Lamesa, TX

Lamesa is a quiet West Texas town of about 8,500 residents, located on the high plains roughly an hour south of Lubbock. Deeply rooted in farming, the community centers around its classic downtown square and Dawson County courthouse. Local heritage is a big point of pride here, celebrated every April at the popular Chicken Fried Steak Festival, which marks the town's claim as the dish's birthplace. Downtown is also home to the Dal Paso Museum, housed in a historic former hotel filled with pioneer artifacts and area history.

ATTRBilly Hathorn / CC BY-SA 3.0

Daily life in Lamesa moves at an easy, affordable pace with all the everyday essentials nearby. Families are served by Lamesa Independent School District, and Howard College operates a local branch for continuing education and workforce training. Agriculture, schools, county government, and regional facilities drive the local economy, while U.S. 87 and U.S. 180 provide straightforward drives to bigger city amenities in Lubbock and Midland. Expect plenty of sunshine, breezy afternoons, hot summers, and crisp winter nights beneath vast West Texas skies.