Pampa, Texas
Pampa is a city in Gray County on the flat, wind-swept High Plains of the Texas Panhandle, about 56 miles northeast of Amarillo. Its name comes from the pampas grasslands, and the town grew during the Panhandle oil and gas boom of the early twentieth century that still anchors much of the local economy. Pampa is also known as the place where folk musician Woody Guthrie lived through the Dust Bowl years, learning to play guitar and writing some of his earliest songs.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 16,414
- Change from 2020 base
- -2.8%
- Land area
- 9 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Gray County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Gray County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
County context
What to know around Pampa
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Pampa.
Local History
Pampa Became the County Seat Because of an Oil Boom
Gray County was organized in 1902 with Lefors as its seat, but a 1926 oil discovery made Pampa grow so fast that it took over as county seat in 1928.
Property Tax
Gray County Has Two Separate Property Tax Offices
In Gray County, the appraisal district sets your property value while a separate tax office collects your bill, and you deal with each for different things.
Water Wells
A Groundwater District Regulates Water Wells in Gray County
Gray County is inside the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District, which means drilling or using a well here requires following district rules.
Nearby
Places near Pampa
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Pampa
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