Panhandle, TX

Panhandle is Carson County's seat in the Amarillo metro, with 2,378 residents in the 2020 census. U.S. 60 runs through town between Amarillo and Pampa, and the name comes from its central place in the Texas Panhandle. The town was first called Carson City and later Panhandle City before settling on Panhandle. The county-seat role and the highway keep this small city tied to the wider plains. Carson County Square House Museum is the local landmark that pulls the regional story together. The complex at Fifth and Elsie includes the late-1880s Square House, galleries, a caboose, windmill, barn, dugout, and exhibits covering Indigenous history, ranching, railroads, oil, art, and the Panhandle's natural history. Panhandle ISD serves local students, while Antigone Park, the city pool, flag ceremonies, and council meetings supply recurring town activity. Panhandle is a county-seat town where the museum gives the surrounding plains a physical center.