Deaf Smith County

County Offices
235 East 3rd Street
Hereford 806-363-7077
http://www.co.deaf-smith.tx.us/

Chamber of Commerce
701 Main Street
Hereford 806-364-3333
https://www.herefordtx.org

Expansive Deaf Smith County covers 1,498 square miles of primarily High Plains countryside with rich chocolate and sandy loam soils that drain to Palo Duro and Tierra Blanca creeks. This region is first in Texas for the market value of its agricultural operations, headlined by dairies and feedlot operations as well as cash crops of cotton, wheat, sorghum, and corn. The county’s unique name honors Erastus ‘Deaf’ Smith, a famous partially deaf scout in the Texas Revolution. The county seat of Hereford is actually known as “The Beef Capital of the World,” located just 30 minutes from Canyon, 45 minutes from Amarillo, and 90 miles from Lubbock.

Major thoroughfares that serve the county include Interstate 40, U.S. Highways 60 and 385, and Texas State Highway 214. Residents are also a short drive away from Interstate 27 for quick and easy commutes to regional destinations and points beyond. The nearest commercial airline service is available at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport in Amarillo. For expanded air travel options, metropolitan Lubbock is home to Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport.

Services

Access to comprehensive healthcare resources and services begins close to home at Hereford Regional Medical Center. This full-service rural healthcare facility includes a 42-bed hospital that provides 24-hour emergency care, state-of-the-art operating rooms, and a Swing Bed Program for long-term care and skilled nursing. Other highlights include prenatal care and family-centered birth experiences, rehabilitation services, specialized wound care, chronic care management, advanced imaging, primary care, and wellness services. Should the need for more advanced or specialized care arise, nearby Amarillo is home to two highly respected regional healthcare systems. Northwest Texas Healthcare is a Top Performer in surgical care and care for heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia. Northwest Texas Hospital provides a full range of leading-edge services and has been designated as a Certified Primary Stroke Center and Center of Excellence for Women’s Health and Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care. Maintaining a Level III Trauma Center, the hospital’s emergency room treats more than 50,000 patients each year. BSA Health System, which includes Baptist St. Anthony’s Hospital and Harrington Cancer Center, is consistently recognized as having one of the nation’s Top 100 Hospitals for clinical excellence and exemplary customer service. Long-term acute care is the specialty of Vibra Hospital of Amarillo, dedicated to patients with critical or chronic illnesses. The city is also home to the Thomas E. Creek Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the flagship hospital for the Amarillo VA Health System.

Newcomers to Deaf Smith County will be pleased to find easy access to highly respected educational resources that include progressive public K-12 schools. Students benefit from a favorable student/teacher ratio and unique opportunities like career and technology training in agricultural science, auto technology, child development, cosmetology, culinary arts, health science, home economics, manufacturing/welding, and meat processing. Options for a private education from kindergarten through fifth grade are also available locally at St. Anthony’s Catholic School. Postgraduate work can begin in Hereford at branch campuses for Amarillo College and Frank Phillips College, both offering associate and transfer degrees, certificates, career training, and continuing education. Within a 30-minute drive, the city of Canyon is home to the flagship campus for West Texas A&M University (WTAMU). Garnering frequent accolades including “Best of the West” in Princeton Review, WTAMU is a global leader in wind energy research and maintains centers of excellence in agriculture and veterinary sciences. Amarillo is home to four campus centers for Amarillo College, a two-year institution with a reputation for innovation and relevant programs that meet the needs of today as well as tomorrow—most recently evidenced by a new STEM Research Center and greenhouse. With its architecturally stunning flagship campus available in Lubbock, Texas Tech University maintains its Health Sciences Center in Amarillo, including schools for pharmacy, medicine, nursing, health professions, and biomedical sciences. The private institution of Wayland Baptist University also maintains an Amarillo campus.

