McCamey, TX

Set in the wide-open landscape of West Texas just east of the Pecos River, McCamey is a quiet community of around 1,800 people with deep roots in the state's oil history. The town sprang up almost overnight during a 1920s wildcat strike, quickly growing into a bustling hub for oil workers and the railroad. Today, you can explore that frontier heritage at the Mendoza Trail Museum in Santa Fe Park, which houses everything from Native American artifacts and fossils to vintage boomtown relics.

ATTRBilly Hathorn / CC BY-SA 3.0

Energy remains the heartbeat of the local economy, though modern wind farms stretching across the mesas have since earned McCamey the title of Wind Energy Capital of Texas. Day-to-day life is anchored by the local schools, ranching, and energy jobs, offering a calm, unhurried pace. For newcomers, it is a tight-knit small town where neighbors look out for one another and open desert skies are part of the daily scenery.