Sunray, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sunray, Texas
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Location of Sunray, Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Moore |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.71 sq mi (4.42 km2) |
| • Land | 1.71 sq mi (4.42 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,504 ft (1,068 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,707 |
| • Density | 998/sq mi (386.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
79086
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| Area code(s) | 806 |
| FIPS code | 48-71180 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412010 |
Sunray is a city in northeastern Moore County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,707 at the 2020 census.
History
Sunray, Texas, was founded by Jack Clarence Collins. He was born in Hartley, Texas, in 1893, and in 1902 moved to Channing with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E.S. Collins. Jack graduated from Channing High School and later, in 1916, from Texas A&M, where he was class valedictorian and class president in his senior year. Later, he served for several years as cashier of the First National Bank of Channing while extending his family's ranch holdings. Mr. Collins was well-known and respected in ranching and financial circles, and was a ranking member of the Republican Party for several years.
Jack Collins did not call the town "Sunray" when he laid it out in 1930. The first lots were sold at $10 each under the name "Altman", but it was discovered that a town in Rusk County had already appropriated that name, hence, the name "Sunray" was used. A post office was applied for on May 5, 1930, using the name "Altman", but because of the duplication, "Sunray" was not approved until 1935.
The change to the name "Sunray" came because Sunray Oil Company (later Sunoco) set up a gas-oil refinery near the town on 10 acres (40,000 m2) of land originally donated by Mr. Collins to Dana Oil & Gas Royalty Company. Sunray Oil Company bought the holdings of Dana in the early Jones Field in northeastern Moore County, which was near the new town. The townsite location was determined by a new Rock Island Railroad route running from Dalhart to Morse along the northern edge of Mr. Collins's townsite survey. At the time, the town was 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Jones Well and 6 miles (9.7 km) from the Morton oil well—both early oil-gas discoveries in Moore County.
On Sunday, July 29, 1956, the nearby industrial plant was the site of a major accident. The McKee refinery fire killed 19 firefighters when a storage tank suffered a vapor explosion.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2), all land.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Sunray has a semiarid climate, BSk on climate maps.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 1,530 | — | |
| 1960 | 1,967 | 28.6% | |
| 1970 | 1,854 | −5.7% | |
| 1980 | 1,952 | 5.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,729 | −11.4% | |
| 2000 | 1,950 | 12.8% | |
| 2010 | 1,926 | −1.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,707 | −11.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 832 | 48.74% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 5 | 0.29% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 10 | 0.59% |
| Asian (NH) | 3 | 0.18% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 43 | 2.52% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 814 | 47.69% |
| Total | 1,707 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,707 people, 781 households, and 577 families residing in the city.
Economy
The Valero McKee Refinery is located several miles southwest of Sunray. It processes 200,000 barrels of oil per day and has 475 full-time personnel.
Education
The City of Sunray is served by the Sunray Independent School District and home to the Sunray High School Bobcats.
See also
In Spanish: Sunray (Texas) para niños
