Dimmitt-Castro County

County Offices
100 E Bedford Street
Dimmitt 806-647-4451
http://www.co.castro.tx.us/

Municipal Offices
200 East Jones Street
Dimmitt 806-647-2156

Chamber of Commerce
115 West Bedford
Dimmitt 806-647-2524
https://www.dimmittchamberofcommerce.com/

Expansive Castro County is located in the western Panhandle on the Texas High Plains approximately 50 miles southwest of Amarillo and 75 miles from metropolitan Lubbock. The region’s sandy loam and black soils support abundant crops of corn, wheat, sorghum, cotton, sugar beets, soybeans, and other vegetables. This rural county also maintains several large food processing plants, a fertilizer industry, and sizable livestock operations. The rural nature of the region lends itself to economic stability and low levels of unemployment, which in turn creates a stable, close-knit community where residents feel a strong sense of connection and form deeply rooted friendships.

Ideally situated in the geographical center of the county, the city of Dimmitt serves as a center of population, commerce, healthcare, and government. Nearly all of the county’s residents live in Dimmitt or one of the small residential centers of Nazareth and Hart. Major thoroughfares serving Castro County include U.S. Highway 385 that passes through Dimmitt and leads north to Hereford, the seat of Deaf Smith County, and south to the city of Springlake. Texas State Highway 86 crosses U.S. Highway 385 in Dimmitt and leads east to the city of Tulia and west to the city of Bovina. The nearest commercial airline service is available in Amarillo at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport or at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport in Lubbock.

Services

In spite of its rural nature, Castro County ensures that residents have access to the finest in community healthcare programs close to home. The comprehensive system of Castro County Healthcare includes the 25-bed Plains Memorial Hospital, the Medical Center of Dimmitt, and a senior care facility. Along with respiratory, laboratory, and specialty services, Plains Memorial Hospital takes pride in offering a Level IV Trauma Center staffed by professionals trained in advanced cardiac life support and pediatric advanced life support. A swing bed program enables the hospital to move flexibly between cute care and patients who need skilled nursing including IV and rehabilitation therapies. For expanded access to specialized or advanced care, Northwest Texas Healthcare System in Amarillo is the lead trauma center for the top 26 Panhandle counties. Known for heart, emergency, stroke, and children’s care, the hospital is designated as a tertiary care academic institution for leading-edge diagnosis and treatment. Amarillo is also home to BSA Health System, consistently recognized as one of the nation’s Top 100 Hospitals for clinical excellence and exemplary customer service. The largest healthcare hub for West Texas is located in Lubbock, home to University Medical Center Health System (UMC), the primary teaching hospital for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Covenant Health maintains Covenant Medical Center and Covenant Children’s Hospital along with several specialty centers in Lubbock.

Castro County residents are also surrounded by first-rate educational opportunities that begin close to home with strong community support for Dimmitt, Hart, and Nazareth school districts. Higher education resources are available in every direction, the closest being West Texas A & M University in the city of Canyon, just 37 miles from Dimmitt. For two-year transfer degrees and a long list of career training programs and certifications, Amarillo is home to Amarillo College while South Plains College maintains its flagship campus in Levelland and two centers in Lubbock. The top-rated college in the region is also located in Lubbock. Recognized as a Tier One Carnegie Designated University, Texas Tech University maintains preeminent research partnerships in a variety of areas including sustainable energy, wind power, crop science, and food safety. Students can choose from 150 undergraduate majors, 100 master programs, and 50 doctoral programs in 13 colleges that include a school of law, a medical school, and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Two respected private colleges also have campuses in Lubbock: Lubbock Christian University and Wayland Baptist University—with its flagship campus in Plainview.

Lifestyle

Simple country pleasures, colorful local events, church and school activities, strong friendships, and close family ties are all a way of life in Castro County. Local shop owners and business people know their customers by name, and neighbors are likely to find a gift of fresh vegetables or homemade baked goods on their doorstep. Little wonder that residents can’t imagine living anywhere else. Regardless of the residential community you choose, competitive school sports events will be widely attended and loudly cheered in Dimmitt, Nazareth, and Hart. However, the largest of these school systems claims the lion’s share of success: The Bobcats of Dimmitt Independent School District have a rich history of sports excellence that includes state championships, particularly in basketball. Community celebrations are another draw, from banquets, picnics, and fund-raising dinners to the February stock show and square dance or the June rodeo. For insight into the area’s colorful past, visit the Castro County Museum in the 1909 Old Carter House. Along with the Jeff Gilbreath farmstead, the complex preserves photos, artifacts, and early farm equipment and hosts craft exhibits and demonstrations during the Castro County Fair.

For expanded shopping, dining, and entertainment, nearby Amarillo offers a trip back to early America along Historic Route 66 or a chance to pick up a spray can and add artistic flourishes to old Cadillacs at Cadillac Ranch. Other attractions include Wonderland Amusement Park, Texas Air & Space Museum, Amarillo Botanical Gardens, the Amarillo Zoo, the Amarillo Museum of Art on the Amarillo College campus, the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum, and the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum. The entire family will enjoy interactive exhibits at Don Harrington Discovery Center and Space Theater and the 15-acre Amarillo Zoo with more than 60 species of animals in well-kept habitats. For hiking, camping, mountain biking, and horseback riding in spectacular scenery, Palo Duro Canyon State Park is a scenic wonderland. Amarillo also serves as a cultural center for the surrounding rural area, hosting performances for Amarillo Little Theatre, Amarillo Symphony, and Amarillo Opera. Metropolitan Lubbock adds an entire world of cosmopolitan amenities, from acclaimed performances, concerts, and celebrated museums to family fun centers. For the best of small-town West Texas living near big-city advantages, Castro County is an ideal place to call home.