Lifestyle

Few locations on the High Plains can rival Deaf Smith County for easy access to first-rate recreational destinations and amenities. Local highlights include Aquatic Center Park, featuring one of the finest all-season swimming facilities in West Texas. Other Panhandle favorites are the 18-hole John Pitman Golf Course and the outstanding swimming pool and tennis courts at Hereford Country Club. More than 30 miles of trails are available for deep exploration at nearby Palo Duro Canyon State Park, designated as a top Texas mountain bike destination but equally popular with hikers, campers, and horseback riders. The pinnacle of natural beauty and wildlife diversity in West Texas is showcased at Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, an ideal setting for birding, hiking, camping, nature study, photography, and picnicking. The expansive Thompson Memorial Park in Amarillo offers a world of adventure that includes a frisbee golf course, the Amarillo Zoo, and Wonderland Amusement Park. Although local high school football competitions are cheered on with all the fervor of an NFL playoff game, additional spectator thrills in Amarillo include football, baseball, soccer, and hockey. Nearby Canyon draws crowds to a full schedule of NCAA Division II competition at West Texas A&M University. Local celebrations bring friends, family, and visitors together for popular festivals and competitive events from the Tierra Blanca Golf Classic and Spicer Gripp Memorial Roping to Pioneer Days Celebration, Carnival, and the annual Christmas Lighting Event.

Those with an appreciation for historic sites, the arts, and cultural enrichment will find countless venues and opportunities in and near Deaf Smith County. Local treasures include the Deaf Smith County Museum, a Prisoner of War Chapel, the architectural wonder of the all-marble Deaf County Courthouse, and the E.B. Black House—preserving one of the area’s finest historic homes. Minutes from home in Canyon, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum showcases a treasure trove of Texas history with more than three million artifacts. Metropolitan Amarillo adds Texas Air & Space Museum, the Amarillo Museum of Art on the Amarillo College campus, the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum, and the family attraction of Don Harrington Discovery Center and Space Theater. The beautiful Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts in Amarillo hosts star-studded concerts and performances including those for Amarillo Opera, Amarillo Symphony, and Lone Star Ballet. The beloved Amarillo Little Theatre has been delivering audience-pleasing performances since 1927. One of the most famous events in the region occurs in Palo Duro Canyon every summer night when Pioneer Amphitheater hosts the outdoor musical drama Texas. Other large-scale regional events include extravaganzas like Will Rogers Range Riders Rodeo, Yellow City Sounds Music Festival, Good Times Celebration® Barbecue Cook-Off, Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show, and the Tri-State Rodeo & Fair.
With its welcoming small-town atmosphere, great schools, convenient local services, and easy access to urban advantages, Deaf Smith County may be the perfect place to call home on the rural High Plains.

 

COMMUNITIES

Hereford

Municipal Offices
806-363-7100
http://www.hereford-tx.com/

Chamber of Commerce
806-364-3333
https://www.herefordtx.org

Serving as the seat of government, center of population, and hub of commerce and services for Deaf Smith County, the city of Hereford was recently ranked #4 Best Place to Live in Texas by Movoto. Residents enjoy exemplary public and private schools, two college campus centers, a local medical center, and a medley of first-rate recreational facilities—all in close proximity to the bright lights of metropolitan Amarillo. Resources include Whiteface Stadium with a public-access track, an outstanding baseball complex for kid’s programs, beautiful gymnasiums, and Aquatic Park—home to Hereford Sports and Wellness multiuse sports complex and year-round swimming opportunities. Complementing the lively downtown scene, a growing business sector benefits from the city’s reputation as a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family. Best of all, the low cost of living makes it possible to enjoy the good life including more home for the dollar in a tranquil rural area near urban advantages. One of the local architectural jewels is the E.B. Black House, a 1909 Texas Historic Landmark that has been beautifully restored to host private parties, receptions, and community gatherings. Few small towns in American can rival “The Beef Capital of the World” for quality of life.