Bandera, Texas
City
Downtown Bandera
Downtown Bandera
Official logo of Bandera, Texas
Logo
Nickname: 
"Cowboy Capital of the World"
Location of Bandera, Texas
Location of Bandera, Texas
Bandera, Texas is located in the United States
Bandera, Texas
Bandera, Texas
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 29°43′30″N 99°4′20″W / 29.72500°N 99.07222°W / 29.72500; -99.07222
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyBandera
Government
 • MayorKaylyn Huerta
Area
[1]
 • Total1.16 sq mi (3.00 km2)
 • Land1.16 sq mi (3.00 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
1,243 ft (379 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total829
 • Density778.55/sq mi (300.49/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
78003
Area code830
FIPS code48-05528[2]
GNIS feature ID1330000[3]
Websitewww.cityofbandera.com

Bandera (Spanish: "flag", /bænˈdɛrə/ ban-DERR-ə) is a town in Bandera County, Texas, United States. The county seat, it lies in the Texas Hill Country, a part of the Edwards Plateau located at the crossroads of the central, southern, and western parts of the state,[4] The population was 829 at the 2020 census.[5] approximately 40 miles northwest of San Antonio and 90 miles southwest of Austin, the state capital.

Bandera calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of the World", a legacy dating to its days as a staging area for what is today known as Great Western Cattle Trail for the last cattle drives of the 1800s.[6]

History

Bandera was founded by Polish Roman Catholic immigrants from Upper Silesia. They built St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, and many local residents are descended from them.

Bandera is the Spanish word for flag. How the town acquired the name is unknown.

Bandera was a staging area on the Great Western Cattle Trail, during the second half of the 19th century.

Bandera hosts a three-day Cowboy Mardi Gras that attracts over 15 thousand people from all over the world to the town of 829 residents.[7]

Geography

Bandera is located in east-central Bandera County at 29°44′N 99°4′W / 29.733°N 99.067°W / 29.733; -99.067 (29.7258, −99.0750).[8] It is 47 miles (76 km) northwest of downtown San Antonio, on the Medina River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2), of which 0.008 sq mi (0.02 km2), or 0.55%, is covered by water.[5]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1890372—
190041912.6%
1920700—
1930580−17.1%
19401,250115.5%
19501,3256.0%
19601,065−19.6%
1970891−16.3%
19809476.3%
1990877−7.4%
20009579.1%
2010857−10.4%
2020829−3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

2020 census

Bandera racial composition[10]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[lower-alpha 1]
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 607 73.22%
Black or African American (NH) 1 0.12%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 3 0.36%
Asian (NH) 4 0.48%
Pacific Islander (NH) 2 0.24%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 27 3.26%
Hispanic or Latino 185 22.32%
Total 829

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 829 people, 240 households, and 118 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 957 people, 408 households, and 239 families were residing in the city. The population density was 820.2/sq mi (316.7/km2). The 488 housing units averaged 418.2/sq mi (161.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.98% White, 0.21% African American, 0.52% Native American, 2.51% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 21.84% of the population.

Of the 408 households, 24.5% had children under 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were not families. About 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.22, and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city, the age distribution was 21.5% under 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,089, and for a family was $36,500. Males had a median income of $27,604 versus $17,813 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,502. About 11.0% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Bandera is served by the Bandera Independent School District and home to the Bandera High School Bulldogs.

Trivia

  • Bandera is featured in the 1980 CBS unsold pilot Jake's Way, which starred Robert Fuller, Michael Jaymes, Andrew Duggan, Slim Pickens, and newcomers Lisa LeMole, Stephen McNaughton (credited as Steven McNaughton), and Ben Lemon, and was produced by Disney Television Studios and Barry and Enright Productions.
  • The city is home of Arkey Blue's Silver Dollar, a famous Hill Country honky-tonk, and was included in the 1975 horror film, Race with the Devil.[13]
  • On Sunday mornings, Bandera is a popular destination for motorcyclists from San Antonio, known as the Bandera Breakfast Run.
  • Bandera is home to the Bandera Riverfest that takes place in June each year on the Medina River, offering tubing, kayaking, cookoffs, and live music throughout the weekend.
  • Willie Nelson has an instrumental called "Bandera" on his Red Headed Stranger record.
  • "The Bandera Waltz" was written by Easy Adams in 1949, and has been recorded by the Texas Top Hands, Slim Whitman, and Bruce Robison.
  • Bandera was once home to singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen.
  • Bandera is the hometown of singer-songwriter brothers Bruce and Charlie Robison.
  • The rugged Hill Country State Natural Area is the location of the Bandera 100K trail run and the Cactus Rose 100-mile endurance run, two of the toughest ultramarathons in Texas. Both are hosted annually by race director and veteran trail runner Joe Prusaitis.
  • The Bandera Downs horseracing facility lies just northeast of town. It is now closed.
  • The Mayan Dude Ranch and the Dixie Dude Ranch, both over 50 years old, are located in Bandera.
  • The Frontier Times Museum, founded by J. Marvin Hunter and named for Hunter's Frontier Times magazine, is located in Bandera.

Sister cities

References

  1. ↑ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Bandera city, Texas". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  6. ↑ "This Small Texas Town Has Less Than 1,000 Residents — and It's the 'Cowboy Capital of the World" travelandliesure.com, March 23, 2023
  7. ↑ https://austin.culturemap.com/news/travel/cowboy-mardi-gras-bandera/
  8. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Census.gov". Census.gov.
  12. ↑ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Honky Tonk Texas, USA". Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
  14. 1 2 "Interactive City Directory". Sister Cities International. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Bandera Historic Town Center Historical Marker".
  1. ↑ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[11][12]
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