Paris, Texas

{{Short description|City in the United States}}
{{about|the city in Northeast Texas|the film|Paris, Texas (film)|other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Paris, Texas
| settlement_type    = City
| nickname           = 
| motto              = Smile!
| image_skyline      = Paris Commercial Historic District Wiki (1 of 1).jpg
| imagesize          = 310px
| image_caption      = Historic Downtown Paris
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = Map of Texas highlighting Lamar County.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Lamar County
| image_map1         = Lamar County Paris.svg
| mapsize1           = 250px
| map_caption1       = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Texas]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Lamar County, Texas|Lamar]]
<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = [[City Council]]
| leader_name        = Reginald Hughes (Mayor)<br /> Shatara Moore<br /> Gary Savage<br /> Mihir Pankaj<br /> Rudy Kessel <br /> Clayton Pilgrim <br /> Rebecca Norment
| leader_title1      = [[City Manager]]
| leader_name1       = Grayson Path
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 96.00
| area_land_km2      = 91.14
| area_water_km2     = 4.86
| area_total_sq_mi   = 37.07
| area_land_sq_mi    = 35.19
| area_water_sq_mi   = 1.88

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 24171
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| population_blank1_title = [[Demonym]]
| population_blank1  = Parisian
<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset         = −6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = −5
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 183
| elevation_ft       = 600
| coordinates        = {{coord|33|39|45|N|95|32|52|W|region:US-TX|display=inline,display}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 75460-75462
| area_code          = [[Area code 903|903]]/[[Area code 430|430]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 48-55080
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1364810<ref name=GR3/>
| website            = [http://www.paristexas.gov/ paristexas.gov]
| footnotes          = 
| official_name      = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
}}

'''Paris''' is a city and [[county seat]] of [[Lamar County, Texas]], United States. Located in [[Northeast Texas]] at the western edge of the [[Piney Woods]], the population of the city was 24,171 in 2020.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=2020 Race and Population Totals |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US4855080 |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=Data.census.gov}}</ref>
{{TOC limit|3}}

==History==

Present-day Lamar County was part of [[Red River County, Texas|Red River County]] during the [[Republic of Texas]]. By 1840, population growth necessitated the organization of a new county. George Washington Wright, who had served in the Third [[Congress of the Republic of Texas]] as a representative from Red River County, was a major proponent of the new county. The Fifth Congress established the new county on December 17, 1840, and named it after [[Mirabeau B. Lamar]],<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7yBEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA281 | title=Revised Civil Statutes and Laws Passed by the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, & 20th Legislatures of the State of Texas | author1=John Sayles | author2=Henry Sales | publisher=Gilbert Book Company | year=1889 | volume=1 | page=281 | access-date=January 7, 2018}}</ref> who was the first Vice President and the second President of the Republic of Texas.

[[Image:Old map-Paris-1885.jpg|left|thumb|Map of the city in 1885]]

Lamar County was one of the 18 Texas counties that voted against secession on February 23, 1861.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://texasalmanac.com/topics/history/timeline/secession-and-civil-war | title=Texas Almanac: Secession and the Civil War | publisher=[[Texas State Historical Association]] | access-date=January 7, 2017 | archive-date=October 21, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021182743/http://texasalmanac.com/topics/history/timeline/secession-and-civil-war | url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{anchor|1916 fire}}In 1877, 1896, and 1916, major fires in the city forced considerable rebuilding. The 1916 fire destroyed almost half the town and caused an estimated $11&nbsp;million in property damage. The fire ruined most of the central business district and swept through a residential area. The burned structures included the Federal Building and Post Office, the Lamar County Courthouse and Jail, City Hall, most commercial buildings, and several churches.<ref name=1916Fire/>

In 1893, black teenager [[Henry Smith (lynching victim)|Henry Smith]] was accused of murder, tortured, and then burned to death on a scaffold in front of thousands of spectators in Paris.<ref name="nyt.lynch">{{cite web| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/10/us/history-of-lynchings-in-the-south-documents-nearly-4000-names.html | title=History of Lynchings in the South Documents Nearly 4,000 Names | author=Campbell Roberts | newspaper=The New York Times | date=February 10, 2015 | access-date=August 19, 2016}}</ref> In 1920, [[Lynching of Irving and Herman Arthur|two black brothers from the Arthur family]] were tied to a flagpole and burned to death at the Paris fairgrounds. The city has prominent memorials to the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]].<ref name="nyt.lynch"/>

