Why visit Rankin
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks and 2 parks and trails in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 96°F; January lows average 33°F.
Weather in Rankin
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rankin
Rankin is a city in and the county seat of Upton County, Texas, United States. Its population was 780 at the 2020 census. It is named after F.E. Rankin, a local rancher.
From the Wikipedia article Rankin, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks8
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Healthcare1
History
The town was founded in 1911, and the post office was built a year later. In 1921, this still-tiny community based around the ranching industry was designated the county seat. Rankin was served by the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway.
The discovery of the Yates Oil Field in adjacent Pecos County in 1926 converted Rankin into a boom town. Since Rankin was the nearest settlement on a rail line, it became the center for the oil-services industry for the nearby oil fields. During the Great Depression, the population declined as the price of oil fell, and as workers moved away to work in newly discovered fields in East Texas and elsewhere, but a secondary boom occurred in the 1940s with the discovery of the nearby Benedum Oil Field. A hospital, three new schools, and a library date from this period. The population has gradually fallen since its secondary peak of 1,278 in 1980.
In 1990, the Confederate Air Force (later Commemorative Air Force) filmed a famous "Don't Mess with Texas" advertising campaign near Rankin using the B-17G Sentimental Journey of Airbase Arizona in Mesa, Arizona.
From the History section of Rankin, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Rankin
15 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 | 0.7 in | 0.2 in |
| Feb | 66°F | 37°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 74°F | 45°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 82°F | 53°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 90°F | 63°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 96°F | 71°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 96°F | 73°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 96°F | 73°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 90°F | 66°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 81°F | 55°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 70°F | 42°F | 0.8 in | 0.3 in |
| Dec | 61°F | 34°F | 0.7 in | 0.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Mccamey Hcn (18 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
Upton 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, 22 miles away.
- McCamey 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Iraan 22 mi south, about 35 min by car
- Crane 27 mi northwest, about 43 min by car
- Big Lake 29 mi east, about 46 min by car
- Odessa 51 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- West Odessa 54 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Grandfalls 55 mi west, 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
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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
- Upton county tx courthouse 2014, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
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