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The Center of the Permian Basin

Monahans has built its reputation as the Center of the Permian Basin, the vast section of West Texas and eastern New Mexico known for its prolific oil and gas production. More than 60% of Texas’ oil production occurs in the Permian Basin, which is also home to 16% of U.S. oil reserves. Monahans is the center of the region’s oil and gas industry.

Monahans offers an exceptional business climate, prime location on major trade routes, and smart, hard-working individuals. Combined with our famous West Texas hospitality and year-round warm climate, you get a community that works for your business success. Join us in Monahans and let it work for you!

Monahans has an abundant high quality water source, an excellent school system, very low crime rate, tax and utility rates that are among the lowest in the state and is located in the Center of the Permian Basin.

Fire Protection

Monahans has a volunteer fire department with over 32 volunteer fire fighters. It is financed through a cooperative effort between Monahans and Ward County. Monahans has earned a property protection class rating of 5 from the State of Texas. The expansion of the water system, the purchase of firefighting equipment and the training of the firemen all went into the securing of this rating.

Law Enforcement

Monahans Police Department is composed of 11 officers who each have their own patrol unit. The Ward County Sheriffs Department has 10 officers, 3 reserves and 12 patrol units. There are 3 highway patrol officers and 1 weights and measure officer.

Medical Facility

The Ward County Memorial Hospital was constructed in 1981. It is licensed with the Texas Department of Health for 25 beds. The hospital has a staff of approximately 102 employees. There are approximately 15 doctors with hospital privileges. The hospital provides a wide range of services.

Education

The Monahans Wickett Pyote Independent School District provides a wide range of programs to meet the individual needs of all the students in the area. The district has been designated as “Exemplary” by the Texas Education Agency and has maintained that status four out of the last five years. The school district employs approximately 350 people. The school district has seven campuses serving approximately 2,000 students – Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Additional facilities include two auditoriums, three gymnasiums, one swimming pool and two band halls. The school district also offers occupational and physical therapy, special transportation for the handicapped, educational diagnosticians and registered nurses and has a new Dropout Recovery School. The school district has had thirteen exemplary campuses in the last five years.

Tourism
Monahans Sandhills State Park

Located just five miles east of Monahans on I-20 – the Monahans Sandhills State Park consists of approximately 4,000 acres of sand dunes that resemble the Sahara Desert and sometimes reach a height of 70 feet.

The park offers a variety of outdoor recreational activities, nature study, picnicking, camping facilities, and sand surfing. A museum and interpretive center provide native exhibits containing the botanical, archeological, historical, and geological features of the Sandhills area.

Trailer and camping sites with water, electricity, and shade shelters are located in the heart of the dunes. Restrooms and showers are conveniently situated near the trailer and camping areas. The park concession building, which was constructed in 1903 and was first utilized as a railroad section house, is available for private meetings and parties, and can be rented by making a reservation at the park office.

One of the most interesting arboreal oddities in the United States is located at the Monahans Sandhills State Park – a miniature forest of Havard Oaks trees that only reach waist high. The forest occupies 40,000 acres making it one of the largest oak forests in the U.S.

Endangered species of animals identified by the State of Texas you may see in the Sandhills or other areas in Ward County include: American Peregrine Falcon (falco peregrinus anatum), Whooping Crane (Grus Americana), Black Footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) and the Gray Wolf (Cais lupus).

Threatened species of animals identified by the State of Texas you may see in the Sandhills or other areas in Ward County include: Artic Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius), Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Pecos Pupfish Cyprinodon pecosensis), Black Bear (Ursus aericanus), and the Texas Horned Lizard (Holbrookia lacerata).

Million Barrel Museum

An early attempt at crude oil storage, the Million Barrel was built in 1928 and measures approximately 426 feet by 522 feet by 35 feet high and was designed to hold a million barrels of crude oil.

Also located at the Million Barrel Museum are the original restored Holman House – a former stagecoach station and premier hotel; and the old 1928 Monahans jail along with farm, oil and railroad equipment from the early 1900’s.

Meteorite Display

Monahans has the notoriety of having had several pieces of meteorite stones weighing approximately 2.5 pounds hit town in March of 1998. The fall received nationwide attention because seven boys, who were playing only a few dozen feet from the crash site, witnessed the event. These meteorites are on display at the Monahans City Hall.

Pyote Museum and Rattlesnake Bomber Base The Pyote Museum and Rattlesnake Bomber Base is located on I-20 about 15 miles west of Monahans. Pyote was a major Air Force training base for B-17 bombers during WWII. The base was later home to the Enola Gay that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The museum displays local area history of the base.

Other Sites of Interest

Using Monahans as a base, there are also a variety of day trip attractions and activities to please the most diversified of visitors and tourist. Some of these more notable trips consist of:

• Wineries – St. Genevieve Winery
• American Airpower Heritage Museum & Confederate Air Force
• Permian Basin Petroleum Museum
• Pecos, Texas and the West of the Pecos Museum (western and pioneer history)
• Early frontier army posts at Fort Stockton and Fort Davis
• Big Bend National Park
• Carlsbad Cavern National Park
• Paisano Pete, the world’s largest roadrunner (11 feet tall by 22 feet long) located at Fort Stockton
• Alpine, Texas with its many art galleries and family owned gifts and curio shops
• The University of Texas McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas
• The Ghost Lights of Marfa, Texas
• Balmorhea State Recreational Area
• Numerous desert and mountain nature drives or hiking tours
• Meteorite Crater and exhibition Museum in Odessa