Tyler, Texas

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City of Tyler
Nickname(s): Rose City
Location of Tyler, Texas
Coordinates: 32°20′3″N 95°18′0″W / 32.33417°N 95.3°W / 32.33417; -95.3Coordinates: 32°20′3″N 95°18′0″W / 32.33417°N 95.3°W / 32.33417; -95.3
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Smith
Government
- City Council	Mayor Barbara Bass Charles Alworth Donald Sanders Ralph Caraway Nathaniel Moran Steve Smith Chris Simons
- City Manager	Mark McDaniel
Area
- Total	128.0 km2 (49.4 sq mi)
- Land	127.7 km2 (49.3 sq mi)
- Water	0.3 km2 (0.1 sq mi)
Elevation	165 m (544 ft)
Population (2008)
- Total	108,772
- Density	655.1/km2 (1,696/sq mi)
Time zone	Central (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	Central (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	75700-75799
Area code(s)	430, 903
FIPS code	48-74144[1]
GNIS feature ID	1348998[2]
Website	http://www.cityoftyler.org

Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas in the United States.^[3] The city is named for President John Tyler in recognition of his support for Texas's admission to the United States. The 2000 census recorded the city's population to be 83,650, while in 2008 it was estimated to have reached 108,772.^[4] Tyler is the principal city of the Tyler Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville combined statistical area and includes surrounding communities such as the Town of Flint, the Town of Gresham, and the City of Noonday.

Tyler has been nicknamed the "Rose Capital of America" because of its large role in the rose-growing industry; about 20% of commercial rose bushes produced in the U.S. are grown in Tyler and Smith County and more than half of the rose bushes are packaged and shipped from the area.^{[citation needed]} It has the nation's largest municipal rose garden and hosts the Texas Rose Festival each October, which draws more than 100,000 spectators.^[5].

In 1985, the international Adopt-a-Highway movement originated in Tyler when, after appeals by local Texas Department of Transportation officials, the local Civitan chapter adopted a 2-mile (3-km) stretch of U.S. Highway 69. Tyler is also home to the Caldwell Zoo.

Increasingly, Tyler is becoming recognized as an ideal city for retirees. A GreatPlacesToRetire.com^[6] survey of retirement cities lists Tyler as one of America's top retirement cities.^[7]

Contents 1 Geography 2 Climate 3 Demographics 4 Government 4.1 Local Government 5 Economy 6 Recreation & Tourism 6.1 Historical 7 Transportation 7.1 Public transportation 7.2 Via air 7.3 Via train 8 Healthcare 9 Education 9.1 Colleges and Universities 9.2 Public schools 9.3 Private schools 10 Media 10.1 Newspaper 10.2 Television 10.3 Radio 10.3.1 AM stations 11 Sports 11.1 Baseball Teams 11.2 Football 11.3 High school sports teams 11.3.1 Football 12 Notable Events 13 Famous Tylerites 13.1 Actors/Actresses 13.2 Athletes 13.3 Musicians 13.4 Others 14 Sister cities 15 See also 16 References 17 External links

[edit] Geography

Climate chart for Tyler
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
3.3   57 38	3.7   64 41	4   72 49	3.7   78 55	4.5   84 63	3.7   90 70	2.2   94 73	2.6   94 72	3.3   88 67	5.1   78 56	4.5   67 48	4.8   58 40
average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: Weather.com / NWS
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     85   14 3     95   18 5     101   22 9     94   26 13     113   29 17     93   32 21     55   34 23     66   34 22     83   31 19     131   26 13     113   19 9     121   14 4 average temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm

Tyler is located at 32°20′03″N 95°18′00″W / 32.334249°N 95.299927°W / 32.334249; -95.299927 ^[8] Elevation: 544 feet. Tyler is surrounded by many smaller suburbs including Jacksonville, Whitehouse, Lindale, New Chapel Hill, Bullard, Edom, Brownsboro, Chandler, and Mineola.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.4 square miles (128.0 Square kilometres), of which, 49.3 square miles (127.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.22%) is water.

[edit] Climate

Tyler enjoys weather typical of East Texas, which is unpredictable, especially in the spring time. All of East Texas has the humid subtropical climate typical of the Southeast in North America.

The record high for Tyler is 111°F (44°C), which occurred on July 31, 1921. The record low for Tyler is -3°F (-19°C), which occurred on January 18, 1930.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 83,650 people, 32,525 households, and 21,076 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,696.7 people per square mile (655.1/km²). There were 35,337 housing units at an average density of 716.7/sq mi (276.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.72% White, 26.83% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 8.46% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. 15.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 32,525 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.12.

