About Amarillo
If diversity is your thing, Amarillo might be your next destination
Dead center of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a little bit desert and a little bit southern Plains. This can contribute to some unpredictable weather, but if the elements cooperate, there’s plenty to do for all ages.
Wild, Wild Weather
If you visit Amarillo in the winter or spring, be prepared for some wild temperature swings. The temperature has been known to drop by as much as 50 degrees within hours, particularly in March. Amarillo is hot in the summer, but it can get downright cold in the winter. Expect freezing temps and stormy weather for about four months, between mid-November and mid-March. This is balanced by an average of 270 days of bright sunshine.
Celebrate Texas
Amarillo is proud of its Old West heritage and offers plenty of ways to celebrate it. Don’t miss the outdoor musical drama “Texas”—the show runs from June through August. Its focus is on pioneers, cowboys and Native Americans. Tip your hat to the old cowboys’ main means of transportation at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum. If you visit Amarillo in November, you can catch horses, bulls and calves in action at the WRCA World Championship Ranch Rodeo.
If your tastes are less rustic and more nostalgic, take in the Route 66 Trolley Express on historic Route 66. The Cadillac Ranch offers a bit of whimsy and something you probably won’t see anywhere else—classic and wildly painted Cadillacs planted vertically in the ground off old Route 66. Pick up a can of spray paint so your kids can leave their own marks on the vehicles.
Hassle-Free Driving
If you’re getting around Amarillo by car, traffic shouldn’t be a problem. Jams are almost unheard of, and you can get to any part of the city within 20 minutes—day or night—even at rush hour. Five major thoroughfares lead into Amarillo. Interstate 40—from Albuquerque—and I-27—from south Texas—intersect in the city. U.S. 60, U.S. 247 and U.S. 87 will also take you to Amarillo. If you fly in, you’ll arrive at the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.
The Local Economy
The Amarillo economy has its roots in agriculture and energy, but it’s bloomed to accommodate other industries in recent years as well. These include manufacturing and food processing and distribution. Tyson Foods reigns as the area’s largest employer. BWXT, Pantex and Bell Helicopter Textron are significant employers in the manufacturing sector, with Western National Life Insurance as another major employer in business and financial services.
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