Why visit Marfa
Townapedia lists 28 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 25 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Blackwell School, Presidio County Courthouse and Blackwell School National Historic Site.
June is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Marfa
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Marfa
Marfa is a city in the high desert of the Trans-Pecos in far West Texas, United States. Founded in the early 1880s as a railroad water stop, it lies between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park at an elevation of 4685 feet and is the county seat of Presidio County. The population of Marfa peaked in the 1930s and as of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 1,788.
From the Wikipedia article Marfa, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks28
Blackwell School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic place in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas
Presidio County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic place in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas
Building 98
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic place in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas
El Paisano Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic place in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas
Fort D. A. Russell
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic district in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas
Chinati Foundation
Museum · 0.8 mi
Contemporary art museum in Marfa, Texas
16 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes25
Para Llevar
Restaurant · 0.4 mi
203 East San Antonio Street, Marfa
Tu-Th 12:00-19:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-20:00
Alice's Cafe
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.4 mi
903 West San Antonio St, Marfa
Coyote Coffee
Cafe
317 West San Antonio Street, Marfa
Mo 00:00-02:00,08:00-14:00; Tu-We 08:00-14:00; Fr 08:00-24:00;...
13 more on the map.
History
Marfa was founded in the early 1880s as a railroad water stop. The town was named "Marfa" (Russian for "Martha") at the suggestion of the wife of a railroad executive. Although some historians have hypothesized that the name came from a character in Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov, Marfa was actually named after Marfa Strogoff, a character in Jules Verne's novel Michael Strogoff. According to Sterry Butcher of the Texas Monthly, a writer researched the Karamazov story and deemed it false, but did not receive any letters to the editor after he submitted the story to the newspaper, so "No one cared. The story we had suited Marfa just fine."
The Marfa Army Air Field served as a training facility for several thousand pilots during World War II, including the American actor Robert Sterling, before closing in 1945. The base was also used as the training ground for many of the United States Army's chemical mortar battalions.
Marfa experienced economic issues after the war ended and after a drought impaired agricultural output. Artist Donald Judd arrived in 1973 and began buying properties to renovate, which resulted in bohemian interest in the community. In 2012, Vanity Fair described it as a "playground" for "art-world pioneers and pilgrims".
From the History section of Marfa, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Churches and places of worship3
Saint Mary Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic
211 West San Antonio Street, Marfa
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Map of Marfa
88 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 24°F | 0.6 in |
| Feb | 63°F | 28°F | 0.4 in |
| Mar | 70°F | 34°F | 0.4 in |
| Apr | 78°F | 41°F | 0.5 in |
| May | 86°F | 50°F | 0.9 in |
| Jun | 92°F | 59°F | 2.1 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 61°F | 3.5 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 60°F | 1.6 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 53°F | 1.8 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 43°F | 1.3 in |
| Nov | 68°F | 33°F | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 26°F | 0.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Marfa 3W (3 mi away), rain and snow from Marfa 1.0 Nne, 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
Presidio County has had 12 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)
- 2011-04-09: Rockhouse Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Marfa Municipal Airport (MRF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Fort Davis 20 mi northeast, about 32 min by car
- Alpine 22 mi east, about 35 min by car
- Balmorhea 49 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Presidio 56 mi south, 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Marfa courthouse, The original uploader was Talshiarr at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.5
- MarfaTX ElPaisanoHotel, daveynin from United States, CC BY 2.0
- Entry to El Paisano Hotel, Marfa, TX, Sundowner59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- USA Marfa pano TX, Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Marfa TX - courthouse downtown, Paul Joseph from vancouver, bc, canada, CC BY 2.0
- Marfa TX - Highland Ave, Matthew Rutledge from Austin, TX, CC BY 2.0
- Greetings from Marfa, Texas - Large Letter Postcard (8333585890), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Greetings from Marfa, Texas - Large Letter Postcard (4453894036), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- MarfaTX HotelPresidio, Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0
- USA Marfa view TX, Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Marfa 40s 05 - panoramio, cchamb2, CC BY 3.0
- MarfaTX Ballroom, Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Marfa Watertower - panoramio, Todd Dwyer, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NPS photo of Blackwell School, David Larson, Public domain
- Chinati foundation, Jgc3, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Historical Marker-El Paisano Hotel, HominyGrits007, CC0
- Historical Marker-Building 98, Fort D.A. Russell, HominyGrits007, CC0
- El Paisano Hotel Texas Historical Commission Marker El Paso, TX, Megalibrarygirl, Public domain
- 2014-03-29 Judd, Nan Palmero, CC BY 2.0
- Presidio county tx courthouse cupola, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Lady of Guadalupe (13501077223), Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Elephant Mountain (2643333093), Justin Cozart from USA, CC BY 2.0
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