Venus is a city in Johnson and Ellis counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 4,361 in 2020.[4]

Venus, Texas
Downtown Venus, 2017
Downtown Venus, 2017
Location in Johnson County and the state of Texas
Location in Johnson County and the state of Texas
Coordinates: 32°25′56″N 97°07′15″W / 32.43222°N 97.12083°W / 32.43222; -97.12083
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountiesJohnson, Ellis
Incorporated (town)1903
Area
 • Total3.10 sq mi (8.02 km2)
 • Land3.10 sq mi (8.02 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation673 ft (205 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total4,361
 • Density1,400/sq mi (540/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
76084
Area code(s)214, 469, 945, 972
FIPS code48-75236[3]
GNIS feature ID2413426[2]
Websitecityofvenus.org

History

edit
 
Venus City Park, 2007

The town was originally named "Gossip" until its development in the late 1880s. A man by the name of J.C. Smythe purchased 80 acres (32 ha) of abandoned cornfields in the northeastern corner of Johnson County and began to plan a townsite. He named his new town "Venus" after the daughter of a local doctor. By 1888 the new town had a post office and a population of around 10 residents. Being at the junction of two major railroads, Venus prospered and for a time was one of the fastest-growing communities in Johnson County. By the 1920s, Venus had its own schools (including a small college), several businesses, a weekly newspaper (the Venus Express), and a population that exceeded 800.

The Great Depression had massive negative impact, however, and in the 1930s the town began to decline. Growth of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex just to the north hastened its decline, with many of its residents relocating to the growing urban area in search of work. By 1940 the population had fallen to 200, and the only remaining operating business was the drug store.

Venus began to recover somewhat in the late 1940s, and the population soon increased back to over 300. Growth was slow but steady throughout the remainder of the 20th century; by 1990 there were 977 residents and the town had spread into neighboring Ellis County. The 2000 census listed the population as 910, but the population more than tripled to 2,960 in 2010, due largely to the southward expansion of the Metroplex.[5]

Geography

edit

Venus is located in northeastern Johnson County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.7 km2), all land.[6]

U.S. Route 67 passes through the town north of its center; the highway leads northeast 7.5 miles (12.1 km) to the center of Midlothian and west 7 miles (11 km) to Alvarado. Downtown Dallas and Fort Worth are each 31 miles (50 km) away, Dallas to the northeast and Fort Worth to the northwest.

Climate

edit

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Venus has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[7]

Climate data for Venus, TX (1991-2020 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 56.8
(13.8)
61.0
(16.1)
68.2
(20.1)
76.2
(24.6)
82.7
(28.2)
90.4
(32.4)
94.8
(34.9)
95.3
(35.2)
88.6
(31.4)
78.4
(25.8)
66.9
(19.4)
58.4
(14.7)
76.5
(24.7)
Daily mean °F (°C) 45.1
(7.3)
49.0
(9.4)
56.3
(13.5)
64.4
(18.0)
72.3
(22.4)
80.1
(26.7)
83.6
(28.7)
83.7
(28.7)
77.1
(25.1)
66.4
(19.1)
55.2
(12.9)
47.0
(8.3)
65.0
(18.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 33.3
(0.7)
37.1
(2.8)
44.5
(6.9)
52.5
(11.4)
61.9
(16.6)
69.9
(21.1)
72.5
(22.5)
72.2
(22.3)
65.7
(18.7)
54.4
(12.4)
43.5
(6.4)
35.5
(1.9)
53.6
(12.0)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.61
(66)
2.52
(64)
3.47
(88)
3.08
(78)
4.27
(108)
3.90
(99)
2.11
(54)
2.83
(72)
3.02
(77)
4.43
(113)
2.92
(74)
2.53
(64)
37.69
(957)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.3
(0.76)
0.3
(0.76)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.2
(0.51)
0.8
(2.0)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 6.2 5.9 6.9 5.7 7.5 5.7 4.5 5.0 4.8 6.3 5.9 5.7 70.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 1.1
Source: NOAA[8][9]

Demographics

edit
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1910495
192084270.1%
1930570−32.3%
1940321−43.7%
195035711.2%
1960324−9.2%
197041427.8%
198051825.1%
199097788.6%
2000910−6.9%
20102,960225.3%
20204,36147.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
Venus racial composition as of 2020[4]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a]
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 1,944 44.58%
Black or African American (NH) 803 18.41%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 8 0.18%
Asian (NH) 65 1.49%
Pacific Islander (NH) 3 0.07%
Some Other Race (NH) 24 0.55%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 132 3.03%
Hispanic or Latino 1,382 31.69%
Total 4,361

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,361 people, 909 households, and 740 families residing in the town.

 
Venus was used as a filming location for the opening sequence of the movie Bonnie and Clyde, 1967

Education

edit

Venus is served by Venus Independent School District (www.venusisd.net), with grades K–1 attending Venus Primary School, 2–5 attending Venus Elementary, 6–8 attending Venus Middle School, and 9–12 attending Venus High School.[13] The small portion of Venus that lies in Ellis County is served by the Midlothian Independent School District or Maypearl Independent School District.

Notable person

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Venus, Texas
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ a b "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  5. ^ TSHA Online - Texas State Historical Association
  6. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Venus town, Texas". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  7. ^ Climate Summary for Venus, Texas
  8. ^ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  9. ^ "Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ^ https://www.census.gov/ [not specific enough to verify]
  12. ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  13. ^ "Venus ISD". Venus ISD. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  1. ^ 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.[11][12]
edit