The city's population was spread out by age, with 26% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 20% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,163, and the median income for a family was $43,618. Males had a median income of $31,728 versus $22,397 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,184. 16.8% of the population and 13.0% of families were below the poverty threshold. 23.3% of those under the age of 18 and 12.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local Government

According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $87.7 million in Revenues, $101.7 million in expenditures, $49.2 million in total assets, $12.3 million in total liabilities, and $17.6 million in cash in investments. ^[9]

The structure of the management and coordination of city services is: ^[10]

City Department	Director
City Manager	Mark McDaniel
Director of Finance	Daniel Crawford
Director of Budget and Human Resources	ReNissa M. Wade
Director of Communications and Media Relations	Susan Guthrie
Chief Information Officer	Benny Yazdanpanahi
Director of Public Works	Greg Moran
Director of Solid Waste	Dan Brotton
Fire Chief	Neil Franklin
Police Chief	Gary Swindle
City Attorney	Gary C. Landers
Director of Planning and Zoning	Barbara Holly
Director of Vehicle Services	Russ Jackson

[edit] Economy

In addition to its role in the rose-growing industry, Tyler is the headquarters for Brookshire Grocery Company, which operates Brookshire's and Super 1 Foods, and Ole! supermarkets in four states. The company's main distribution center is located in south Tyler, while SouthWest Foods, a subsidiary that produces dairy products, is located just north-east of the city. Adams Engineering has also made its headquarters in Tyler.

According to the City's 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[11] the top ten employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	East Texas Medical Center	3,650
2	Trinity Mother Francis	3,567
3	Tyler Independent School District	2,572
4	Brookshire Grocery Company	2,190
5	Trane Company	1,949
6	Wal-Mart	1,670
7	Carrier Corporation	1,201
8	SuddenLink	1,057
9	Tyler Junior College	998
10	The University of Texas at Tyler	854

The manufacturing sector includes:

• Tyler Pipe, a subsidiary of McWane Inc. that produces soil and utility pipe products
• Trane, a business of Ingersoll-Rand, formerly a unit of American Standard Companies, which manufactures air conditioners and heat pumps (this plant was originally built in 1955 by General Electric)
• Carrier, which manufactures air conditioners
• Delek Refining, an Israeli owned oil refinery formerly dba La Gloria Oil and Gas Co (a Crown Central Petroleum subsidiary).
• Ferguson Beauregard, an operating company of Dover Corporation that specializes in equipment for the measurement and production of natural gas using the plunger lift method.
• Vesuvius USA, a division of Cookson Group that manufactures refractory ceramics used in the steel industry.
• Cavender's Boot City, a large regional western ware retailer and manufacture.

Also produced in Tyler are John Soules Foods' fajita and other meat products, Greenberg's Smoked Turkeys, Distant Lands Coffee Roasters coffee, Tyler Candle Co. jar candles, Tyler Products, and a variety of small high-tech businesses including Synthesizers.com, Group M7, CBI , Power-Up, and Arrick Robotics.

Tyler is also a major medical center which serves the city as well as the surrounding East Texas area.

[edit] Recreation & Tourism

Annually, the Texas Rose Festival draws thousands of tourists to Tyler.^[12] The festival, which celebrates the role of the rose-growing industry in the local economy, is held in October and features a parade, the coronation of the Rose Queen, and other civic events. There is also a Rose Museum featuring the history of the Festival. Tyler is home to Caldwell Zoo, several local museums, Lake Palestine, Lake Tyler, and numerous golf courses and country clubs.^[13] There is also an "Azalea Trail," which are 2 officially designated routes within the city that showcase homes or other landscaped venues adorned with azalea shrubs.^[14]Tyler State Park is a few miles away where visitors can camp, canoe, and paddle boat on the lake. Activities include picnicking; camping; boating (motors allowed - 5 mph speed limit); boat rentals; fishing; birding; hiking; mountain biking and hiking trails; lake swimming (in unsupervised swimming area); and nature study. The Smith County Historical Society operates a museum and archives in the old Carnegie Library.^[15]

Lake Tyler was the location of the HGTV Dream Home contest in 2005. The 6,500 square feet (600 m²) house briefly boosted tourism and interest in the community. It subsequently was sold at public auction in January, 2008, for 1.325 million dollars. ^[16]

