Archer City, Texas

Archer City is a city in and the county seat of Archer County, Texas, United States. The city lies at the junction of State Highway 79 and State Highway 25. It is located 25 miles (40 km) south of Wichita Falls, and is part of the Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area. Its population was 1,601 at the 2020 census. Archer City is notable as a filming location for the motion picture The Last Picture Show (1971) and its sequel Texasville (1990), both based upon novels written by Archer City native Larry McMurtry. ^[4]

Archer City, Texas
City
Downtown Archer City, Texas
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Coordinates: 33°35′35″N 98°37′25″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Archer
Area [1]
• Total	2.22 sq mi (5.76 km2)
• Land	2.19 sq mi (5.68 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,070 ft (330 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,601
• Density	720/sq mi (280/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76351
Area code	940
FIPS code	48-03696[3]
GNIS feature ID	2409724[2]
Website	www.archercity.org

The city is named for Branch Tanner Archer, a commissioner for the Republic of Texas.^[5][6][7][8]

Geography

Archer City Round Up, July 4, 1921

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 sq mi (5.7 km²), of which 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km²) is covered by water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized as very hot, with humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Archer City has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.^[9]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	825		—
1920	689		−16.5%
1930	1,512		119.4%
1940	1,675		10.8%
1950	1,901		13.5%
1960	1,974		3.8%
1970	1,722		−12.8%
1980	1,862		8.1%
1990	1,748		−6.1%
2000	1,848		5.7%
2010	1,834		−0.8%
2020	1,601		−12.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

Archer City racial composition as of 2020^[4]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)^[a]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	1,372	85.7%
Black or African American (NH)	14	0.87%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	18	1.12%
Asian (NH)	2	0.12%
Some Other Race (NH)	3	0.19%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	75	4.68%
Hispanic or Latino	117	7.31%
Total	1,601

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,601 people, 717 households, and 340 families residing in the city.

Government and infrastructure

Kelvin Green was elected mayor of Archer City in 2014 at the age of 18. He ran unopposed and was in high school. He was re-elected in 2017.^[12]

Eight miles (12.8 km) west-southwest of the city lies a 2-mile (3.2 km) antenna, the Lake Kickapoo Field Station, operated by the 20th Space Control Squadron, and part of the Air Force Space Surveillance System, used for observing objects passing over the United States. It is the primary anchor transmitter for the Space Command southern "fence" (or "Space Fence") network for monitoring the space defense system. It extends east-to-west across America at about 33°N. The antenna has no public access and restricted entry.^[13][14]

Education

Archer City is served by the Archer City Independent School District, with one campus consisting of Archer City High School (grades 7–12) and Archer City Elementary School (grades K–6).

Notable people

• Maurice Benton Ball, served in the Texas House of Representatives 1963–1965.
• Angela Kinsey, actress, in The Office, lived in Archer City as a teenager
• Larry McMurtry, novelist and screenwriter
• Graham B. Purcell, Jr., U.S. representative from Texas's 13th congressional district

Gallery

• 
  Archer County Courthouse
• 
  County Courthouse Jail
• 
  Downtown Archer City
• 
  City Hall in Archer City
• 
  Historic buildings in Archer City