Page Contents for Fort Davis, Texas

Statistics & Facts

Location

Geography

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Government

Chamber of Commerce.

Community news

Organizations, Churches, and Sports.

Schools.

Miscellany

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Statistics & Facts

The Texas state capital is Austin.
The population of Fort Davis is approximately 1,050 (2000), 1201 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 511 (2010).
The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers.
The distance from Fort Davis to Washington DC is 1662 miles.
The distance to the Texas state capital is 355 miles. (as the crow flies)
Fort Davis is positioned 30.59 degrees north of the equator and 103.89 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Fort Davis elevation is as high as mile-high Denver at 5,050 feet above sea level.
Fort Davis average annual rainfall is 17 inches per year
The average low temperature is (winter) 30 degrees F.
The average high temperature is (summer) 85, (winter) 50 degrees F.

Location

in southwestern Texas. Alpine is about 24 miles southeast and Marfa is about 24 miles southwest of Fort Davis. It is about 80 miles north of Presidio - Ojinaga at the International border. El Paso is about 220 miles northwest.
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Geography

in the high desert region called the Chihuahuan Desert.
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Weather

moderate. Low summer temperatures as well as low humidity makes the Fort Davis area an enjoyable place to live. The summers feature nice breezes and clear skies. The monsoon season runs from July through September though large amounts of rain are unusual. Thunder and lightning were not uncommon in the summer. Snow rarely falls, but small amounts do fall occasionally.
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History & History Related Items

Though Native Americans were located here for thousands of years, The first explorations were by the Spanish in about 1583. It wasn’t until the mid 1800’s that Americans came into the area. The area began to be settled extensively after the Mexican war that ended in 1846. Because of the Indian raids in the area, the need for a military outpost was very evident. The Overland Trail, linking the east with the west, had a major stopping point in Fort Davis. Before becoming Fort Davis, the area was known as Painted Comanche Camp because of the inscriptions on the cottonwood trees here. As the military presence grew here, small settlements grew up around the installations. The one along Limpia Creek was named for the nearby fort, Fort Davis. The fort, itself, was named for Jefferson Davis who was the Secretary of War at the time. When the Civil War began, the fort was abandoned for about five years. It was re-established by one of the Buffalo Soldier Regiments and new facilities were built. The main lines of the railroad bypassed Fort Davis, going through Alpine and Marfa instead. The two towns began to grow while Fort Davis had less business. By 1891, the post was closed and the town stabilized as a ranching and tourism center. Efforts were begun in 1961 to renovate Fort Davis and the historical site was opened in 1963.

Here is a nice history page for Fort Davis.
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Attractions

Fort Davis is known as the highest town in Texas because it is! It's elevation of 5,050 feet above sea level makes this community almost as high as Denver. Due to the clear skies and height, numerous stars may be seen in the night sky

Learn more about Fort Davis at this informative site.

The McDonald Observatory
This observatory houses the 107" Harlan J. Smith telescope on Mt. Locke (6800 feet) and the Hobby-Ebberly Telescope (HET) with the World's third largest mirror (433") made up of ninety-one 40-inch mirror segments on adjacent Mt. Fowlkes. Programs are offered several nights each week.

Due to the beautiful and unspoiled countryside here, many films are shot here including Lonesome Dove, the Good Old Boys, the Streets of Laredo and others.

Four Greenhouses here are 26 acres each, making them some of the world's largest.

Fort Davis National Historic Site
P. O. Box 1379
Fort Davis Texas.
Administered by the National Park Service.
Hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm.
Closed:
Christmas Day- December 25
New Years Day - January 1
Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Observed - Third Monday in January - Jan.19,2004
Thanksgiving Day - Last Thursday in November - Nov. 25, 2004
Phone: (432)-426-3224-20

Overland Trail Museum
Fort St. and 3rd St.Fort Davis, Texas
historical records, pictures items of historical interest relating to Jeff Davis County, culture and physical history of Fort Davis and the Big Bend area. Museum owned and operated by The Fort Davis Historical Society.

Davis Mountain State Park
south of State Highway 118 including restrooms with and without showers,and other features. A visitor's center offers maps and other information.
Phone: 432-426-3337
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Fort Davis City Government

Fort Davis is an unincorporated town with 5 precincts. It is the County seat of Jeff Davis County. The Government consists of a County Judge and four commissioners, a Sheriffs Department and Highway Department. Volunteer EMS and Fire Departments.

Fort Davis Chamber

Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce
Box 378
Fort Davis, Texas 79734
at #4 Memorial Square
Toll-free: 1-800-524-3015
Phone: (432) 426-3015
Email

Fort Davis Community News

Jeff Davis Mountain Dispatch
Newspaper
P O Box 1097
Fort Davis, TX 79734
Phone: (432) 426-3077

Fort Davis Organizations

Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce
Box 378
Fort Davis, Texas 79734
at #4 Memorial Square
Toll-free: 1-800-524-3015
Phone: (432) 426-3015
Email

Fort Davis Schools

Fort Davis Independent School District
PO Box 1339
101 Indian Lane
Fort Davis, Texas 79734
Phone: 432-426-4440
Fax: 432-426-4449
Dirks-Anderson Grade School - kindergarten to 6th grade
Fort Davis High School - 7th through 12th grade Fort Davis

Miscellany

The nearest airports for private planes are the Alpine Municipal Airport, phone: (432) 837-5929 and the Marfa Municipal Airport, about 18 miles south of Fort Davis. Phone: (432) 729-3102