Geographic Regions of Texas

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Texas is quite diverse and large in terms of geography; in fact, it is the second-largest state of the US, just after Alaska. It occupies about 7 percent of the land and water area of the US. The state of Texas is generally divided into six parts: North, East, Central West, South, East Texas, and Panhandle.

Let’s now talk about all these five geographic regions of Texas in detail:

1. North Texas

North_Texas_map

Commonly known as North Central Texas, Northeastern Texas, or what the natives call Nortex, is a 9,000-square-mileregion centered upon the Dallas–Fort Worth. Made of 150 cities, North Texas is home to 7.5 million people. This metroplex area consists of the area north of Waco, south of Oklahoma, west of Paris, andeast of Abilene. However, this part of Texas doesn’t include the Panhandle of Texas and most of the region near the northern border of Texas.

Fort_Worth_Skyline_at_Sunset

You can see people using different names to talk about this part of the state. For instance, some would call it DFW or Metroplex, while others would usually call it simply North Texas. There were many Unionists in the rural counties of Texas during the early years of the Civil War. Due to their influence, many large North Texas cities outside Forth Worth and Dallas still follow the rural southern way of lifestyle, especially in terms of mannerisms, cuisine, religion, and dialect.

The best thing about North Texas is that it has all the assets and resources to skyrocket your business and get your idea off the ground. You can find a diverse range of talent, real estate, and companies here. More than 20 Fortune 500 companies are located in this part of the state that drives the corporate services ecosystem.

North Texas has the 5th highest concentration of tech workers in the US, and the median age of a person here is 35.

Climate

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North Texas has a subtropical climate with very hot summers. You can see severe storms frequently in the spring as this part of the state lies in the southern section of “tornado alley.” The southerly winds here are quite high most of the time and persist for several days. However, dusty winds are infrequent as they only occur with westerly winds. Most of the year, even in January, the weather remains mild. However, the last record-setting 12.8 inches of snow fell in Feb of 2011. Moreover, the warm season stays in this region for about 249 days (freeze-free period).

There are only a few summer nights when the low temperature exceeds 80°F. But the temperature during this period of the year frequently exceeds 100°F. Therefore, air conditioners are recommended when indoors and while traveling via a vehicle.

2. East Texas

East Texas is quite a different region of Texas in terms of culture, geography, and ecology. According to the Handbook of Texas, the area of East Texas is separated from the rest of the state by a border extending from the Red River in Lamar County southwestward to eastcentral Limestone County.

In short, East Texas is located east of Interstate 45 and west of the Louisiana border.The southern edge of this area is the Gulf of Mexico, while Oklahoma is its northern border. With more than 1.9 million people (as of 2019), this region of the state comprises 38 counties. Most of East Texas consists of the Piney Woods ecoregion.

East Texas include the following:

  • Tyler
  • Longview
  • Lufkin
  • Marshall
  • Palestine
  • Henderson
  • Jacksonville
  • Mount Pleasant
  • Nacogdoches

We can divide East Texas into the following:

Upper East Texas

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This part of East Texas consists of 23 counties and stretches from the piney woods all the way to Louisiana and Arkansas to the edge of the Dallas-Fort WorthMetroplex. The total population of upper east Texas is about 1,138,000 people.

Deep East Texas

DETCOGThis part of east Texas consists of 12 counties and stretches all the way from Nacogdoches County south down to Tyler County. Moreover, it extends from Trinity County eastward to Newton County, located on the border of Louisiana.

The famous cities in this part of the region include are Crockett, Nacogdoches, Center, Lufkin, Livingston, Groveton, and Woodville. This area’s total area is about 9,906 square miles and is home to about 370,000 residents.

South East Texas

Liberty_County_HardinThis part of east Texas consists of 3 counties (Hardin, Orange, and Jefferson Counties). It consists of cities such as Port Arthur, Beaumont, Orange, and Lumberton. It is home to about 389,000 residents.

The Lifestyle of East Texas

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There are several small towns and cities in several counties of East Texas. From larger cities, including Tyler and Beaumont, to smaller ones, such as Rusk, Jasper, Paris, Canton, and Crockett, East Texas offers amazing recreational opportunities with an excellent lifestyle.

More than 30 lakes in this region provide skiing, fishing, boating, and several other recreational opportunities for both visitors and residents. The popular destinations here include Lake Fork, Lake Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend Reservoir, Lake Palestine, Lake Livingston, and many others.

From the world’s top-notch golf courses, cultural attractions, festivals, state parks, walking trails, shopping malls to art museums, East Texas has something for everyone.

3. Central Texas

Central_Texas_mapCentral Texas surrounds Austin and is roughly bordered by San Marcos to Hillsboro and San Saba to Bryan. Moreover, this region of the state includes and overlaps the Texas Hill Country and is located within the Edwards Plateau in a geographic context. Central Texas covers about 17,400 square miles

The most popular areas of this region include:

  • Austin–Round Rock
  • Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood
  • Bryan–College Station
  • Waco metropolitan areas

Among these, the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood and Austin–Round Rock are the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in this region. Moreover, the installation of the US Army, Fort Hood, is also located in Central Texas near Killeen.

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The accessibility of Central Texas makes it perfect for major businesses to perform their operations without any problem. All thanks to the numerous airports, railways, and roadways.

Population

Memorial_Stadium_Pano

According to Comptroller, the estimated population of Central Texas was 1.2 million (as of 2019). Since the 2010 census, this is an increase of 10.7 percent, which means Central Texas is growing at a normal speed. Moreover, almost 29% of the population there lives in Bell County, a part of the Killeen-Temple MSA.

