# Claude, Texas

Claude is a city in and the county seat of Armstrong County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,186 at the 2020 census. It is located east of Amarillo in the south Texas Panhandle. Claude is part of the Amarillo metropolitan statistical area, but is some 30 miles east of Amarillo.

## History

During the first half of the 16th century, Spanish conquistador Francisco Coronado and his party passed through Claude and Tule Canyon, a scenic wonder to the south of Claude off Texas State Highway 207.
Claude was originally named Armstrong City after several area ranches named Armstrong.
The town name became Claude in 1887, named for Claude Ayers. He was the engineer of the first train of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway to travel through the area.
When Armstrong County was formed in 1890, Claude and Washburn competed to be the county seat. The tie-breaking vote for Claude was reportedly cast by legendary cattleman Charles Goodnight, former co-owner of the nearby JA Ranch. The Armstrong County Courthouse in Claude dates to 1912.
W.S. Decker established a weekly newspaper, The Claude Argus, which later merged with the Goodnight News to become The Claude News in 1890.
The Armstrong County Museum has local and Western-themed exhibits. The film Hud, starring Paul Newman and Patricia Neal, was filmed there in 1962.

## Geography

Claude is located about 28 mi (45 km) east of Amarillo. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.7 sq mi (4.4 km$^2$), all land.

### Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Claude has a semiarid climate, BSk on climate maps.

## Demographics
### 2020 census

Claude racial composition (NH = Non-Hispanic) :
| Race | Number | Percentage |
| White (NH) | 995 | 83.9% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 6 | 0.51% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 15 | 1.26% |
| Asian (NH) | 7 | 0.59% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 1 | 0.08% |
| Mixed/multiracial (NH) | 47 | 3.96% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 115 | 9.7% |
| Total | 1,186 | |
As of the 2020 United States census, 1,186 people, 496 households, and 369 families resided in the city.

### 2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 1,313 people, 479 households, and 362 families were in the city. The population density was 766.5 inhabitants per square mile (295.9/km$^2$). The 538 housing units had an average density of 314.1 per square mile (121.3/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 95.96% White, 0.23% African American, 0.46% Native American, 2.89% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.56% of the population.
Of the 479 households, 34.4% had children under 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were not families. About 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city, the age distribution was 26.0% under 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 84.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,641, and for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $33,542 versus $21,371 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,299. About 8.8% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under 18 and 17.5% of those 65 or over.

## Film history

Several movies have been filmed in and around Claude, including Hud (1963), starring Paul Newman; Leap of Faith (1993) starring Steve Martin; and Sunshine Christmas (1977), starring Cliff DeYoung. Additionally, the closing sunset scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) was shot in Claude.

## Education

The Claude Independent School District serves Claude and is home to the Claude High School Mustangs.
The first school in Claude was built in 1883. In 1907, a three-story building replaced the original building at a cost of $14,000. Unfortunately years later, a fire burned most of this building down. The portion of the building that was restored currently houses the Claude Junior High School.
During the 1930s, Claude had the only official-sized gymnasium in the area. The West Texas State College (now West Texas A&M University) basketball team used it on numerous occasions.

## Notable people

* Tom Mechler, Texas state Republican chairman since 2015 and oil and gas consultant in Amarillo, formerly lived in Claude.
* Charles Howard Roan, United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient from the Battle of Peleliu in 1944, was born in Claude.