In 1943, the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in ''[[Largent v. Texas]]'' struck down a Paris ordinance that prohibited a person from selling or distributing religious publications without first obtaining a city-issued permit. The Court ruled that the ordinance abridged freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press in violation of the [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourteenth Amendment]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/318/418.html | title=Largent v. State of Tex. | publisher=U.S. Supreme Court | via=[[FindLaw]] | access-date=January 7, 2018}}</ref>

[[Image:Paristrains.jpg|thumb|Historic Paris train station]]

Paris is a former railroad center. The [[Texas and Pacific]] reached town in 1876; the [[Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway]] (later merged into the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) and the Frisco in 1887; the Texas Midland Railroad (later [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific]]) in 1894; and the Paris and Mount Pleasant (Pa-Ma Line) in 1910. Paris Union Station, built 1912, served Frisco, Santa Fe, and Texas Midland passenger trains until 1956. Today, the station is used by the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce and serves as the research library for the Lamar County Genealogical Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM74JF_Union_Station_Paris_Texas|title=Union Station - Paris, Texas - Train Stations/Depots|website=Waymarking.com}}</ref>

Following a tradition of American cities named "Paris" (named after [[Paris, France|France's capital]]), the city commissioned a {{convert|65|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} [[Eiffel Tower (Paris, Texas)|replica]] of the [[Eiffel Tower]] in 1993 and installed it on site of the Love Civic Center, southeast of the town square. In 1998, presumably as a response to the 1993 construction of a {{convert|60|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} [[Eiffel Tower (Paris, Tennessee)|tower]] in [[Paris, Tennessee]], the city placed a giant red cowboy hat atop its tower. The current Eiffel Tower replica is at least the second one; an earlier replica constructed of wood was destroyed by a [[tornado]].

===Race relations===
[[File:Henry-smith-2-1-1893-paris-tx-2.jpg|thumb|215x215px|Lynching of Henry Smith, Paris Fairgrounds, 1893]]
Race relations in Paris were described by ''Newsweek'' as "turbulent" and sometimes "explosive".<ref name=Kovach>{{cite web |url=http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/27/the-turbulent-racial-history-of-paris-texas/ |title=The turbulent racial history of Paris, Texas |author1=Gretel C. Kovach |author2=Ariel Campo–Flores |date=July 27, 2009 |work=Newsweek, via Anderson Cooper 360° |publisher=CNN |access-date=May 1, 2015 |archive-date=October 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002050841/http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/27/the-turbulent-racial-history-of-paris-texas/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the late-19th and early-20th centuries, several [[Lynching in the United States|lynchings]] of African-Americans were staged at the Paris Fairgrounds.<ref name="Witt">{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703120170mar12-story.html#page=1 |title=To some in Paris, sinister past is back |author=Howard Witt |date=March 12, 2007 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 1, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Witt2" /> A black teenager, [[Henry Smith (lynching victim)|Henry Smith]], lynched in 1893, was the first in US history captured in photographs.<ref name="Minutaglio">{{cite book |last=Minutaglio |first=Bill |author-link= |date=2021 |title=A Single Star and Bloody Knuckles: A History of Politics and Race in Texas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lYcHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA48 |location= |publisher=University of Texas Press |pages=48–51 |isbn=9781477310366}}</ref> Other lynchings included [[Lynching of Irving and Herman Arthur|Irving and Herman Arthur]] in 1920.<ref>{{cite news |ref={{SfnRef|''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'', January 14,|1922}}|date= January 14, 1922|title= Man Acquitted of Murder|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/634458137|newspaper=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |issn=0889-0013|oclc=60616134 |access-date= July 23, 2020 |url-access=subscription |page=7}}{{cite news |ref={{SfnRef|''New Britain Herald'', July 7, 1920, front page}}|date= July 7, 1920|title= Texas Mob Burns Negroes At Stake|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014519/1920-07-07/ed-1/seq-1/#|newspaper=New Britain Herald|publisher=Herald Pub. Co.|location=[[New Britain, Connecticut]] |issn=2643-4954|oclc=8783515|pages=1–12|access-date= July 7, 2020 |via=[[Chronicling America]] }}{{cite news |ref={{SfnRef|''Bisbee Daily Review'', July 7,|1920}}|date= July 7, 1920|title= Mob of Texans Burns Negroes|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024827/1920-07-07/ed-1/seq-1/#|newspaper=[[Sierra Vista Herald|Bisbee Daily Review]]|publisher=W.B. Kelly|location= [[Bisbee, Arizona]] |issn=2157-3255|oclc=11363144|pages=1–8|access-date= July 7, 2020 |via=[[Chronicling America]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |ref={{SfnRef|''New York Age'', September 4, 1920, front page}}|date=September 4, 1920|title= Officer of the Law Assaults Innocent Girls|url=https://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/New%20York%20NY%20Age/New%20York%20NY%20Age%201919-1921%20%20Grayscale/New%20York%20NY%20Age%201919-1921%20%20Grayscale%20-%200703.pdf|newspaper= [[New York Age]]|location= [[Manhattan|New York City]] |oclc=9274417 |access-date= July 15, 2020 }}</ref>

