Editing Italy, Texas

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Italy, Texas
| settlement_type          = [[Town]]
| motto                    = "The biggest little town in Texas"
| image_skyline            = ItalyTexas1 (1 of 1).jpg
| imagesize                = 250px
| image_caption            = Downtown Italy, Texas
<!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = Ellis County Italy.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of Italy, Texas
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Texas]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Ellis County, Texas|Ellis]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| 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_total_km2           = 4.67
| area_land_km2            = 4.67
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi         = 1.80
| area_land_sq_mi          = 1.80
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = 2020
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 1926
| population_density_km2   = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = -6
| timezone_DST             = CDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -5
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 551
| coordinates              = {{coord|32|10|58|N|96|52|46|W|region:US-TX|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 76651
| area_code                = [[Area codes 214, 469, and 972|214, 469, 945, 972]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 48-37072<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>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2412797<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412797}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|www.ci.italy.tx.us}}
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Italy''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɪ|t|l|i}} {{respell|IT|lee}}, unlike the country) is a town in [[Ellis County, Texas]], United States. Its population was 1,926 in [[2020 United States census|2020]].<ref name=":0" /> The community was named after [[Italy]] by a settler who had visited the European country.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Moyer|first1=Armond|last2=Moyer|first2=Winifred|title=The origins of unusual place-names|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89058322223;view=1up;seq=74|year=1958|publisher=Keystone Pub. Associates|page=70}}</ref>

==History==
Italy was founded in 1879 by settlers who found the surrounding land suitable for growing [[cotton]], [[Maize|corn]], [[sweet potato]]es, and [[wheat]]. The [[Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad]] reached Italy in 1890, with the railroad stop making the town an important market center.  The population grew steadily, from 1,061 in 1900 to 1,500 in 1925, until the [[Great Depression]] sparked a decline lasting over three decades. The town began to see economic and population growth again in the 1970s, with the population rising to nearly 2,000 residents by 2000.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas | id=hji03 | name=Italy, TX | author=Robert J. Haaser | retrieved=December 12, 2015}}</ref>

==Geography==

Italy is located in southwestern Ellis County. [[Interstate 35E (Texas)|Interstate 35E]] crosses the northwestern corner of the town at exit 386; it leads north {{convert|15|mi}} to [[Waxahachie, Texas|Waxahachie]], the [[county seat]], north {{convert|44|mi}} to downtown [[Dallas]], and southwestward {{convert|15|mi}} to its junction with [[Interstate 35W (Texas)|I-35W]] near [[Hillsboro, Texas|Hillsboro]]. [[U.S. Route 77 in Texas|U.S. Route 77]] passes through the center of Italy and parallels I-35E. [[Texas State Highway 34]] leads northeast from the center of Italy {{convert|20|mi}} to [[Ennis, Texas|Ennis]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Italy has a total area of {{convert|4.7|km2|order=flip}}, all  land.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Italy town, Texas |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4837072 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213064837/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4837072 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=March 25, 2016 |work=American Factfinder |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 370
|1900= 1061
|1910= 1149
|1920= 1350
|1930= 1230
|1940= 1224
|1950= 1185
|1960= 1183
|1970= 1309
|1980= 1306
|1990= 1699
|2000= 1993
|2010= 1863
|2020=1926}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Italy racial composition as of 2020'''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4837072&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=May 22, 2022 |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>https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|1,133
|58.83%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|234
|12.15%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|8
|0.42%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|7
|0.36%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/multiracial]] (NH)
|56
|2.91%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|488
|25.34%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''1,926'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], 1,926 people, 765 households, and 561 families resided in the town.

==Notable people==

* [[Keith Davis (safety)|Keith Davis]], former safety for the [[Dallas Cowboys]]
* [[Dale Evans]], actress; wife of [[Roy Rogers]]
* [[Jack Hyles]], pastor of First Baptist Church of [[Hammond, Indiana]], founder of Hyles-Anderson College
* [[Kortnei Johnson]], athlete
* [[J. B. Milam]], principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
* [[Art Shires]], former first baseman for the [[Chicago White Sox]], [[Washington Senators (1901-60)|Washington Senators]] and [[Boston Braves]]

==Education==

The town is served by the [[Italy Independent School District]], which includes [[Italy High School]] (grades 7–12) and Stafford Elementary (prekindergarten - grade 6), and the S.M. Dunlap Memorial Library.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ci.italy.tx.us/index.php?id=OHO1634AG | title = Library | publisher = The City of Italy, Texas | access-date = March 4, 2013}}</ref>

In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the [[Texas Education Agency]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2009/index.html |title=2009 Accountability Rating System |publisher=Texas Education Agency |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025190535/http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2009/index.html |archive-date=October 25, 2015 }}</ref>

==Climate==
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.  According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], Italy has a [[humid subtropical climate]], ''Cfa'' on climate maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=44014&cityname=Italy,+Texas,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Italy, Texas Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=January 22, 2018}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180px" class="center">
Image:Italy Farmers State Bank Wiki (1 of 1).jpg|Farmers State Bank
Image:Italy City Hall Wiki (1 of 1).jpg|City Hall
</gallery>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Italy, Texas}}
* [http://www.ci.italy.tx.us City of Italy official website]


{{Ellis County, Texas}}

{{authority control}}


[[Category:Towns in Ellis County, Texas]]
[[Category:Towns in Texas]]
[[Category:Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1879]]
[[Category:1879 establishments in Texas]]