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Hitchcock, Texas facts for kids

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City of Hitchcock, Texas
Hitchcock Post Office
Hitchcock Post Office
Location in the state of Texas
Location in the state of Texas
Country United States
State Texas
County Galveston
Incorporated January 30, 1960
Area
 • Total 91.48 sq mi (236.94 km2)
 • Land 60.43 sq mi (156.51 km2)
 • Water 31.05 sq mi (80.43 km2)
Elevation
16 ft (4.9 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 7,301
 • Density 79.810/sq mi (30.8137/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
77563
Area code(s) 409
FIPS code 48-34220
GNIS feature ID 1359310
Website http://www.cityofhitchcock.org/

Hitchcock is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,301 at the 2020 census.

History

Hitchcock was created as a station of the railroad between Galveston and Houston in 1873 and around the turn of the 20th century, became a vegetable shipping center. The settlement's economy crashed in the 1930s after insect plagues in the surrounding areas, and the area stayed impoverished until the establishment of the Camp Wallace anti-aircraft training base and the Naval Air Station Hitchcock at the beginning of World War II. After the end of the war, the bases were used as discharge centers, and some former soldiers settled in the area. Hitchcock was established in 1960 as the area's population boomed, topping out at nearly 7,000 by the end of the 1960s.

Since 1984, Hitchcock has been home to the Galveston County Fair & Rodeo. The Galveston County Fair & Rodeo began in 1938 and was held at facilities in Runge Park in Arcadia. In the early 1980s, the County Fair had reached its limits of growth at Runge Park, and plans began for a move to Jack Brooks Park in Hitchcock. The move to Jack Brooks Park was completed in time for the 1984 fair.

Hitchcock was affected by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The director of community development, D. Joe Wood, stated that bankruptcy was a possibility in the post-Hurricane environment.

Geography

HitchcockTXMap
Map of Hitchcock

Hitchcock is located at 29°20′19″N 95°0′39″W / 29.33861°N 95.01083°W / 29.33861; -95.01083 (29.338715, –95.010861).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 92.1 square miles (238.5 km2), of which 60.5 square miles (156.6 km2) is land and 31.6 square miles (81.9 km2), or 34.35%, is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1960 5,216
1970 5,565 6.7%
1980 6,103 9.7%
1990 5,868 −3.9%
2000 6,386 8.8%
2010 6,961 9.0%
2020 7,301 4.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Hitchcock racial composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 3,311 45.35%
Black or African American (NH) 1,813 24.83%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 23 0.32%
Asian (NH) 48 0.66%
Pacific Islander (NH) 5 0.07%
Some Other Race (NH) 21 0.29%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 254 3.48%
Hispanic or Latino 1,826 25.01%
Total 7,301

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,301 people, 2,880 households, and 2,021 families residing in the city.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Most of the city of Hitchcock is served by the Hitchcock Independent School District.

Some of Hitchcock is served by the Santa Fe Independent School District.

Private schools

Our Lady of Lourdes School, a Roman Catholic elementary school operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, is in Hitchcock.

Colleges and universities

The Hitchcock and Santa Fe districts (and therefore all of Hitchcock) are served by the College of the Mainland.

Public libraries

The Genevieve Miller Hitchcock Public Library was established in 2015.

Parks and recreation

Each year Juneteenth is celebrated in the Stringfellow Orchards, a 9.5-acre (3.8 ha) complex previously owned by a slave owner. The Texas Historical Commission enacted a historical marker in 1992. In 2004, the site had not been previously maintained, but John Collins discovered the site in 2004 and, with his wife Doris, later purchased it. As of 2007 the Collins' remain the owners.

Notable people

  • Taurian Fontenette (born 1983), streetball player whose nicknames include "The Air Up There" and "Mr. 720"
  • Randy Hymes, former NFL player who played for Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Minnesota Vikings
  • David M. Medina, former Texas Supreme Court Justice and General Counsel to Governor Rick Perry
  • Michael Sam, Free Agent defensive end, first openly gay NFL player

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hitchcock (Texas) para niños

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