[[File:1cherryandblackwell.jpg|thumb|Local resident and activist [[Brenda Cherry]] speaking at the rally for Brandon McClelland, 2009]]

In 2008, an African-American man, [[Death of Brandon McClelland|Brandon McClelland]], was run over and dragged to death by two white men, who were not prosecuted due to lack of evidence. A rally over the death in 2009 had groups shouting "white power" and "black power".<ref name="Carlton">{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/21/riot-police-storm-texas-t_n_242372.html |title=Riot Police Storm Texas Town After Black, White Protesters Clash Over Dragging Death |author=Jeff Carlton |date=August 21, 2009 |work=Huffington Post |access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref>

Other incidents included sentencing disparities between black and white juveniles, racist flags and graffiti, school discipline disparities,<ref name="Witt3">{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-paris_webfeb25-story.html |title=Racism bedevils Texas town |author=Howard Witt |date=February 25, 2009 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Witt4">{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703310265mar31-story.html |title=Girl in prison for shove gets released early |author=Howard Witt |date=March 31, 2007 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> and racist labor practices.<ref name="Cancino">{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/ct-eeoc-sarah-lee-0211-biz-20150210-story.html |title=Sara Lee discriminated against black employees, attorneys say |author=Alejandra Cancino |date=February 10, 2015 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref><ref name="NBC5">{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Workers-Targets-of-Racist-Behavior-at-Sara-Lee-Plant-EEOC-291445561.html |title=Workers Targets of Racist Behavior at Sara Lee Plant: EEOC |date=February 10, 2015 |publisher=NBC Channel 5 Dallas–Fort Worth |access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|44.4|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|42.8|sqmi|km2}} are land and {{convert|1.7|sqmi|km2}} (3.74%) are covered by water.

Paris has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa'' in the [[Köppen climate classification]]). It is located in "[[Tornado Alley]]", an area largely centered in the middle of the United States in which tornadoes occur frequently because of weather patterns and geography. Paris is in [[USDA plant hardiness zone]] 8a for winter temperatures. This is cooler than its southern neighbor [[Dallas]], and while similar to [[Atlanta, Georgia]], it has warmer summertime temperatures. Summertime average highs reach {{convert|94|and|95|°F|°C}} in July and August, with associated lows of {{convert|72|and|71|°F|°C}}. Winter temperatures drop to an average high of {{convert|51|°F|°C}} and low of {{convert|30|°F|°C}} in January. The highest temperature on record was {{convert|115|°F|°C}}, set in August 1936, and the record low was {{convert|-5|°F|°C}}, set in 1930. Average precipitation is {{convert|47.82|in|mm|abbr=on}}. Snow is not unusual, but is by no means predictable, and years can pass with no snowfall at all.

On April 2, 1982, [[Tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1982#Paris–Reno–Blossom, Texas|Paris was hit]] by an [[Fujita scale#Parameters|F4]] [[tornado]] that destroyed more than 1,500 homes, and left 10 people dead, 170 injured, and 3,000 homeless. The damage toll from this tornado was estimated at US$50&nbsp;million in 1982.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/Officers-remember-deadly-Paris-tornado-of-1982-253679891.html|title=Paris officers remember deadly tornado of 1982|last=Boyd|first=Matthew|access-date=October 27, 2016|archive-date=October 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027125147/http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/Officers-remember-deadly-Paris-tornado-of-1982-253679891.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Climate===

According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Paris has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Paris was {{convert|115|F|C|1}} in August 1936, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-5|F|C|1}} in January 1930.<ref name=NOWData/>