[edit] Historical

Camp Ford was the largest Confederate Prisoner of War Camp west of the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. The site of the camp is now a public park, managed by the Smith County Historical Society. The park features a kiosk with extensive graphics detailing the history of the camp, a walking trail with interpretive signage, a reconstruction of a POW cabin, and picnic facilities. It is open daily from dawn to dusk with free admission. It is located on Highway 271, 0.8 miles north of Loop 323. The East Texas State Fair is held annually in Tyler.^[17]

[edit] Transportation

As with much of modern America the automobile is the most common form of transportation. Tyler is a nexus of several major highways. Interstate 20 runs along the north edge of the city going east and west, U.S. Highway 69 runs north-south through the center of town and State Highway 64 runs east-west through the city. Tyler also has access to U.S. Highway 271, State Highway 31, State Highway 155, and State Highway 110. Loop 323 was established in 1957 and originally encircled the city, which has continued to grow outside of the loop. This expansion is the reason for the new loop 49 which is currently under construction. Loop 49, designed to be an "outer loop" around the city, and connect to I20. The first five-mile segment, which connects Highway 155 south with Highway 69 south, opened for use on August 17, 2006. A second segment connecting Highway 69 with Paluxy Drive opened in January, 2008.

[edit] Public transportation

The city's Tyler Transit buses run daily, excluding Sundays and holidays. Greyhound Lines bus service is available through a downtown terminal.

[edit] Via air

Tyler Pounds Regional Airport offers service to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport via American Eagle and to Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport via Colgan Air Continental Connection.

[edit] Via train

Tyler was the hub for a series of short-line railroads which later evolved into the St. Louis Southwestern Railway, better known as "The Cotton Belt Route." This line later became part of the Southern Pacific Railroad, which itself merged with the Union Pacific Railroad, which continues to serve the city today.

[edit] Healthcare

Hospitals located in Tyler include East Texas Medical Center, Trinity Mother Frances Health System, University of Texas Health Center at Tyler, and Texas Spine & Joint Hospital. Tyler serves as a major medical center for communities throughout East Texas.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Education

[edit] Colleges and Universities

Tyler's higher education institutions include the University of Texas at Tyler and the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler, both part of the University of Texas System, Tyler Junior College, and Texas College.

[edit] Public schools

Public primary and secondary education for much of the city is provided by the Tyler Independent School District, which includes two high schools, John Tyler and Robert E. Lee; Premier High School of Tyler a public charter school; several Tyler schools offer International Baccalaureate and Advance Placement programmes. The IB Diploma Programme is no longer part of John Tyler high school, but is still going strong at REL.

Portions of incorporated Tyler are served by surrounding school districts. These include sections of southeast Tyler by the Whitehouse Independent School District, and some sections in the east which are served by the Chapel Hill Independent School District.

[edit] Private schools

The Tyler Catholic School System of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler consists of St. Gregory Elementary and Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Middle/High School. There are several other private schools, including King's Academy Christian School, Grace Community School, Christian Heritage School, East Texas Christian Academy, All Saints Episcopal School, and Good Shepherd Reformed Episcopal School.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Media

There are currently 14 media outlets and one newspaper located in Tyler, as well as many more in the surrounding areas.

[edit] Newspaper

• Tyler Morning Telegraph

[edit] Television

UHF	Cable	Call	Network
Channel	Channel	Letters
Stations Broadcast from Tyler
7	7	KLTV	ABC
19	11	KYTX	CBS
56	10	KETK	NBC
Stations with Tyler Coverage Area
51	12	KFXK	FOX

[edit] Radio

[edit] AM stations

Frequency	Call Leters	Format	Name
Stations Broadcast from Tyler
600	KTBB	News/Talk
690	KZEY	Urban Contemporary
1330	KGLD	Gospel	The Light
1490	KYZS	Sports	ESPN

|KOOI |Adult Contemporary |Sunny |- |107.3 |KISX |Urban Contemporary |JAMZ |}

[edit] Sports

[edit] Baseball Teams

• Tyler Elbertas (1912)
• Tyler Trojans (1924-1929, 1931, 1935-1940, 1946-1950)
• Tyler Sports (1932)
• Tyler Governors (1933-1934)
• Tyler East Texans (1950-1953)
• Tyler Tigers (1954-1955)
• Tyler Wildcatters (1994-1997)
• Tyler Roughnecks (2001)

[edit] Football

• East Texas Twisters (2004)

[edit] High school sports teams

[edit] Football

• John Tyler Lions
• Robert E. Lee Red Raiders
• T.K. Gorman Crusaders
• All Saints Trojans
• Grace Cougars
• Chapel Hill Bulldogs
• Kings Academy Royals

