Odessa

City of Odessa
World's Largest Jack Rabbit sculpture is displayed at the Ector County Independent School District office in Odessa.
Seal
Nickname(s): City of Contrasts
Location within the state of Texas
Coordinates: 31°51′48″N 102°21′56″W / 31.86333°N 102.36556°W / 31.86333; -102.36556
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Ector, Midland
Government
- Mayor	Larry Melton
Area
- Total	36.9 sq mi (95.5 km2)
- Land	36.8 sq mi (95.3 km2)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	2,900 ft (884 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	90,943
- Density	2,471.4/sq mi (954.2/km2)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	432
FIPS code	48-53388[1]
GNIS feature ID	1343067[2]
Website	http://www.odessa-tx.gov/

Odessa welcome sign along Interstate 20

The American State Bank building is the tallest building in Odessa.

Ector County Library in downtown Odessa

"Somewhere a Bird Is Singing": Sculpture of child in Noel Plaza adjacent to Ector County Library

The Ector County Coliseum in Odessa hosts hockey, indoor football, and rodeo.

Odessa is a city in Ector and Midland counties in the U.S. state in Texas. It is located primarily in Ector County, of which it is the county seat.^[3] Odessa's population was 90,943 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Ector County. The metropolitan area is also a component of the larger Midland–Odessa, Texas Combined Statistical Area, which had a population of 255,978, as of the July 1, 2007 estimate.^[4] The city was named after the city of Odessa in Ukraine.

Geography

Odessa is located at 31°51′48″N 102°21′56″W / 31.86333°N 102.36556°W / 31.86333; -102.36556 (31.863294, -102.365490)^[5].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 36.9 mi² (95.5 km²). 36.8 mi² (95.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 mi² (0.2 km²) of it (0.19%) is water.

Culture

Performing Arts

The Midland-Odessa Symphony & Chorale (MOSC) has performed in the Permian Basin for over 45 years, and is the region's largest orchestral organization, presenting both Pops and Masterworks concerts throughout the year. Composed of professional musicians from the area as well as Lubbock, San Angelo and other surrounding cities, the MOSC also is home to three resident chamber ensembles, the Lone Star Brass, Permian Basin String Quartet and West Texas Winds. These ensembles are made up of principal musicians in the orchestra, who come to the area from across the United States.

Entrance sign at Odessa College

The Globe of the Great Southwest, located on the campus of Odessa College, the community college in Odessa, features an authentic replica of William Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. It hosts plays and other community groups throughout the year as well as an annual Shakespeare festival.

Sports

The Ector County Coliseum in Odessa features events as diverse as Indoor football as played by the Indoor Football League's Odessa Roughnecks, ice hockey with the Central Hockey League's Odessa Jackalopes, and rodeo every year in the form of the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo. High school football is also a hit in this city; Ratliff Stadium which was featured in the movie Friday Night Lights is home to the Odessa Bronchos and the Permian Panthers. It is one of the largest and finest high school stadiums in the state

Media

Odessa has ten local television stations: KMID-2, an ABC affiliate; KOSA-7, a CBS affiliate and a MyNetwork TV affiliate on its digital cable station located atop the American State Bank building; KWES-TV-9, an NBC affiliate; KUPB-18, a Univision affiliate; KPEJ-24, a Fox affiliate; KWWT-30, a CW affiliate; KPBT-36, a PBS affiliate; KTLE-LP, a Telemundo affiliate; and K69IT, a Multimedios Television affiliate. It also has one local religious television station: KMLM, a God's Learning Channel affiliate that is a worldwide institution offering pro-Israel programming.

Local radio stations include KOCV-FM, broadcasting National Public Radio news and talk mixed with locally-produced music content at a frequency of 91.3 MHz. Country music, classic rock, oldies, and pop stations are also available.

The Odessa American, a Freedom Communications publication, is the local newspaper.

Tourism

The White-Pool House, built in 1887, is the oldest structure still standing in Odessa. Open to visitors at 112 East Murphy Street near South Grant Avenue, the building is included among the National Register of Historic Places.

Stonehenge replica on campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa

Odessa's Presidential Museum and Leadership Library on the campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin is the only facility of its kind in the United States -- dedicated to the office of the Presidency, not any particular holder of the Oval Office. There are also displays about the Presidents of the Republic of Texas. The museum was pushed to fruition by the late State Representative George "Buddy" West of Odessa.

The White-Pool House east of downtown is the oldest surviving structure in Odessa. It was built in 1887 and opened as an historic house museum in 1984.

Odessa Meteor Crater, an impact crater with 550 feet in diameter, is located southwest of the city.

Odessa has a Stonehenge replica on the campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Completed in 2004, the replica is horizontally equal to the Stonehenge in England but only 70 percent of the vertical height of the original.

Demographics

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 95.5 km² (36.9 sq mi). 36.8 square miles (95.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.19%) is water.

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 90,943 people, 33,661 households, and 23,697 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,471.4 people per square mile (954.2/km²). There were 37,966 housing units at an average density of 1,031.7/sq mi (398.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 44.43% White, 6.88% African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 16.07% from other races, and 2.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 48.42% of the population.