{{Weather box
|location = Paris, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1896–present
|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 90
|Feb record high F = 90
|Mar record high F = 94
|Apr record high F = 96
|May record high F = 100
|Jun record high F = 108
|Jul record high F = 111
|Aug record high F = 115
|Sep record high F = 112
|Oct record high F = 99
|Nov record high F = 94
|Dec record high F = 87

|Jan avg record high F = 73.9
|Feb avg record high F = 77.8
|Mar avg record high F = 83.9
|Apr avg record high F = 87.5
|May avg record high F = 93.0
|Jun avg record high F = 98.1
|Jul avg record high F = 102.5
|Aug avg record high F = 103.5
|Sep avg record high F = 99.2
|Oct avg record high F = 91.8
|Nov avg record high F = 82.3
|Dec avg record high F = 74.9
|year avg record high F = 104.7

|Jan high F = 53.5
|Feb high F = 58.5
|Mar high F = 66.5
|Apr high F = 75.0
|May high F = 82.7
|Jun high F = 91.2
|Jul high F = 95.8
|Aug high F = 96.2
|Sep high F = 88.7
|Oct high F = 78.2
|Nov high F = 65.2
|Dec high F = 55.8
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 43.4
|Feb mean F = 47.8
|Mar mean F = 55.7
|Apr mean F = 63.9
|May mean F = 72.7
|Jun mean F = 81.1
|Jul mean F = 85.3
|Aug mean F = 85.1
|Sep mean F = 77.6
|Oct mean F = 66.4
|Nov mean F = 54.6
|Dec mean F = 45.8
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 33.2
|Feb low F = 37.0
|Mar low F = 44.9
|Apr low F = 52.8
|May low F = 62.7
|Jun low F = 71.0
|Jul low F = 74.8
|Aug low F = 74.1
|Sep low F = 66.5
|Oct low F = 54.7
|Nov low F = 44.0
|Dec low F = 35.8
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 18.0
|Feb avg record low F = 21.9
|Mar avg record low F = 27.5
|Apr avg record low F = 37.3
|May avg record low F = 47.4
|Jun avg record low F = 60.6
|Jul avg record low F = 66.5
|Aug avg record low F = 65.6
|Sep avg record low F = 52.4
|Oct avg record low F = 38.3
|Nov avg record low F = 28.1
|Dec avg record low F = 21.6
|year avg record low F = 14.4

|Jan record low F = -5
|Feb record low F = -4
|Mar record low F = 7
|Apr record low F = 25
|May record low F = 30
|Jun record low F = 46
|Jul record low F = 57
|Aug record low F = 53
|Sep record low F = 34
|Oct record low F = 19
|Nov record low F = 15
|Dec record low F = 0

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 3.08
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.34
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.35
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.71
|May precipitation inch = 5.63
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.26
|Jul precipitation inch = 3.51
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.95
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.95
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.62
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.21
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.28
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 8.8
|Feb precipitation days = 9.1
|Mar precipitation days = 9.5
|Apr precipitation days = 9.0
|May precipitation days = 9.9
|Jun precipitation days = 7.7
|Jul precipitation days = 6.3
|Aug precipitation days = 5.4
|Sep precipitation days = 6.5
|Oct precipitation days = 7.5
|Nov precipitation days = 7.4
|Dec precipitation days = 8.3

|Jan snow inch = 0.4
|Feb snow inch = 0.1
|Mar snow inch = trace
|Apr snow inch = 0.0
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = trace
|Dec snow inch = 0.4
|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.3
|Feb snow days = 0.1
|Mar snow days = 0.0
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.0
|Dec snow days = 0.3

|source 1 = NOAA (snow, snow days 1981&ndash;2010)<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00416794&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Paris, TX (1991&ndash;2020)
|access-date = February 5, 2023
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly&stations=USC00416794&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Paris, TX (1981&ndash;2010)
|access-date = February 5, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=fwd
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Dallas/Fort Worth
|access-date = February 5, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 3980
|1890= 8254
|1900= 9358
|1910= 11269
|1920= 15040
|1930= 15649
|1940= 18678
|1950= 21643
|1960= 20977
|1970= 23441
|1980= 25498
|1990= 24799
|2000= 25898
|2010= 25171
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|footnote=Texas Almanac<ref name=TexasAlmanac/>
|2020=24171}}

From a [[1880 United States census]] population of 3,980, the population of the city of Paris increased to 25,898 at the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]; in 2020, however, its population declined to 24,171.<ref name=":0" />

In 2010, 25,171 people 10,306 households, and 6,426 families resided in the city.<ref name="GR2" /> The population density was {{convert|588.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}; the 11,883 housing units averaged {{convert|277.6|/mi2|/km2}}. of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was distributed as 25.0% under 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.

