Why visit Big Spring
Townapedia lists 13 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 32 places to eat, 25 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cinemark Cinema 4, Gold Hill, Hangar 25 Air Museum and Potton-Hayden House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 96°F; January lows average 31°F.
Weather in Big Spring
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Big Spring
Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. Its population was 26,144 at the 2020 census. Big Spring was established as the county seat of Howard County in 1882; it is the largest community in the county.
From the Wikipedia article Big Spring, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Museums and landmarks13
Hangar 25 Air Museum
Museum · 1.9 mi
1911 Apron Dr, Big Spring
Su-Mo off, Tu-Fr 10:00-16:00, Sa 10:00-14:00
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Potton-Hayden House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic place in Big Spring, Howard County, Texas
200 South Gregg Street, Big Spring
Big Spring State Park on Route of Old Comanche War Trail
Monument and historic site · 0.7 mi
1 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
Restaurants and cafes32
Texas Cajun Cafe
Restaurant · Fish, Grill · 1.8 mi
802 West Interstate 20, Big Spring
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Casa Blanca Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.6 mi
1005 North Lamesa Highway, Big Spring
El Sazón de la Abuela
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.6 mi
910 North Lamesa Highway, Big Spring
McAlister's Deli
Restaurant · Sandwich · 1.7 mi
1010 North Lamesa Highway, Big Spring
20 more on the map.
History
The area had long been a popular watering hole for Native American residents and nomads, including members of the more recently established Jumano, Apache, and Comanche tribes. The first European to view the site was probably a member of a Spanish expedition exploring the Great Plains from New Mexico. During the 1840s and 1850s, Big Spring was often where Comanches assembled and organized themselves before departing on large-scale raids into northern Mexico during the Comanche-Mexico Wars.
Captain Randolph B. Marcy's expedition in 1849 was the first United States expedition to explore and map the area. Marcy marked the spring as a campsite on the Overland Trail to California. The site began to collect inhabitants, and by the late 1870s, a settlement had sprung up to support buffalo hunters who frequented the area. The original settlement consisted largely of hide huts and saloons. Ranching quickly became a major industry in the area; early ranchers included F.G. Oxsheer, C.C. Slaughter, and B.F. Wolcott.
One notable early rancher was Briton Joseph Heneage Finch, the seventh Earl of Aylesford. Finch purchased 37,000 acres (150 km2) of ranchland in the area in 1883, and is credited with building Big Spring's first permanent structure, a butcher shop.
From the History section of Big Spring, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay25
Settles Hotel
Motel and hotel · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
200 East 3rd Street, Big Spring
Home2 Suites by Hilton Big Spring
Motel and hotel · 1.7 mi
809 West Interstate 20
Advantage Inn & Suites
Motel and hotel · 1.8 mi
804 West Interstate 20, Big Spring
Churches and places of worship33
First Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 1.0 mi
701 Runnels Street, Big Spring
Grace Baptist Fellowship
Church · Baptist · 2.1 mi
1512 Birdwell Lane, Big Spring
Big Spring Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 0.9 mi
407 South Gregg Street, Big Spring
Shopping5
True Value / Higginbotham Bartlett
Hardware store · 2.4 mi
1900 East FM 700, Big Spring
Gas and EV charging18
Schools, colleges and libraries24
Healthcare5
West Texas VA Medical Center
Hospital · 0.9 mi
300 West Veterans Boulevard, Big Spring
Multi Specialty Clinic of Big Spring
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
2601 Wasson Road, Big Spring
Map of Big Spring
170 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°F | 31°F | 0.7 in | 0.3 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 35°F | 0.8 in | 0.7 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 42°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 79°F | 50°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 87°F | 60°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 94°F | 68°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 96°F | 72°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 95°F | 72°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 64°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 79°F | 53°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 67°F | 41°F | 1.4 in | 0.3 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 33°F | 0.8 in | 0.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Big Spring (2 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
Howard County has had 15 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)
- 2011-09-09: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2011-07-01: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Big Spring McMahon-Wrinkle Airport (HCA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Sand Springs 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Coahoma 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
- Forsan 11 mi southeast, about 18 min by car
- Stanton 19 mi west, about 31 min by car
- Ackerly 24 mi northwest, about 39 min by car
- Lake Colorado City 33 mi east, about 53 min by car
- Colorado City 38 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Midland 40 mi west, about 1 h by car
- Sterling City 40 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Lamesa 44 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 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
- Big Spring,Texas,USA. - panoramio, Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Potton House Big Spring Texas, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Hotel Settles, Big Spring, Texas Historical Marker (26298279625), Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.