There were 33,661 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24000 and the median income for a family was $27869. Males had a median income of $50,000 versus $19,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,096. About 16.0% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 000.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Ector County Independent School District was established in 1921, a consolidation of then seven schools. A new Odessa High School opened in 1929 at 10th and Sam Houston and operated at that site until 1947, when it was converted to the Odessa Junior High School campus, which continued there until 1982. The district now contains thirty-five campuses.

Odessa is home to Permian High School (mascot: Panther, nickname: MOJO), the school whose 1988 football team was featured in the book and film Friday Night Lights, and Odessa High School (mascot: Broncho). The two are the only high schools in the Ector County Independent School District. The Ector County Career Center is also an alternative to the two High schools in the city and is affiliated with ECISD. The private high school, the Richard Milburn Academy (mascot: Bulldogs), was founded in 2003 and is free to the public though not affiliated with ECISD. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and Odessa College are all located in Odessa. The Career Center is no longer considered a high school, and students from both high schools can bus there for certain career electives.

Economy

Though the economy is primarily driven by the area's oil industry, new economic steps are currently being taken to ensure the city's existence after oil is no longer abundant in the area. Odessa is also a stop on—and a supporter of—the La Entrada al Pacifico trade corridor. In 2003 Family Dollar Corporation opened its 8th distribution center in Odessa's new industrial business park. Telvista, an inbound customer service call center, opened its doors in 2004 in its own new building in the industrial park. Coca Cola built a new distribution center in Odessa in early 2007. Growth in construction of new retail in the city's Northeast side has increased in recent years, with 3 new shopping centers currently planned and 1 in the construction phase. Many hotels have also been planned with some in the completion phase. In November 2007, the city approved a contract with a company that develops armaments for U.S. Army helicopters to begin operations in Odessa.

The Ector County Coliseum is host to the Permian Basin International Oil Show on every even numbered year. The Permian Basin International Oil Show, one of the largest expositions of its kind, showcases the latest technology in the petroleum industry and also honors the industry’s past. Attendees to the Oil Show hail from various parts of the United States and various foreign countries. The Oil Show is for executives and workers in various phases of the petroleum industry and is not open to the public. For the 2008 oil show an attendance exceeding 50,000 guests walked through the door despite the sluggish economy. A new venue has also been discussed which would make it the new home for the Odessa Jackalopes

Odessa has one regional enclosed mall (Music City Mall), which includes Dillards, JC Penney, Sears, Bealls, indoor ice skating rink, and television station. Additionally, more than 100 specialty retailers are located in the mall.

Rabbit as symbol

The jack rabbit has become the symbol of Odessa. This true South Plains animal has burro-like ears and a protective coloration which blends with the sand and dry grass of West Texas. His long legs can allow him to run as fast as 45 miles per hour. He is hunted by greyhounds. The Native Americans prized him for the food and fur. The rabbit was commonly used for food by many during the Great Depression. Beginning in 1932, Odessa held a rodeo for roping rabbits. In one competition, cowgirl Grace Hendricks roped a rabbit from horseback in five seconds and beat her male competitors. The unusual rodeo ended in 1977 because of objections from the Humane Society.^[6] Many businesses and residences about Odessa display models of rabbits.

Transportation

By Air

• Odessa is served by Midland International Airport, which is located halfway between Odessa and Midland.
• Odessa's Regional airport Schlemeyer Field, also used for more general aviation, is located on Odessa's Northeast side. Plans are currently under way to extend the runway for larger aircraft.

Midland/Odessa International Airport is served by:

• American Airlines operated by American Eagle
• Southwest Airlines
• Continental Airlines operated by Continental Express

By Road

• Interstate 20
• U.S. Highway 80
• U.S. Highway 385
• State Highway 191

People from Odessa

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

• Odessa was the one-year home of U.S. Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.
• Odessa was once home to Stephnie Weir of MADtv fame, as well as her character Gail Cinder from the "The Lillian Verner Game Show".
• Odessa was once the home of author Raymond Benson, most notable for his continuation of the James Bond thrillers.
• Odessa is the hometown of former Texas Longhorn and current Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams and former Oklahoma Sooners and Houston Oilers Daryl Hunt.
• Odessa is the hometown of former SMU and University of Iowa football coach Hayden Fry.
• Daniel Ray Herrera, MLB Pitcher
• Country singer Larry Gatlin grew up in Odessa.
• Odessa was the home and burial site two Medal of Honors recipients from the Vietnam War: SSG Marvin Rex Young, U.S. Army, and Cpl. Alfred Mac Wilson, United States Marine Corps.
• J. L. "Dusty" Rhoades (1899-1978) was an Odessa civic leader, land developer, and rancher who was twice president of the American Quarter Horse Association and a posthumous inductee into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.
• The African American singing group The Velvets was formed by Virgil Johnson in Odessa in 1959. At the time Johnson was an eighth grade English teacher who recruited four of his students into his singing group, a forerunner to the doo wop form of music.
• George E. "Buddy" West, a Republican businessman, represented Odessa in the Texas House of Representatives from 1993 until his death in 2008.
• Chancy Croft, Alaska politician.
• John Ben Shepperd (1915-1990), a former Texas Attorney General known for his crusades against corruption.
• Britt Harley Hager (born February 20, 1966) is a former NFL linebacker who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Denver Broncos.

