Why visit Glidden
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Old Stafford Opera House, Colorado County Courthouse and Confederate Memorial Museum.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 98°F; January lows average 39°F.
Weather in Glidden
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Glidden
Glidden is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Colorado County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Glidden had a population of 741. It lies just north of Interstate 10 and 3 miles (5 km) to the west of Columbus.
From the Wikipedia article Glidden, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Old Stafford Opera House
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic place in Columbus, Colorado County, Texas
Museums and landmarks6
Colorado County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic place in Columbus, Colorado County, Texas
Confederate Memorial Museum
Monument and historic site · 2.9 mi
Museum in Texas
.jpg){kind=link}
Olive Branch Baptist Church and Rocky Chapel School
Monument and historic site · 0.5 mi
Schools, colleges and libraries4
History
Located along the main line of the Southern Pacific Railroad, the town site was originally established by the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway in 1885. The post office was opened three years later, and the town served as a major railroad maintenance facility stop between Houston and El Paso. The community flourished during the Spanish–American War and the two world wars. Shortly after, the railroad movement from steam engines to those operating with diesel and electric rendered most of the railroad maintenance shops in Glidden obsolete. This caused the population to decrease to 150 residents by the late 1940s.
Between January 1911 and April 1912, a series of ax murders occurred in Texas and Louisiana, claiming 49 victims. Glidden was one of the numerous towns in which this type of homicide took place. It is believed that all victims died at the hands of an unidentified killer (or killers) during the reign of terror. In Glidden, a woman with her four children and a male guest were all murdered in their sleep in March 1912. There were several individuals suspected in the crimes in the different locations, but charges were dropped against all of them for lack of evidence. The murder cases remain unsolved.
From the History section of Glidden, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Glidden
11 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64°F | 39°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 68°F | 43°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 75°F | 49°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 81°F | 56°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 88°F | 64°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 93°F | 70°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 96°F | 71°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 98°F | 71°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 93°F | 66°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 85°F | 56°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 74°F | 47°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 66°F | 40°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Columbus (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
Colorado County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-07-09: Hurricane Beryl (Hurricane)
- 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)
- 2017-08-25: Hurricane Harvey (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Eagle Lake Airport (ELA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Columbus 2 mi east, about 3 min by car
- Eagle Lake 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Bellville 26 mi northeast, about 42 min by car
- Flatonia 31 mi west, about 50 min by car
- Brenham 34 mi north, about 54 min by car
- East Bernard 34 mi east, about 54 min by car
- El Campo 39 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Fulshear 42 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Katy 45 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Rosenberg 47 mi east, 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Glidden-tx2016-3, Darrylpearson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stafford bank and opera house 2008, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Colorado county courthouse, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Columbus-tx2016-64(confederate-memorial), Darrylpearson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Glidden-tx2016-2, Darrylpearson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Glidden-tx2016-1, Darrylpearson, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.