By 2020, the city had 10,522 households according to the [[American Community Survey]], and 3,549 were married-couple households.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 ACS 5-Year Selected Social Characteristics |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=households&g=1600000US4855080 |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=Data.census.gov}}</ref> The average household size was 2.29, and the average family size was 2.99. Of its 2020 population, 933 were foreign-born nationals, 18.9% of whom were [[Citizenship of the United States|naturalized U.S. citizens]]. As of the census estimates, 49.6% of housing units were owner-occupied and 50.4% were renter-occupied.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 ACS 5-Year Households and Families Estimates |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=households&g=1600000US4855080&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1101 |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=Data.census.gov}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Paris racial composition as of 2020'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4855080&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=Data.census.gov}}</ref><br /> (NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/en.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/|url-status=dead|title=US Census|archive-date=December 27, 1996|website=Census.gov|access-date=October 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=Census.gov |access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|13,853
|56.6%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|5,643
|23.06%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|331
|1.35%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|347
|1.42%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|19
|0.08%
|-
|Some other race (NH)
|57
|0.23%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/multiracial]] (NH)
|1,318
|5.38%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|2,908
|11.88%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''24,476'''
|
|}

In 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the city was 70.3% [[White Americans|White]], 24.8% [[African Americans|Black and African American]], 3.1% [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian and Alaska Native]], 1.1% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], and 4.1% from other races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanics or Latinos]] of any race were 8.2% of the population.<ref name="GR2" /> In 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup was 56.6% non-Hispanic White, 23.06% Black and African American, 1.35% Native American, 1.42% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.23% some other race, 5.38% multiracial, and 11.88% Hispanic or Latino of any race, reflecting demographic trends of greater diversification.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frey |first=William H. |date=2020-07-01 |title=The nation is diversifying even faster than predicted, according to new census data |url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/new-census-data-shows-the-nation-is-diversifying-even-faster-than-predicted/ |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web   |title=The Chance That Two People Chosen at Random Are of Different Race or Ethnicity Groups Has Increased Since 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/2020-united-states-population-more-racially-ethnically-diverse-than-2010.html |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=Census.gov}}</ref>

==Economy==

In the past, Paris was a major cotton exchange, and the county was developed as cotton plantations. While cotton is still farmed on the lands around Paris, it is no longer a major part of the economy.

Paris's one major hospital has two campuses: Paris Regional Medical Center South (formerly St. Joseph's Hospital) and Paris Regional Medical Center North (formerly McCuistion Regional Medical Center). It serves as the center of healthcare for much of Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma. Both campuses are now operated jointly under the name of the Paris Regional Medical Center, a division of Essent Healthcare. Paris Regional Medical Center South Campus has recently closed and only the North Campus remains open. The health network is one of the largest employers in the Paris area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://parisedc.com/major-employers/|title=Major employers|website=parisedc.com|access-date=April 17, 2017|archive-date=April 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418162044/https://parisedc.com/major-employers/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Outside of healthcare, the largest employers are [[Kimberly-Clark]] and [[Campbell Soup]].

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of employees
|-
|1
|Essent-PRMC
|1000
|-
|2
|[[Campbell Soup Company|Campbell Soup]]
|900
|-
|3
|[[Kimberly-Clark]]
|800
|-
|4
|Turner Industries
|700
|-
|5
|[[Paris Independent School District|Paris ISD]]
|640
|-
|T-6
|[[North Lamar Independent School District|North Lamar ISD]]
|500
|-
|T-6
|[[Walmart]]
|500
|-
|8
|TCIM 
|480
|-
|9
|City of Paris
|320
|-
|10
|We-Pack Logistics
|300
|-
|}
<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gfoa.net/cafr/COA2011/ParisTX.pdf |title=Comprehensive Annual Financial report for City of Paris, Texas  |access-date=May 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602103200/http://gfoa.net/cafr/COA2011/ParisTX.pdf |archive-date=June 2, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''Note: PRMC is Paris Regional Medical Center.''