In popular culture

• Odessa is the hometown of NBC drama Heroes characters Claire Bennet, her adoptive father Noah Bennet, and his employer Primatech Paper. The series is, however, filmed entirely in California (according to the Internet Movie Database). The shots in the pilot episode show Odessa to be in a mountainous region but the closest mountain range is the Davis Mountain range in far West Texas.
• The book Friday Night Lights and subsequent movie are based on the true struggles of the Permian Panthers, one of the two high school football teams in Odessa. Many of the characters mentioned in the book still reside in Odessa (as of January 2007). A TV show, also by the name Friday Night Lights, is currently running on NBC. It is loosely based on the book and movie but takes place in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas.
• A reality series on the TV Guide Channel followed the reporters of the local CBS affiliate, KOSA-TV. The show was titled Making News: Texas Style. The program states that the affiliate is based in nearby Midland, Texas though the main bureau is in Odessa. The second season of Making News is being filmed in Savannah, Georgia.
• Odessa is featured in the 2005 novel No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, which was made into an Oscar award-winning movie of the same name by the Coen Brothers in 2007. In both the book and the movie, the town is the home of Llewellyn Moss' in-laws, to which his wife flees.
• A portion of the Tommy Lee Jones film The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada was filmed in Odessa.
• The truTV reality show Black Gold is based on three oil wells outside of Odessa, as well as some locations in Odessa, such as the local Hooters restaurant.
• The character of Linda Moon in Elmore Leonard's novel Be Cool was from Odessa, "Odessa" also being the name of the band (this was changed for the film).
• At Noel Plaza adjacent to the Ector County Library downtown is a unique bronze bust by Una Hanbury in which an unidentified boy proclaims "Somewhere a bird is singing."
• The character of Frank Cushman (played by Jerry O'Connell) in the film Jerry Maguire was from Odessa.
• Odessa was mentioned in the movie Tin Cup.

Climate

Weather averages for Odessa
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	84 (29)	90 (32)	97 (36)	101 (38)	108 (42)	116 (47)	112 (44)	107 (42)	107 (42)	101 (38)	90 (32)	85 (29)	116 (47)
Average high °F (°C)	57 (14)	62 (17)	70 (21)	79 (26)	86 (30)	93 (34)	94 (34)	93 (34)	86 (30)	78 (26)	66 (19)	59 (15)	77 (25)
Average low °F (°C)	30 (-1)	34 (1)	40 (4)	49 (9)	59 (15)	67 (19)	69 (21)	68 (20)	62 (17)	51 (11)	39 (4)	32 (0)	50 (10)
Record low °F (°C)	-8 (-22)	-11 (-24)	9 (-13)	20 (-7)	34 (1)	47 (8)	49 (9)	52 (11)	36 (2)	24 (-4)	10 (-12)	-1 (-18)	-11 (-24)
Precipitation inches (mm)	0.6 (15.2)	0.6 (15.2)	0.5 (12.7)	0.8 (20.3)	2.1 (53.3)	1.6 (40.6)	1.9 (48.3)	1.7 (43.2)	2.1 (53.3)	1.6 (40.6)	0.6 (15.2)	0.5 (12.7)	14.6 (370.8)
Source: [7] {{{accessdate}}}

^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
4. ^ "Table 2. Annual Estimates of the Population of Combined Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 (CBSA-EST2007-02)" (CSV). 2007 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2008-03-27. http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2007/CBSA-EST2007-02.csv. Retrieved on 2008-07-21. 
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
6. ^ Texas Historical Commission marker, Jack Rabbit, downtown Odessa, 1964
7. ^ weatherbase.com

External links

• Odessa, Texas is at coordinates 31°51′48″N 102°21′56″W / 31.863294°N 102.36549°W / 31.863294; -102.36549 (Odessa, Texas)Coordinates: 31°51′48″N 102°21′56″W / 31.863294°N 102.36549°W / 31.863294; -102.36549 (Odessa, Texas)

• Parry, Albert (Spring 1944). "US towns named Odessa". Russian Review 3 (2): 36–40. http://www.2odessa.com/wiki/index.php?title=US_towns_named_Odessa. 
• "Odessa Texas History". odessahistory.com. http://www.odessahistory.com/. Retrieved on 2006-09-21. 
• Odessa-Midland Area Radio Stations
• Odessa-Midland News
• City of Odessa website
• Permian Basin Oil Show website
• Midland-Odessa Symphony and Chorale website
• UTPB Small Business Development Center
• "Jobs Site". odessajobs.net. Odessa Development Corporation. http://odessajobs.net/. Retrieved on 2008-06-14. 

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Ector County, Texas County seat: Odessa Cities Goldsmith | Odessa‡ CDPs Gardendale | West Odessa Unincorporated communities Notrees | Penwell | Pleasant Farms Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Midland County, Texas County seat: Midland Cities Midland‡ | Odessa‡ Unincorporated community Greenwood Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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