Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city of 128,053 people in Jones County, Texas, founded in 1881.
Why visit Abilene
Townapedia lists 54 museums and landmarks, 50 parks and trails, 166 places to eat, 52 places to stay and 11 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Hardin–Simmons University, Abilene PREMIERE LUX Cine 10 Abilene Mall, Abilene Fire Station No. 2 and Frontier Texas!.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 96°F; January lows average 34°F.
Weather in Abilene
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Abilene
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 176,579 as of 2020. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University.
From the Wikipedia article Abilene, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do11
Hardin–Simmons University
School · 1.6 mi
Private university in Abilene, Texas, United States
2200 Hickory Street, Abilene
Cinemark Abilene and XD
Cinema and theater · 2.7 mi
672 East Overland Trail, Abilene
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Abilene Campus
School · 1.0 mi
Museums and landmarks54
Abilene Fire Station No. 2
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Building in Abilene, Taylor County, Texas
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Paramount Theatre
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Theater and movie theater in Abilene, Texas, United States
National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature
Museum · 0.4 mi
American museum
42 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds50
Shotwell Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 2.7 mi
1525 East South 11th Street, Abilene
Everman Park
Park · 0.4 mi
A small park featuring many statues of characters from childrens' books. A large fountain sits in the center of the park.
38 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes166
Blue Sky
Restaurant · Burger · 4.0 mi
3602 Catclaw Drive, Abilene
Su-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Grain Theory
Brewery and winery · 0.4 mi
202 Pine Street, Abilene
Mo-Th 09:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-22:00
The Mill
Restaurant · 0.7 mi
239 Locust Street, Abilene
We 17:00-21:00, Th 17:00-22:00, Fr 17:00-24:00, Sa 12:00-24:00
Cracker Barrel
Diner · American · 2.8 mi
1602 Highway 351, Abilene
Su-Th 06:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-23:00
154 more on the map.
History
Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.
From the History section of Abilene, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay52
Courtyard Abilene Southwest/Abilene Mall South
Motel and hotel · 4.2 mi
4350 Ridgemont Drive, Abilene
Churches and places of worship103
First Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Abilene
Place of worship · 1.8 mi
1541 Sayles Boulevard, Abilene
Covenant Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 2.7 mi
2742 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene
Shopping35
Gas and EV charging38
Schools, colleges and libraries92
Academy For Technology Engineering Math & Science
School · 3.3 mi
2034 Quantum Loop, Abilene
Healthcare12
Baylor Scott & White Urgent Care+ Abilene (Catclaw)
Clinic and pharmacy · 4.0 mi
3802 Catclaw Drive, Abilene
Map of Abilene
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 34°F | 1.1 in | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 63°F | 37°F | 1.3 in | 1.0 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 45°F | 1.7 in | 0.1 in |
| Apr | 79°F | 53°F | 1.9 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 86°F | 62°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 93°F | 70°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 96°F | 73°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 96°F | 72°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 65°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 79°F | 55°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 68°F | 43°F | 1.4 in | 0.7 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 35°F | 1.3 in | 0.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Abilene Rgnl Ap Gsn 72266 (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Jones County has had 19 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2024-05-17: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-14: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-02-25: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Abilene Regional Airport (ABI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Tye 7 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Potosi 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Hawley 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Buffalo Gap 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Clyde 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Merkel 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Tuscola 17 mi south, about 28 min by car
- Baird 20 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Anson 23 mi northwest, about 36 min by car
- Albany 32 mi northeast, about 51 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Abilene from the Enterprise Building, Flofor15, CC BY-SA 4.0
- McMurry University Administration Building, Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Abilene June 2019 56 (First Central Presbyterian Church), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AbileneFireStation2 (1 of 1), Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ParamountTheater1 (1 of 1), Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Johnson Building, HSU, Abilene, TX IMG 6333, Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
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