Stratford, Texas

Stratford is a town and county seat of Sherman County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,939 at the 2020 census, down from 2,017 in 2010.

History
Stratford was first settled c. 1885, when a man named Aaron Norton bought 100 parcels of land off the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway. His manager, Walter Colton, named it for Stratford Hall, the childhood home of Robert E. Lee, whom he admired. A post office was established in 1900. In July 1901, Stratford was voted county seat, replacing Coldwater. In 1928, the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway was connected to Stratford. The town was incorporated at some point before 1940.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.3 km$2$), all land.

Stratford is situated in the Llano Estacado. The Rita Blance National Grasslands are due west of the town.

Climate
Stratford has a semi-arid climate (BSk) with long, hot summers and short, cool, and somewhat snowy winters.



2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,939 people, 702 households, and 554 families residing in the city.

2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 1,991 people, 722 households, and 535 families living in the city. The population density was 980.2 PD/sqmi. There were 794 housing units at an average density of 390.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 83.02% White, 0.30% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 14.41% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.44%.

Of the 722 households 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 24.4% of households were one person and 11.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.21.

The age distribution was 30.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.

The median household income was $32,656 and the median family income was $37,955. Males had a median income of $27,113 versus $19,524 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,790. About 11.2% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Stratford is at the intersection of US Routes 54 and 287, and is the western terminus of Texas State Highway 15.

The nearest major airport, Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport, is 82 miles and two states away in Liberal, Kansas, although Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is only slightly further away, at 91 miles.

Education
The city of Stratford is served by the Stratford Independent School District, and is home to Stratford High School.