Groom, TX

Groom is a small Texas Panhandle community sitting along Interstate 40, roughly 40 miles east of Amarillo. Home to around 550 residents, it offers a quiet, slow-paced lifestyle surrounded by wide-open ranchland and wheat fields. The town began as a railroad stop in the early 1900s, and that classic small-town spirit remains today. Living here means knowing your neighbors, enjoying peaceful starry nights, and having an easy straight-shot drive on the highway whenever you need the bigger city amenities, shopping, or healthcare in Amarillo.

ATTRC. G. P. Grey / CC BY 3.0

Long before I-40 came through, Route 66 ran straight through the center of Groom, and that nostalgic roadside charm is still visible along the main business loop. Travelers across the country recognize the town by its two quirky highway landmarks: a towering 190-foot cross to the west and the famous Leaning Tower of Texas water tower to the east. For families considering a move, the local Groom Independent School District provides tight-knit K-12 schooling with small class sizes, making it an appealing spot for anyone looking for rural peace with quick highway connectivity across the Panhandle.