • Water | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| Elevation | Template:Infobox settlement/lengthdisp |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 73 |
| • Density | Template:Infobox settlement/densdisp |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 79854 |
| Area code(s) | 432 |
| FIPS code | 48-74648[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413416[2] |
Valentine is a town in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Valentine had a population of 73.[4]
The town of Valentine is the only incorporated municipality in Jeff Davis County. Its name refers to the date of its founding in 1882 by a Southern Pacific Railroad construction crew: February 14. It is one of several cities named Valentine in the United States, where the U.S. Postal Service cancels envelopes for Valentine's Day.[5]
History
[edit]The area near Valentine played a role during the Mexican Revolution. Pancho Villa and his forces passed through the region and were associated with border skirmishes. In response to Villa’s raids, Fort Holland was established nearby in 1918 as part of protective efforts.[6][7][8] On August 16, 1931, Valentine was struck by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake—the largest ever recorded in Texas. Nearly all non-wooden structures, including the school, suffered major damage, with school buildings condemned afterwards. The quake was felt as far away as Houston and throughout northern Mexico, and caused landslides across the region. No fatalities were reported, but damages were substantial.[9]
Geography
[edit]Valentine is located in western Jeff Davis County along U.S. Route 90. The highway leads northwest 38 miles (61 km) to Interstate 10 at Van Horn, and southeast 35 miles (56 km) to Marfa.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.49 square miles (1.26 km2), all land.[10] The town sits in a flat basin between the Davis Mountains 15 miles (24 km) to the east and the Sierra Vieja 11 miles (18 km) to the west.
Climate
[edit]Valentine experiences a semiarid climate (Köppen BSk) with cool, dry winters and hot, dry summers. Template:Weather box
Education
[edit]Valentine Independent School District serves the local community, with a single K–12 campus that is among the smallest in Texas by enrollment, often with fewer than 25 high school students. The school is classified as UIL 1A and offers a variety of academic and extracurricular programs, despite its size.[11][12][13]
Government and infrastructure
[edit]
The United States Postal Service operates the Valentine Post Office at 311 W. California Ave. Each year around Valentine's Day, it receives media attention as people mail cards and letters through this location to receive the distinctive holiday postmark.[14]
Transportation
[edit]Valentine is located on US 90, 35 miles (58 km) north of Marfa, and 40 miles (64 km) south of Van Horn.
Amtrak's Sunset Limited passes through the town on Union Pacific tracks, but makes no stop. A stop is located 60 miles (96 km) to the southeast in Alpine.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:GNIS
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ↑ Rodriguez, Lois M. (February 3, 2014). "From Valentine, With Love". Texas Highways. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
- ↑ https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/villa-francisco-pancho
- ↑ https://texashighways.com/culture/revisiting-el-paso-texas-haunts-pancho-villa/
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffloftus/2013/11/06/a-veterans-story-chasing-pancho-villa/
- ↑ https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ushis877/contributors
- ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Valentine town, Texas". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ↑ https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/texas/districts/valentine-independent-school-district/valentine-school-20014
- ↑ https://schools.texastribune.org/districts/valentine-isd/
- ↑ https://www.esc18.net/605357_3
- ↑ https://www.usps.com/
External links
[edit] |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valentine, Texas. |
- Handbook of Texas Online article
- West Texas Weekly, a local weekly newspaper