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Culbertson fountain 2010.jpg|thumb|right|The Culbertson Fountain]]
[[File:Paris Texas Eiffel.jpg|thumb|upright|The 65-foot Paris Eiffel Tower with the red cowboy hat at its summit]]The city is home to several late-19th to mid-20th century stately homes. Among these is the Rufus Fenner Scott Mansion, designed by German architect J.L. Wees and constructed in 1910. The structure is solid concrete and steel with four floors. Rufus Scott was a prominent businessman known for shipping, imports, and banking. He was well known by local farmers, who bought aging transport mules from him. The Scott Mansion narrowly survived the fire of 1916. After the fire, Scott brought the architect Wees back to Paris to redesign the historic downtown area.<ref name="ScottMansion" />
* [[Pat Mayse Lake]]
* [[Beavers Bend Resort Park|Beaver's Bend Resort Park]] (Oklahoma)
* Evergreen Cemetery – Located on the south side of town, there are over 50,000 people interred. This is the site of a noted {{convert|12|ft|m|adj=on}} tall "Jesus with cowboy boots" statue and grave marker of [[Willet Babcock]], as well as the resting place of banker/philanthropist [[William Johnson McDonald|William J. McDonald]], Confederate General/U.S. Senator [[Samuel Bell Maxey|Sam Bell Maxey]], rancher Pitts Chisum, and cotton magnate John J. Culbertson. Pitts Chisum's more famous brother, [[John Chisum]], is also buried in the city.
* [[Sam Bell Maxey House]] – Maxey was a Confederate general and 2 time US Senator.
* [[Eiffel Tower (Paris, Texas)|Paris Eiffel Tower]]
* On October 4, 1955, early in his career, [[Elvis Presley]] performed at the Boys Club Gymnasium at 1530 1st Street Northeast in Paris as a member of the [[Louisiana Hayride]] Jamboree tour.
* [[Lamar County Historical Museum]]

==Government==
[[File:Paris July 2015 25 (City Hall).jpg|thumb|City Hall in July 2015]]

Paris is governed by a [[city council]] as specified in the city's charter adopted in 1948.

Paris is represented in the [[Texas Senate]] by Republican [[Bryan Hughes (politician)|Bryan Hughes]], District 1, and in the [[Texas House of Representatives]] by Republican [[Gary VanDeaver]], District 1.

The [[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]] operates the Paris District Parole Office<ref name=TDCR/>

At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans [[John Cornyn]] and [[Ted Cruz]]. Paris is part of [[Texas's 4th congressional district]], represented by Republican [[Pat Fallon]].

The [[United States Postal Service]] operates the Paris Post Office.<ref name=WhitePages/>

==Education==
[[File:Paris July 2015 20 (Paris Public Library).jpg|thumb|Paris Public Library in July 2015]]

Elementary and secondary education is split among three main [[school district]]s:
* [[Paris Independent School District]] 
* [[North Lamar Independent School District]] 
* [[Chisum Independent School District]]

[[Prairiland ISD]] also serves a small portion of the town, along with Blossom ISD.

In addition, [[Paris Junior College]] provides postsecondary education. It hosts the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology, a well-respected school{{According to whom|date=February 2023}} of gemology, horology, and jewelry. The Industrial Technology Division offers programs in air conditioning technology, refrigeration technology, agricultural technology, drafting and computer-aided design, electronics, electromechanical technology, and welding technology.

[[Texas A&M University-Commerce]], a major university of over 12,000 students, is located in the neighboring city of [[Commerce, Texas|Commerce]], 40 miles southwest of Paris.

The Paris Public Library serves Paris, as does the Lamar County Genealogical Society Library.<ref name=ParisGov1/>

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===

Paris is served by four major highways:
*[[Image:US 82.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 82 in Texas|U.S. Highway 82]]
*[[Image:US 271.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 271 in Texas|U.S. Highway 271]]
*[[Image:Texas 19.svg|20px]] [[Image:Texas 24.svg|20px]] [[State Highway 19 (Texas)|State Highway 19]]/[[State Highway 24 (Texas)|State Highway 24]]
*[[Image:Texas Loop 286.svg|20px]] [[State Highway Loop 286 (Texas)|State Highway Loop 286]]

According to the [[Texas Transportation Commission]], Paris is the second-largest city in Texas without a four-lane divided highway connecting to an [[interstate highway]] within the state. However, those traveling north of the city can go into the Midwest on a four-lane thoroughfare via US 271 across the Red River into Oklahoma, and then the [[Indian Nation Turnpike]] from Hugo to Interstate 40 at Henryetta, which in turn continues as a free four-lane highway via US 75 to [[Tulsa]].

For public transit, Paris is served by the Ark-Tex Council of Governments Rural Transit District (TRAX). Local, fixed-route bus service runs hourly on weekdays between 6:30 am and 6:30 pm.<ref>{{cite web |title=TRAX: About the Transportation Program |website=Ark-Tex Council of Governments |access-date=30 November 2023 |url=https://atcog.org/transportation-programs/}}</ref> Dubbed the "Paris Metro", ''Texas Monthly'' has cited the town as a model for rural transport.<ref>{{cite web |title=What Can Public Transit Deserts Learn From Paris, Texas? |date=2023-11-28 |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/paris-texas-bus-route-rural-public-transportation/ |website=Texas Monthly |access-date=30 November 2023}}</ref> There is no intercity transit available in Paris. However, intercity bus routes can be accessed in nearby Mount Pleasant and Sulphur Springs. These services are operated by [[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sulphur Springs, TX to Dallas, TX Bus - Affordable Bus Tickets |url=https://www.greyhound.com/bus-routes/sulphur-springs-tx-dallas-tx |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=www.greyhound.com}}</ref> and [[Trailways Transportation System|Trailways]].

