Bowie, Texas


Bowie is a town in Montague County, Texas, United States. Its population was 5,448 at the 2020 census.

History

On July 22, 1881, Bowie was incorporated as a town in Montague County, Texas, United States. The town began to expand with the arrival of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway in 1882. In 1884, four men robbed the First National Bank of Bowie and allegedly left with over $10,000 in gold coins. Townspeople gave chase and eventually captured the robbers, who were hanged for their crimes. By 1913, the town had a population of more than 5,000, and included the Bowie Commercial College.
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the town on his train on July 11, 1938. He ceremonially purchased biscuits from businessman Amon G. Carter of Fort Worth, who had grown up in Bowie. On August 19, 1941, Rex Beard, Jr., robbed the First National Bank of Bowie and was captured in December of that same year.
An EF1 tornado hit the town of Bowie on May 22, 2020. On March 21, 2022, two EF1 tornadoes hit the town.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Bowie has a total area of, of which is covered by water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Bowie has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps. Record extremes there have ranged from in June 1980 to in December 1989, although an unofficial record low of occurred in February 1899.

Roads

Demographics

2020 census

RaceNumberPercentage
White 4,17776.67%
Black or African American 330.61%
Native American or Alaska Native 440.81%
Asian 360.66%
Pacific Islander 20.04%
Some other race 70.13%
Multiracial 2755.05%
Hispanic or Latino87416.04%
Total5,448

As of the 2020 census, Bowie had a population of 5,448. The median age was 38.5 years; 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.3 males age 18 and over.
98.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.7% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,127 households in Bowie, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.8% were married-couple households, 17.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,506 housing units, of which 15.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.3% were owner-occupied and 36.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.2%.
RacePercent
White81.6%
Black or African American0.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native1.0%
Asian0.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander<0.1%
Some other race4.2%
Two or more races11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.0%

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, 5,218 people and 2,090 households, with 2,489 housing units, were in the town. The population density was 945.6 people per square mile. The average household size was 2.32 persons and the average family size was 2.99. The racial makeup of the town was 91.9% White, 0.2% African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.7% Asian, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 11.6% of the population. The median income for a household in the town was $33,846. The per capita income for the town was $19,063.

Education

The town is served by the Bowie Independent School District and a branch campus of North Central Texas College.

Airport

Bowie Municipal Airport is a city-owned public airport of the town, located approximately northeast of the central business district. The airport has no IATA or ICAO designation.

Facilities

Bowie Municipal Airport covers at an elevation of above mean sea level, and has one runway:
  • Runway 17/35: 3,603 x 60 ft., Surface: Asphalt
For the 12-month period ending September 19, 2022, the airport had 7,350 aircraft operations, an average of 20 per day: 100% general aviation and <1% military. At that time there were 29 aircraft based at this airport: 28 single-engine, and 1 helicopter.

Accidents and incidents

  • 15 August 2014: A Cessna 414, registration number N127BC, was on approach to land when it suddenly went into a spin and impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude. The aircraft was consumed in an immediate post-impact fire and the pilot and single passenger were killed. An autopsy of the pilot revealed acute, premortem, nonocclusive thrombosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and the medical examiner concluded that " died primarily to hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and that his multiple blunt force injuries likely contributed to his death." The accident was attributed to ''"The pilot's incapacitation in flight as the result of an acute cardiac event, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with terrain."''

Notable people