Hillsboro, Texas

Hillsboro was named for Hill County.[7] At one point during Bonnie and Clyde's robberies in Hillsboro, they took the Peterson family hostage at their own farm. Later the Petersons said that Bonnie and Clyde held them at gunpoint until they surrendered their barn for them to sleep in for a few nights before running again.

The city is known for its abundance of restored Victorian homes and its historic county courthouse, which on January 1, 1993, was heavily damaged by an electrical fire. It was rebuilt, courtesy of donations from around the world and two concerts sponsored by Hill County native Willie Nelson. The courthouse won the Downtown Association's 1999 award for "Best Restoration". The renovation sparked an interest in restoring Texas's historic courthouses.

Hillsboro is located near the geographic center of Hill County at 32°0′34″N 97°7′28″W (32.009557, -97.124437).[8] Interstate 35 runs through the eastern side of the city, with access from Exits 364 through 370. The I-35E/I-35W split is just north of the city limits. Hillsboro is 56 miles (90 km) south of Fort Worth, 62 miles (100 km) southwest of Dallas, and 34 miles (55 km) north of Waco.

Texas State Highway 22 runs through the center of Hillsboro on West Elm Street, South Waco Street, and Corsicana Highway. It leads west 19 miles (31 km) to Lake Whitney and east 40 miles (64 km) to Corsicana. Texas State Highway 171 passes through Hillsboro with Highway 22, but leads northwest 29 miles (47 km) to Cleburne and southeast 23 miles (37 km) to Hubbard.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Hillsboro has a total area of 10.3 square miles (26.6 km²), of which 10.2 square miles (26.3 km²) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²), or 0.99%, are water.[6]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 8,232 people, 2,876 households, and 1,909 families residing in the city. The population density was 908.1 people per square mile (350.4/km²). There were 3,227 housing units at an average density of 356.0 per square mile (137.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.17% White, 16.16% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 11.44% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. 28.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,876 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,017, and the median income for a family was $30,297. Males had a median income of $22,393 versus $20,652 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,576. About 17.6% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 19.6% of those age 65 or over.

The city is served by the Hillsboro Independent School District.

Hill College, a comprehensive community college, is located on the east side of I-35.

Hillsboro was the first home of the Texas Musicians Museum, which relocated to nearby Waxahachie in Ellis County for a short while, until the building owners filed for bankruptcy. The museum is now open in a new facility in downtown Irving.[10]

Located a few miles northwest of Hillsboro, the Middlefaire site features a Renaissance Festival and Texas Pirate Festival.

The movie Bottle Rocket, starring Owen and Luke Wilson, was filmed here.[11] They used the Days Inn motel, the Hillsboro High School football stadium, and Highway 171 leading out of Hillsboro.

• Farmers National Bank 68 W. Elm St.
• Gebhardt Bakery 119 E. Franklin St.
• Grimes Garage 110 N. Waco St.
• Grimes House Country Club Rd. and Corporation St.
• Hill County Courthouse Courthouse Sq.
• Hill County Jail N. Waco St.
• Hillsboro Cotton Mills 220 N. Houston St.
• Hillsboro Residential Historic District Roughly bounded by Country Club Rd., Thompson, Corsicana, Pleasant, Franklin, and Elm Sts.
• McKenzie Site Address Restricted
• Missouri-Kansas-Texas Company Railroad Station Covington St.
• Old Rock Saloon 58 W. Elm St.
• Sturgis National Bank S. Waco and W. Elm Sts.
• Tarleton Building 110 E. Franklin St.
• U.S. Post Office 118 S. Waco St.
• Western Union Building 107 S. Covington St.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hillsboro has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[14]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hillsboro, Texas.

• City of Hillsboro official website
• Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce
• "Hillsboro, Texas" . The New Student's Reference Work . 1914.