Carrizo Springs, Texas
Encyclopedia
Carrizo Springs is a city in and the county seat
of Dimmit County
, Texas
, United States
. The population was 5,655 at the 2000 census.
The name of the town comes from the local springs, which were named by the Spanish for the cane grass that once grew around them. It is the oldest town in Dimmit County. Artesian wells in the area are known for their pure, clean water. This water is often exported from
Carrizo Springs for use as holy water
.
, approximately 82 miles northwest of Laredo
and 45 miles north of the Mexican
border. Route 83 intersects U.S. Route 277
there. The name "Carrizo Springs" derives from similarly named springs in the area; the name is Spanish
for a type of grass once common in the area. Founded in 1865 by settlers from Atascosa County, Carrizo Springs is the oldest community in the county.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), of which, 3.1 square miles (8 km²) of it is land and 0.32% is water.
of 2000, there were 5,655 people, 1,816 households and 1,450 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,812.9 people per square mile (699.8/km²). There were 2,109 housing units at an average density of 676.1 per square mile (261.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.28% White, 1.34% African American, 0.69% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 18.83% from other races
, and 2.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 87.21% of the population.
Out of the Residents under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples
living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.47.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,306, and the median income for a family was $22,375. Males had a median income of $24,536 versus $15,000 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $8,642. About 30.8% of families and 33.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.9% of those under age 18 and 29.9% of those age 65 or over.
.
The city is served by the following schools:
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Dimmit County
Dimmit County, Texas
Dimmit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 10,248. It is named for Philip Dimmitt, a major figure in the Texas Revolution. The reason the county name differs is because the bill creating the county misspelled Dimmitt's name...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,655 at the 2000 census.
The name of the town comes from the local springs, which were named by the Spanish for the cane grass that once grew around them. It is the oldest town in Dimmit County. Artesian wells in the area are known for their pure, clean water. This water is often exported from
Carrizo Springs for use as holy water
Holy water
Holy water is water that, in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and some other churches, has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, the blessing of persons, places, and objects; or as a means of repelling evil.The use for baptism and...
.
History
Carrizo Springs lies along U.S. Route 83U.S. Route 83
U.S. Route 83 is one of the longest north–south U.S. Highways in the United States, at . Only four other north–south routes are longer: U.S. Routes 1, 41, 59 and 87. The highway's northern terminus is north of Westhope, North Dakota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as...
, approximately 82 miles northwest of Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
and 45 miles north of the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
border. Route 83 intersects U.S. Route 277
U.S. Route 277
U.S. Route 277 is a north–south United States Highway. It is a spur of U.S. Route 77. It runs for 633 miles across Oklahoma and Texas. US 277's northern terminus is in Newcastle, Oklahoma at Interstate 44, which is also the northern terminus of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike. Its southern...
there. The name "Carrizo Springs" derives from similarly named springs in the area; the name is Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for a type of grass once common in the area. Founded in 1865 by settlers from Atascosa County, Carrizo Springs is the oldest community in the county.
Geography
Carrizo Springs is located at 28°31′36"N 99°51′45"W (28.526699, -99.862423).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), of which, 3.1 square miles (8 km²) of it is land and 0.32% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,655 people, 1,816 households and 1,450 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,812.9 people per square mile (699.8/km²). There were 2,109 housing units at an average density of 676.1 per square mile (261.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.28% White, 1.34% African American, 0.69% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 18.83% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 87.21% of the population.
Out of the Residents under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.47.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,306, and the median income for a family was $22,375. Males had a median income of $24,536 versus $15,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $8,642. About 30.8% of families and 33.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.9% of those under age 18 and 29.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The city is served by the Carrizo Springs Consolidated Independent School DistrictCarrizo Springs Consolidated Independent School District
Carrizo Springs Consolidated Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Carrizo Springs, Texas .CSCISD serves all of Dimmit County, including the cities of Asherton, Big Wells, and Carrizo Springs...
.
The city is served by the following schools:
- Carrizo Springs Elementary School (BS)
- Carrizo Springs Intermediate School (BS)
- Carrizo Springs Junior High School (BS)
- Carrizo Springs High School (BS)