Paris is served by two taxicab companies.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} [[Cox Field]] provides general aviation services.

==Notable people==
<!-- *** INSTRUCTIONS FOR NOTABLE PEOPLE SECTIONS ***
When you add a name in this section, it's YOUR responsibility to ensure all of the following for each person:
 1) Insert person into list sorted by last name (surname).
 2) Each person MUST meet [[Wikipedia:Bio]] requirements to ensure notability (see [[Wikipedia:Notability]]).
 3) Each person MUST meet [[Wikipedia:Verifiability]] requirements to verify their notability and prove they resided in the city.
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{{div col}}
* [[Duane Allen]], member of [[the Oak Ridge Boys]]
* [[Tia Ballard]], actress for [[Funimation Entertainment]]
* [[Charles R. Baxter|Charles Baxter]], physician, attended President Kennedy after he was fatally shot
* [[Elle Evans]] Bellamy, model and actress
* [[Raymond Berry]], professional football [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]]
* [[Tyler Bryant]], blues rock guitarist
* [[Brenda Cherry]], civil rights activist
* [[John Chisum]], cattle baron 
* [[Gary B.B. Coleman]], soul blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer
* [[Marsha Farney]], [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] member of the [[Texas House of Representatives]] from [[Williamson County, Texas|Williamson County]]; reared in Paris, graduated from [[Paris Junior College]], and taught school in Paris in 1990s 
* [[Bobby Jack Floyd]], National Football League (NFL) fullback
* [[Charles R. Floyd]], three-term [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[Texas State Senate|state senator]]; pioneer of the Texas [[farm-to-market road]] system and an original founder of Paris Junior College
* [[Cas Haley]], singer/musician, NBC's season two of ''America's Got Talent'' runner-up
* [[Al Haynes]], commercial airline pilot, captain during the [[United Airlines Flight 232]] crash
* [[William Henry Huddle]], Texas Capitol artist
* [[Charlie Jackson (defensive back)|Charlie Jackson]], NFL football player
* [[Frank Jackson (American football)|Frank Jackson]], NFL football player
* [[Frank James]], outlaw and brother of [[Jesse James]]
* General [[John P. Jumper]], [[Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force]] from 2001 to 2005
* [[Robert Matteson Johnston]], [[Harvard University|Harvard]] Professor, historian of [[Napoleon]] and [[France]].
* [[Richard Gordon Kendall]] (1933–2008) self-taught [[outside art|outsider]] [[folk art]]ist
* [[Beverly Leech]], actress, portrayed Kate Monday on ''[[Mathnet]]''
* [[Samuel Bell Maxey]], United States Senator and [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] Major General
* [[Gordon McLendon]], pioneer radio broadcaster and founder of the [[Liberty Broadcasting System]]
* [[Jay Hunter Morris]], operatic tenor
* [[John Morris (actor)|John Morris]], actor
* [[Robert Nelson (American football, born 1920)|Robert Nelson]] (1920–1985), NFL professional football player
* [[John Osteen]], pastor
* [[Dave Philley]], professional baseball player and holder of five MLB records
* [[Bass Reeves]], the first black deputy U.S. marshal to serve west of the Mississippi River, was based in Paris for four years in the late 19th century
* Admiral [[James O. Richardson]], United States Navy Fleet Commander 1940–1941
* [[Eddie Robinson (baseball)|Eddie Robinson]], professional baseball player, four-time All-Star and Texas Rangers executive
* [[Augusta Rucker]], medical doctor, zoologist, public health lecturer
* [[Jack Russell (baseball)|Jack Russell]], professional baseball player and first relief pitcher selected to a [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game]]
* [[Leslie Satcher]], country music recording artist
* [[Scott Scudder|William Scott Scudder]], Major League Baseball pitcher
* [[Gene Stallings]], Alabama head coach 1990–1996
* [[Steven H. Tallant]], president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville
* [[Starke Taylor]], mayor of Dallas and businessman
* [[Shangela Laquifa Wadley]], comedian, reality television personality, and drag performer
{{div col end}}

==In popular culture==
* The 1984 film [[Paris, Texas (film)| ''Paris, Texas'']] is named for the city.
* The [[Lana Del Rey]] song "Paris, Texas" from her 2023 album ''[[Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd]]'' is named for the film and references the city.

