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Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city of 115,322 people in Ector County, Texas, founded in 1881.
Why visit Odessa
Townapedia lists 41 museums and landmarks, 57 parks and trails, 174 places to eat, 66 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Century 12 Theatres, Regal Permian Palace & IMAX, Presidential Museum and Leadership Library and Ellen Noël Art Museum.
June is the warmest month, with average highs of 94°F; January lows average 32°F.
Weather in Odessa
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Odessa
Odessa () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Ector County in West Texas, with portions extending into Midland County. The population was 114,428 at the 2020 census, making it the 34th-most populous city in Texas. It is the principal city of the Odessa metropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Ector County.
From the Wikipedia article Odessa, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
University of Texas Permian Basin
School · 1.2 mi
Public university in Odessa, Texas, United States
Museums and landmarks41
Presidential Museum and Leadership Library
Museum · 1.6 mi
Museum and library complex in Odessa, Texas
Earl George Rodman, Sr. and William Douglas Noel
Monument and historic site · 2.6 mi
El Paso Natural Gas Company's First Compressor Transmission Engine
Monument and historic site · 2.5 mi
29 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds57
45 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes174
Big Daddy's Grill & Bar
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.6 mi
1121 East 42nd Street, Odessa
Su 11:00-15:00; Tu-Sa 11:00-21:00
Cpl. Ray's Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 3.9 mi
3111 Faudree Road, Odessa
Mo-Sa 06:00-22:00; Su 08:00-22:00
Flair Taverna
Restaurant · Italian, Pasta, Tapas, Steak House, Pizza · 0.9 mi
2701 John Ben Shepperd Parkway Boulevard, Odessa
Tu-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su-Mo 11:00-21:00
Fun Noodle Bar
Restaurant · Noodle
2738 North Grandview Avenue, Odessa
Su 11:00-20:30; Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30
HTeaO
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Tea, Dessert · 1.2 mi
4251 John Ben Shepperd Parkway Boulevard, Odessa
Su 11:00-21:05; Mo-Fr 07:00-21:05; Sa 08:00-21:05
HTeaO
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Tea, Dessert · 3.0 mi
6951 Eastridge Road, Odessa
Su 11:00-21:05; Mo-Fr 07:00-21:05; Sa 08:00-21:05
HTeaO
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Tea, Dessert · 3.1 mi
3018 Kermit Highway, Odessa
Su 11:00-20:05; Mo-Sa 07:00-20:05
Jack Jordan's Bar-B-Que
Restaurant · Barbecue · 1.0 mi
1501 John Ben Shepperd Parkway Boulevard, Odessa
Mo-Sa 11:00-20:00
Mamasita's Mexican Grill
Restaurant · Mexican
2720 North Grandview Avenue, Odessa
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-22:00; Sa 11:00-21:30; Su off
Pho House Odessa
Restaurant · Vietnamese · 1.0 mi
1541 John Ben Shepperd Parkway Boulevard, Odessa
Su 12:00-20:30; Tu-Sa 11:00-20:30
162 more on the map.
History
Odessa was founded in 1881 as a water stop and cattle-shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway. Odessa is said to have been named after Odessa in the Russian Empire (present-day Odesa, Ukraine). The settlement was named by Russian workers building the railway in 1881, because the terrain reminded them of their homeland; the local shortgrass prairies resembled the steppes of the Russian Empire.
The first post office opened in 1885. Odessa became the county seat of Ector County in 1891 when the county was first organized. It was incorporated as a city in 1927, after oil was discovered in Ector County on the Connell Ranch southwest of Odessa.
With the opening of the Penn Field in 1929 and the Cowden Field in 1930, oil became a major draw for new residents. In 1925, the population was just 750; by 1929, it had risen to 5,000. For the rest of the 20th century, the city's population and economy grew rapidly during each of a succession of oil booms (roughly in the 1930s–1950s, 1970s, and 2010s), often with accompanying contractions during the succeeding busts (particularly in the 1960s and 1980s).
