Panhandle Plains

The Texas Panhandle Plains Region is covers the area of Texas that supposedly looks like a panhandle, that being the rectangle shaped northernmost part of Texas, between New Mexico and Oklahoma. The Panhandle Plains Regions extends east almost to Fort Worth and south to Interstate 20.

The stars at night shine very bright, the brightest in Texas, under the clear skies of the Texas Panhandle. The Panhandle's north end begins at the Oklahoma border, going south to San Angelo. The Panhandle ends in the west at the New Mexico border, with the eastern part of the Panhandle ending a Wichita Falls and Brownwood.

The Big Cities in the Panhandle are Amarillo, Abilene, Wichita Falls, San Angelo and Lubbock. You can drive a stretch of Route 66 through the Texas Panhandle, including passing through Amarillo. Near Amarillo you'll find the town of Canyon and Palo Duro Canyon State Park, a great mountain biking, hiking and camping mecca.

Below is a list of some of the towns in the Texas Panhandle Plains Region. For more Texas Panhandle Plains Region information go to our Eyes on Texas Texas Panhandle Plains Region webpage....

Abilene
Began as a shipping center in 1881. Named after Abilene, Kansas, Abilene, Texas eventually became a big cattle producer. And in 1981, during Abilene's centennial celebration, oil was discovered.

Amarillo
Amarillo, along with Fort Worth, are 2 Texas towns that give you the feeling that you are really in Texas, the wild west, cowboy, cowtown type of Texas. Amarillo definitely has a western ambience. Palo Duro State Park is nearby.

Andrews
Andrews, located in the heart of the Texas Panhandle Plains, gives visitors a wide range of things to do outdoors, including golfing, camping, swimming and fishing.

Archer City
Larry McMurtry's Booked Up Bookstore is in this town. It is also the location where two of his novels were turned into movies, Last Picture Show in 1971 and Texasville in 1989.

Big Spring
Located on the northern edge of the Edwards' Plateau, Big Spring makes good use of its unique natural setting with numerous parks, Moss Lake and a large outdoor amphitheater.

Brownwood
At the base of the Texas Panhandle Plains, Brownwood is the location of Howard Payne University, Lake Brownwood, and a good selection of shops, restaurants, and museums.

Cisco
Lake Cisco, a Folklife Festival, great shopping, hunting and more draws visitors to the "Home of Hilton's First Hotel." We don't know if Paris Hilton has visited the first Hilton.

Canyon
Known as the "Gateway to the Grand Canyon of Texas," Canyon is located on the edge of Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle.

Colorado City
At the base of the Texas Panhandle, visitors to Colorado City will find a variety of fun things to do, including antique shopping, museums and Lake Colorado City State Park.

Dalhart
Known for the 3,050,000 acre XIT Ranch that was used by the state to get a Chicago syndicate to build the Texas state capitol in Austin. The name comes from combining the names of the 2 counties in which Dalhart sits, Dallam and Hartley.

Eastland
A trade center for surrounding farms and ranches, Eastland is also known for "Old Rip" the Horned Toad.

Electra
This town was named after the daughter of cattle baron W.T. Waggoner. Electra is the "Pump Jack Capital of Texas".

Fritch
This is the gateway town to the recreational areas around Lake Meredith and the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument.

Graham
The courthouse square in Graham is known as the largest downtown square in America. Tourists like to visit the squares many antique stores.

Jacksboro
Oil related services are the big business of this town. It is also where you'll find Fort Richardson State Park and Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway.

Lubbock
A major city of the South Plains, today Lubbock is a city of industry where you'll find oil, high-tech, agriculture, several universities and a live music, theater scene.

Mineral Wells
Home of Crazy Water and the Baker Hotel. And Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway.

Quanah
Named after famed Comanche Chief, Quanah Parker. Nearby you will find Copper Breaks State Park.

San Angelo
This town grew from Fort Concho. San Angelo is now home to Goodfellow Air Force Base and a variety of industries and medical and retirement operations. San Angelo in its early days became a ranching center. Today it leads the nation in wool and mohair production.

Sweetwater
Home to the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup and currently a center for wind power production.

Wichita Falls
The falls the town was named for washed away in a flood in 1886. A re-creation of the falls has taken the originals place.

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