Why visit Big Lake
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 12 places to eat and 10 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include John H. Reagan.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 95°F; January lows average 33°F.
Weather in Big Lake
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Big Lake
Big Lake is a small rural city in and the county seat of Reagan County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Big Lake had a population of 2,965.
From the Wikipedia article Big Lake, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks4
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes12
Buritos
Restaurant · Regional, Burrito Shop · 0.5 mi
110 South Main Avenue
Mo-Sa 05:30-18:00
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 0.4 mi
510 East Second, Big Lake
Mo-Th 07:00-22:00; Fr 07:00-23:00; Sa 08:00-23:00; Su 09:00-22:00
Where to stay10
Cobblestone Inn & Suites
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
1318 E US Hwy 67, Big Lake
Derrick Inn Motel
Motel and hotel · 0.9 mi
121 N TX 137, Big Lake
History
In 1919, Rupert Ricker began the process of leasing 674 sections of University of Texas land, part of their Permanent University Fund. Unable to fund any test wells, Ricker sold the prospect to Frank Pickrell and Haymon Krupp, who organized the Texon Oil and Land Company. The company geologist, Hugh H. Tucker, picked the drill site, claiming a structure 9 miles (14 km) wide and 30 miles (48 km) long. The initial drill site was about 14 miles (23 km) west of Big Lake, north of the Orient Railroad tracks at what became Texon. They hired Carl G. Cromwell to spud the first test well in 1921, using cable tools. On the afternoon of 27 May, oil showed in the bailer. Then, on the morning of 28 May 1923, the Santa Rita No. 1 gushed oil after drilling to a depth of 3,028 feet (923 m). Initial production was 100 BOPD, which overflowed the earthen tanks, and then onto the ground for over a month before casing could set. The oil was then shipped by tank car to a refinery in El Paso. Michael Late Benedum bought the Texon find, and formed the Big Lake Oil Company, in October 1923. By 1924, Benedum had established the Big Lake oil field as the first major oil field in the Permian Basin. In 1926, this field had 74 wells producing a total of 32,317 BOPD.
From the History section of Big Lake, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship12
Big Lake Apostolic Church
Church · Pentecostal · 0.6 mi
200 South Main Avenue, Big Lake
Big Lake Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 0.7 mi
501 North California Avenue
Cowboy Church
Church · Nondenominational · 0.5 mi
207 North Main Avenue, Big Lake
Hope in Christ
Church · Spanish Apostolic Church · 0.5 mi
404 N Main Ave, Big Lake
Iglesia Pentecostes El
Church · Pentecostal · 0.5 mi
121 North Main Avenue, Big Lake
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare3
Reagan County Hospital Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
1300 North Plaza Avenue
Map of Big Lake
63 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°F | 33°F | 1.0 in | 0.9 in |
| Feb | 65°F | 37°F | 0.8 in | 0.5 in |
| Mar | 73°F | 45°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 82°F | 52°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 88°F | 61°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 93°F | 69°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 94°F | 71°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 95°F | 70°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 63°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 80°F | 54°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 69°F | 42°F | 1.4 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 61°F | 35°F | 0.9 in | 0.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Big Lake 2 (1 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
Reagan County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 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)
- 2011-07-01: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2008-03-14: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Iraan Municipal Airport (IRB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 33 miles away.
- Rankin 29 mi west, about 46 min by car
- Iraan 33 mi southwest, about 53 min by car
- Ozona 37 mi southeast, about 59 min by car
- Mertzon 38 mi east, about 1 h by car
- McCamey 46 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Sterling City 52 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Crane 55 mi west, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Eldorado 56 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Reagan county tx courthouse 2014, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
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