[edit] Notable Events

• On May 11, 2003, East Texas housewife Deanna Laney murders two of her children and maimed another, claiming God told her to do it. She was eventually acquitted by reason of insanity.^[18]
• On February 24, 2005, David Hernandez Arroyo Sr. murdered his ex-wife and wounded his son in front of the Smith County Courthouse in Tyler, Texas. A shootout and escape attempt followed, and Arroyo was killed.^[19]
• The 2007 reality show Anchorwoman was filmed in Tyler, at CBS affiliate KYTX. The show ran for two episodes aired on one night before being canceled by Fox.
• On the evening of February 2, 2009 a fire engulfed a number of historic buildings located in downtown Tyler. Eight different fire departments responded to the fire.^[20]

[edit] Famous Tylerites

[edit] Actors/Actresses

• Sandy Duncan - actress (though born in Henderson, she grew up in Tyler); attended Birdwell Elementary School, Robert E. Lee High School, and Tyler Junior College
• Alex Finlayson - playwright
• Arthur "Dooley" Wilson - actor and singer most well known for playing Sam in the movie Casablanca

[edit] Athletes

Earl Campbell University of Texas Heisman Trophy Winner 1977

[edit] Musicians

• Arab - rapper, partner of Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
• Paul Baloche - contemporary worship music singer/songwriter
• Max Bemis - lead singer of rock band Say Anything, who is also married to Sherri DuPree of Eisley.^[21]
• Ken Bethea - guitarist for Old 97's
• Richard Dobson - singer/songwriter
• Eisley - indie band comprising Chauntelle, Sherri, Stacy, Weston and Garron DuPree.
• Element Eighty - alternative metal band comprising Zack Bates, Ryan Carroll, David Galloway and Matt Woods.
• Shaun Groves - Christian-rock singer/songwriter
• Hobbit - 1970s/1980s rock band
• Johnny Horton - country singer
• Will Jennings - songwriter
• Adam Lazzara - lead singer of emo band Taking Back Sunday
• Lix - 1980s metal band
• Mouse and the Traps - 1960s Garage rock band comprising Buggs Henderson, Ken Murray, David S. Stanley and Ronnie "Mouse" Weiss.

[edit] Others

• John E. Barrett - photographer (world-renown images of Jim Henson and his Muppets; National Lampoon poster Are You A Nerd?)
• Josh Byerly - NASA spokesman and one of the "voices of Mission Control"
• Jo-Carroll Dennison - Miss America 1942, the first Miss Texas to win the national title
• Kevin Eltife - member of the Texas Senate
• Jonna Fitzgerald - former Miss Texas, runner-up in Miss America pageant, television news anchor, noted musician
• Louie Gohmert - U.S. representative and former Smith County judge
• Mary Cage Moore Irwin - former Miss Texas
• Molly Grubb Lynn - former Miss Texas
• Holly Maddux - murdered by Ira Einhorn, "The Unicorn Killer"
• Frank Melton - mayor of Jackson, Mississippi
• Sarah McClendon - Journalist and White House correspondent for over half a century, longest tenure ever in the White House press corps
• Kiki Shepard - TV host of Live in Hollywood and formerly of It's Showtime at the Apollo
• Lisa Dalzell Spooner - former Miss Texas, television news anchor
• William Steger - U.S. district judge (1970-2006)
• Ned Touchstone - (1926-1988), leader of the Radical Right in 1960s and 1970s
• Brian Werner - tiger conservationist, Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge

[edit] Sister cities

• Jelenia Góra, Poland
• Lo Barnechea, Chile
• Yachiyo, Japan^[22]

[edit] See also

• East Texas
• Dry county (All alcohol, except Texas made wine, is not available for purchase, except in private clubs, bars or restaurants for on premises consumption)
• Smith County, Texas
• Lake Palestine

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Tyler Chamber of Commerce
• Tyler Economic Development Council
• Tyler, TX from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Tyler Texas Information : Tyler photos, history, government, tourism, links.
• Tyler Texas Weather : Weather conditions, radar, and forecasts.
• Tyler State Park
• www.discoverscience.info
• The University of Texas at Tyler
• Smith County Historical Society
• The Cascades of Tyler
• Hudnall Planetarium at Tyler Junior College

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Smith County, Texas County seat: Tyler Cities Arp | Hideaway | New Chapel Hill | Noonday | Overton‡ | Troup‡ | Tyler | Whitehouse Towns Bullard‡ | Lindale | Winona Unincorporated communities Flint | New Hope | Swan Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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