Denver City, Texas


Denver City is a town located partly in Gaines County, but mostly in Yoakum County in the far western portion of the U.S. state of Texas, just a short distance from the New Mexico boundary. It is named for the petroleum company, Denver Productions. The population was 4,479 at the 2010 census. The town is located at the intersection of Texas State Highways 214 and 83.
Oil and ranching remain important to Denver City. The first well was drilled by the wildcatter "Red" Davidson of Fort Worth on the ranch lands of L.P. and Ruth Bennett and her father, Dr. J. R. Smith. Oil gushed to the surface for the first time on October 10, 1935. A part of this Wasson Field, as it is known, is the site of the Yoakum County Park, donated in 1964 by Gene H. Bennett, the youngest son of the Bennetts.
According to the , Denver City is home to a fully functional hospital, a car dealership, a grocery store, an airport, two hotels, three churches, and six financial institutions.
In 2008, the Denver City Independent School District presented a bond package for new and renovated facilities. Upgrades included a new high school, tennis courts, a junior-high band hall, an industrial arts facility, a sports complex, a maintenance center, an athletics field house, and a bus barn. Renovations included classrooms, science labs, offices and foyer, a parking lot, a main field house, and a bus barn for the junior-high campus.
On May 11, 2013, voters in both Denver City and Yoakum County, as well as Crosby County, also in West Texas, all previously under local-option prohibition laws, approved the sale of liquor.

Geography

Denver City is located at .
According to the United States Census Bureau, Denver City has a total area of 2.5 square miles, all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, 4,479 people, 1,770 households, and 1,578 families resided in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 31.2% White, 1.3% African American, 1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 63.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1 Cuban, and 2.5% from two or more races. Of the 1,770 households, 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were not families. About 22.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town, the population was distributed as 34% up to age 19, 5.8% from 20 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.2 years of age.
According to a 2017 survey, the median income for a household in the town was $52,232, and for a family was $67,630. Males had a median income of $65,495 versus $23,346 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,297. About 15.8% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19% of those under age 18 and 35% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

Notable persons