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=GR2>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
<ref name=GR3>{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>

<!-- unused <ref name=Weatherbase>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com |title=Weatherbase |website=Weatherbase.com |access-date=October 4, 2018}}</ref> -->

<!-- <ref name=Tapestry>{{cite web |url=http://tapestry.usgs.gov/physiogr/physio.html |title=Physiographic Regions |publisher=Tapestry.usgs.gov |date=April 17, 2003 |access-date=November 20, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515044037/http://tapestry.usgs.gov/physiogr/physio.html |archive-date=May 15, 2006 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> -->

<ref name=1916Fire>{{cite web
|title=The Paris Fire of 1916 – Texas State Historical Marker
|author=Tx State Historical Commission
|year=1978
|url=http://www.stoppingpoints.com/texas/sights.cgi?marker=The+Paris+Fire%2C+1916&cnty=lamar
|website=Stoppingpoints.com
}}</ref>

<ref name=ScottMansion>{{cite web
|title=Scott Mansion – Texas State Historical Marker
|author=Tx State Historical Commission
|year=1984
|url=http://www.stoppingpoints.com/texas/sights.cgi?marker=Scott+Mansion&cnty=lamar
|website=Stoppingpoints.com
}}</ref>

<!-- Not in use
<ref name=GlobalSecurity>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/camp-maxey.htm Camp Maxey], [http://www.globalsecurity.org globalsecurity.org].</ref>
Not in use-->

<ref name=TexasAlmanac>{{cite web|url=http://www.texasalmanac.com/texas-towns/paris |title=PARIS |publisher=Texas Almanac |date= November 22, 2010|access-date=August 26, 2013}}</ref>

<!--unused<ref name=Census>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF1_PCT12&prodType=table |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212212111/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF1_PCT12&prodType=table |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |title=American FactFinder |publisher=Factfinder2.census.gov |date=October 5, 2010 |access-date=November 20, 2011}}</ref>-->

<ref name=ParisGov1>{{cite web|url=http://www.paristexas.gov/index.aspx?NID=89|title=Paris Public Library - Paris|website=Paristexas.gov}}</ref><!-- Retrieved on May 15, 2010. -->

<ref name=TDCR>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928130938/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/parole/parole-directory/paroledir-rgnldisparoff1.htm] {{dead link|date=October 2023}}</ref>

<ref name=WhitePages>{{Cite web|url=http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/paris-500-clarksville-st-paris-tx-1376777|title=PARIS Post Office™ Location|date=May 7, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100507211953/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/paris-500-clarksville-st-paris-tx-1376777 |access-date=October 29, 2023|archive-date=May 7, 2010 }}</ref>

<!-- Not in use
<ref name=Heubusch>{{cite book |title=The New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities |year=1997 |publisher=Prometheus Books |isbn=978-1573921701 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/newratingguideto00heub }} cited in {{cite book |title=Day Trips from Dallas/Fort Worth: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler |series=Day Trips |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ujwwXBzFUz0C&pg=PA42 |access-date=May 1, 2015 |year=2010 |publisher=GPP Travel |isbn=978-0762757077 |page=42}}</ref>
Not in use-->

<!-- Not in use
<ref name=Abshire>{{cite web |url=http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2008/12/justice-department-community-d.html/ |title=Justice Department community dialogue on race set for Paris, Texas |author=Richard Abshire |date=December 4, 2008 |work=Crime Blog |publisher=Dallas Morning News |access-date=May 1, 2015}}</ref>
Not in use-->

<ref name=Witt2>{{cite web |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-02-01/news/0901310371_1_dialogue-paris-justice-department |title=Paris, Texas, race relations dialogue turns into dispute |author=Howard Witt |date=February 1, 2009 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 1, 2015}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Paris, Texas}}
{{Portal|Texas}}
{{wikisource|list=
{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Paris (Texas)  |volume=20 |page=823 |noicon=x |short=x}}
{{cite NSRW |wstitle=Paris, Tex. |noicon=x |short=x}}
}}
* [http://www.paristexas.gov/ City of Paris]

{{Coord|display=title|33.662508|-95.547692}}

{{Lamar County, Texas}}
{{Texas}}
{{Texas county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Paris, Texas| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Texas]]
[[Category:Cities in Lamar County, Texas]]
[[Category:County seats in Texas]]
[[Category:Micropolitan areas of Texas]]
[[Category:1844 establishments in the Republic of Texas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1844]]