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JUNCTION, TEXAS
is a vibrant
West Texas town of 2,618. Located on the western edge of the Texas Hill
Country on Interstate Highway 10, Junction is
also served by U.S.
Highways 83 and 377. The town is a
short distance from
the U.S. 290 intersection with 1-10.
Junction is 120
miles northwest of San Antonio,
150 miles west of
Austin, 260 miles southwest of
Dallas, and 450
miles east of El Paso. The
San Angelo MSA is
105 miles to the northwest.
With a total regional labor force of 2,364,
Junction enjoys an
unemployment rate of
1.6 percent, with
the majority of employees
concentrated in
retail, public administration, and
precision products.
Area employers range from
wood products and
cedar wood oil firms, to metal
building
manufacturers, to advertising specialty
companies.
Pedernales Electric also maintains an
office in Junction
to serve its members in Kimble
and surrounding
counties.
Education
Junction supports one
elementary, middle, and
high school. The
middle school was most recently
rated Recognized by
the Texas Education Agency,
with both the
elementary and high schools
receiving Exemplary
TEA ratings. Total enrollment
among all grades is
approximately 739 students,
and they are served
by a 20,000-volume public
library. The public
school budget for the 2000-2001
school year was
just over $5.6 million. The average
SAT score for high
school seniors is 958.
Junction is also home to Texas Tech University at Junction. The Texas Tech
campus—situated on
a 410-acre site—currently
has several research
projects underway.
The campus also hosts
meetings and
conferences, and offers a broad spectrum of programs in both the
undergraduate
and graduate disciplines.
Other options for higher education include
Schreiner
University in Kerrville, approximately 53 miles
to the southeast,
and San Angelo State University approx. 98 Miles to the North.
Government
Junction is a municipality
administered by an
elected mayor and city
council. The city budget is
just over $1.7
million. The community is served by
a four-member
police force, complemented by a
30-member highly
trained volunteer fire department. The
Junction VFD has
three pumpers, a crash truck, and a rescue truck. The Kimble County Ranch
Fire Association has 5 Brush Trucks and Three Tankers which covers all of
Kimble County. Ambulance
and rescue services
are available. The city is home
to an active area
chamber of commerce, along with
a city industrial
development team and industrial
development
corporation.
Infrastructure
Junction is
served by 1-10, U.S. 83 and 377, and
County Road 2169.
Kerrville Bus Company provides bus
service, with interstate
and overnight courier service
provided by Federal Express, UPS, and the
U.S. Postal Service. Air
service utilizes Junction's 5,000-
foot paved and lighted runway. Commercial air service is available from
San Angelo Mathis Field, which receives
flights from American and Continental Airlines.
While the City of
Junction receives its electric
power from AEP/West Texas
Utilities, the
distributor for electric power in Kimble and
surrounding counties is Pedernales Electric, a
member-owned electric
utility. The Lower
Colorado River Authority and AEP/WTU
provide wholesale power
to the region. West Texas Gas provides natural gas to the area.
Clint Smith & Sons
distributes liquid propane gas.
Verizon and Lonex supply
telephone service, with
Internet service provided by Pedernales Electric.
Residents of Junction
receive their water from the city's reservoir. The plant's capacity is two
million gallons per day,
with average consumption
of one million gallons
per day. Water is stored in
both overhead and ground storage facilities; both
facilities can store just
over a half million gallons
each. Junction's peak
water consumption is
approximately 1.85 million gallons per day.
City sewage is treated
through the pound
stabilization method. Permitted capacity is
.21 million gallons per
day, with current daily usage
at approximately 75 percent of capacity.
Quality of Life
Junction
boasts an outstanding quality of life
with ample opportunities
for recreation and
substantial vital services for a city of its size.
Residents can relax in
any of three parks, including
the scenic South Llano
River State Park. There are
eight public swimming
pools, golf and tennis courts,
and two museums in the
area. Residents and
visitors can dine in any of 17 restaurants. Because
of its proximity to 1-10,
there are 23 hotels and
motels offering 284
rooms. Eleven bed and
breakfasts also serve the area. Two grocery stores
and two washateria
facilities are also available.
Junction residents can meet their health care
needs at one of two
clinics or at Kimble Hospital.
The hospital has a
newly-equipped X-ray
department and a new
teleradiology department,
which improves response time in emergencies.
Two doctors and two
dentists provide care in the
area. Prescriptions are
filled at either of two
pharmacies. Star Flight is available for emergency
medical transport, and a
60-bed nursing home
facility is also located
in the city. Veterinarian
services are also available.
Banking services are
available from
Junction National Bank and First State Bank. Both
institutions are locally
owned and operated.
The Junction area also offers many positive
intangibles. The region
boasts moderate climate
with an annual average
temperature of
64.7 degrees and annual average rainfall of
17.64 inches. There are 21 houses of worship.
Residents' news needs are
met weekly by the local
newspaper, the Junction
Eagle, and daily by the
San Angelo Standard-Times. Two radio stations
offer music and local
news items. Cable television
services are also
available.
For more information on the City of Junction
and the Kimble County
area, contact the Kimble County Chamber of Commerce at:
Kimble County
Chamber of Commerce
402 Main Street
Junction, Texas 76849
325-446-3190
1/800-KIMBLE-4
fax - 325/446-2871
junctiontx@cebridge.net
Website:
www.junctiontexas.net
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