In 9 years (from 2010 to 2019), the population of the region grew at a slow pace compared to the state of Texas. According to the US Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey, the median age of this region’s residents is par with that of the state.

As of 2018, about 57% of the population of Central Texas is white (not Hispanic). Moreover, the median income of the household was $50 242.

In 2019, Central Texas was accounted for 3.9% of Texas’ total employment rate. Moreover, this region is a leader in animal production, nonfinancial intangible assets, aquaculture, and support activities for the miners.

Top Universities

  • Baylor University
  • Texas A&M University
  • Texas A&M University (Central Texas)
  • University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Top Junior and Community Colleges

  • Blinn College District
  • Central Texas College
  • Hill College
  • McLennan Community College
  • Temple College
  • Texas State Technical College System
  • Texas State Technical College – Waco

In Central Texas, you can find every type of lifestyle – be it rural or urban. This means that the residents of this region are quite vibrant and diverse.

4. South Texas

View_of_downtown_San_Antonio,_Texas,_from_the_Tower_of_the_Americas

South Texas is one of the most cost-competitive regions for both mission-critical operations and international trade. From the launch site of SpaceX in Brownsville and the headquarters of H-E-B in San Antonio, South Texas is the ideal location for most of the big companies.

McNair_House,_Brownsville,_TX

South Texas is south of and includes San Antonio. The total population of this region is 4.96 million (as of 2017). Moreover, the southern part of this region is usually referred to as the Rio Grande Valley. It extends all the way south from the Hill Country to the Texas-Mexico border.

Port of Brownsville is the only deep-water port on the U.S.-Mexico border, which has made this South Texas a special force in trade. Port Corpus Christi gives faster access to the inland waterway system and the Gulf of Mexico.

CorpusChristiTX_Night

Much of the area is quite dry and covered with grasses and thorny brush. You can also see palms, subtropical woodlands,and citrus trees growing here. One cannot find such a humid and subtropical climate elsewhere in the USA. Moreover, the population in South Texas is expected to be increased by 175 percent by the year 2050.

Since a variety of birds, including many tropical birds from South America, can be found here, birdwatchers from all over the globe come to South Texas to view their beauty along with the border and coastal areas.Although less than ten lakes can be found in this region, resacasprovide a vital water source for wildlife.

Climate

December_20_-_Corpus_-_003

The climate of South Texas varies a lot. The area along the border of Mexico is semi-arid. The area from the coast inland to the west of San Antonio has a humid subtropical climate. The Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains are one of the main reasons that affect the weather of South Texas.

Temperatures here reach freezing only a few times in the winter, and snowfall is quite rare. Summers are quite hot and humid. The average daily temperature is above 90 °F.

5. West Texas

West Texas consists of 30 counties and has many unique economic conditions. According to the census of 2018, the median age of the residents was slightly younger than that of the state. However, Loving County has the region’s oldest average population – and it is also one of the least populated counties of West Texas.

Hispanic and Non-Hispanic people share almost 93% of the region’s population. In addition, West Texas had Texas’ most volatile local economies in the past ten years. The employment rate of Midland MSA’s rose nearly three times compared to the state rate.

Amarillo_Texas_Downtown

If West Texas were a stage, it would have the fifth-highest per capita income in the USA. What differentiates this region from others in Texas is the concentration of extraction and transportation of natural resources industries.

There are three metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in West Texas:

  1. The Midland MSA: Martin and Midland counties
  2. The Odessa MSA: Ector County
  3. The San Angelo MSA: Irion and Tom Green counties

Population

The total population of West Texas was approx. 660,000 (as of 2019), or you can say about 2.9% of Texas’ total population. This is an increase of almost 90,000 people since the consensus of 2010. The median household income of this region was $62,171 as of 2018.

Climate

Davis_Mts_Nima_(2).

The climate of West Texas is arid and semi-arid. The region sees much less rainfall compared to the rest of Texas. Therefore, most of its scant agriculture heavily depends on irrigation. While most parts of Texas are at or near sea level, much of West Texas has a rugged terrain that comprises many small mountain ranges.

Top Universities

  • Angelo State University
  • The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Junior and Community Colleges

  • Howard College
  • Midland College
  • Odessa College

Top Certificates and Degree Awards in West Texas

  • Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
  • Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences
  • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
  • Personal and Culinary Services
  • Security and Protective Services
  • Engineering Technologies/Technicians

6. Texas Panhandle

Texas_PanhandleThe Texas Panhandle, a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico and Oklahoma, consists of the northernmost 26 counties. It has a land area of 25,823.89 sq. mi, or you can say nearly 10% of the state’s total. The Panhandle is slightly larger than West Virginia. Moreover, an extra 62.75 square miles is covered by water.

Panhandle-Plains_Historical_Museum_in_Canyon_Texas_USA

Over 72% of the Panhandle’s residents live in the Amarillo Metropolitan Area, one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the region. In addition to that, Texas Panhandle is also one of the fastest-growing windpower-producing regions because it receives strong, steady winds.

One can experience the breathtaking canyons in this region along with the Old West heritage that is still evident here today.

Caprock_Canyons_Haynes_Ridge_2005

Major Cities and Towns of Texas Panhandle

  • Amarillo
  • Borger
  • Canyon
  • Dumas
  • Hereford
  • Pampa

Summary

The state of Texas is divided into six different geographic regions that differ in terms of climate, population, culture, traditions, and income. All six regions have something to offer for someone – whether one is looking for a highly-paid technical job in one of the fortune 500 companies or want to start his own business, one can easily find several opportunities to avail.

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