From the History section of Odessa, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay66
Days Inn by Wyndham Odessa
Motel and hotel · 2.0 mi
520 South John Ben Sheppard Parkway Boulevard, Odessa
Churches and places of worship85
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 2.3 mi
321 Adams Avenue, Odessa
Life Challenge
Church · Penecostal-New Age · 1.4 mi
4500 North Grandview Avenue, Odessa
Greater Saint John Baptist Church
Church · 2.5 mi
212 South Muskingum Avenue, Odessa
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Latter-Day Saints · 1.8 mi
5401 John Ben Shepperd Parkway Boulevard, Odessa
The Potter's House
Church · Nondenominational · 0.6 mi
3952 East 42nd Street, Odessa
Shopping49
Gas and EV charging14
H-E-B Fuel
Gas station · 0.8 mi
East 42nd Street (Chris Kyle Memorial Highway), Odessa
Schools, colleges and libraries105
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
School · 1.4 mi
4901 East University Boulevard, Odessa
UTPB Stem Academy / ECISD Falcon Early College High School
School · 1.5 mi
4901 East University Boulevard, Odessa
Healthcare27
First Physicians Westview Medical Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 3.1 mi
1220 West University Boulevard, Odessa
H-E-B Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 4.1 mi
2501 West University Boulevard, Odessa
Map of Odessa
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°F | 32°F | 0.7 in | 0.2 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 36°F | 0.5 in | 0.2 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 44°F | 0.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 79°F | 51°F | 0.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 87°F | 61°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 94°F | 68°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 94°F | 71°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 93°F | 70°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 85°F | 62°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 77°F | 53°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 41°F | 0.6 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 33°F | 0.6 in | 0.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Odessa (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
Ector 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)
- 2011-04-27: Pleasant Farms Fire (Fire)
- 2011-04-03: Bates Field Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Midland International Air and Space Port (MAF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Gardendale 9 mi north, about 15 min by car
- West Odessa 10 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Midland 17 mi northeast, about 27 min by car
- McKinney Acres 31 mi north, about 49 min by car
- Andrews 33 mi north, about 53 min by car
- Crane 34 mi south, about 54 min by car
- Stanton 37 mi northeast, about 59 min by car
- Southwest Sandhill 40 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Kermit 44 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Monahans 46 mi west, 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
- Odessa, TX, City Hall DSCN0985, Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Race and ethnicity 2020 Odessa, TX, CensusDots, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Courthouse, Ector County, Odessa, TX, 03-09-2011 (4), Georgia Guercio, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greetings from Odessa, Texas, "Hub City of Odessa West Texas Oil Field" - Large Letter Postcard (9428792540), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Greetings from Odessa, Texas - Large Letter Postcard (9343164064), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- E 42nd and Bay Oaks - panoramio, JAGarcia, CC BY 3.0
- Blapstinus fortis anterior, Joshrassic, CC BY 4.0
- Blapstinus fortis posterior, Joshrassic, CC BY 4.0
- 2525 Andrews Hwy - panoramio, JAGarcia, CC BY 3.0
- ISS047-E-70070 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-70069 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-70071 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS025-E-7258 - View of Texas, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS037-E-14961 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS059-E-94348 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- 2601 North County Rd W - panoramio, JAGarcia, CC BY 3.0
- ISS047-E-89774 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-89773 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS059-E-86467 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS059-E-94347 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-89775 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-70068 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS029-E-32833 - View of Texas, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS029-E-32834 - View of Mexico, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS055-E-115197 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS026-E-8590 - View of Texas, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS037-E-14960 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- KMID and KPEJ-TV studio (cropped), Sammi Brie, CC BY 4.0
- KMID and KPEJ-TV studio, Sammi Brie, CC BY 4.0
- Dallas Artist JD Miller pictured with his painting "Eternal Love", Samuel Lynne Galleries, CC BY-SA 4.0
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