Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene "SODA" district is located on the south side of the tracks.

(1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.

Hotel Wooten

First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.

The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: "No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here."

The 20-story at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.

Enterprise Tower

The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.

at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.

Paramount Theatre

Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into "a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses." The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.^[43]

[42]

Healthcare[edit]

Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.^[71]

The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.^[72]

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actor

Ken Baumann

member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judge

Raleigh Brown

two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons College

Doyle Brunson

heavyweight boxer and actor

Randall "Tex" Cobb

Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACU^[73]

Charles Coody

an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances Cook

Carole Cook

nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)

Roy Crane

hip hop recording artist, was born in Abilene

Dorian

professional golfer

Bob Estes

first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894

W. C. Friley

former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coach

Billy Gillispie

actor

Ryan Guzman

(1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian University

Homer Hailey

(born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981

David W. Harper

(born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilder

Kristy Hawkins

(born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors College

Jerry Herron

former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25

Katie Hill

indie rock singer

Micah P. Hinson

film director

Gregory Hoblit

member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian University

Robert Dean Hunter

former NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs

Bill Jones

railroad builder

Morgan Jones

Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)

Rainy Day Jordan

public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh

Ashley Kavanaugh

quarterback for the Houston Texans

Case Keenum

former wide receiver for the Chicago Bears

Johnny Knox

former starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs

John Lackey

best known for her role as Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman on HBO's The Wire

Deirdre Lovejoy

golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour events

Billy Maxwell

wife of Governor Dan Moody

Mildred Paxton Moody

three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports Illustrated

Bobby Morrow

head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketball

Scott Nagy

pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world records^[73]^[74]^[75]^[76]^[77]

Billy Olson

rodeo cowboy and film actor

Ty O'Neal

tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHS^[73]

Terry Orr

(1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone

Fess Parker

country musician

Lee Roy Parnell

(1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of Hellyeah

Vinnie Paul

member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962

Charles Perry

born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis Colts

Dominic Rhodes

author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry University

Lou Halsell Rodenberger

philosopher

Rick Roderick

Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in Abilene

Bill Sharman

singer and actress, born in Abilene

Jessica Simpson

(born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th Circuit

Jorge A. Solis

video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video games

Rawson Stovall

Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer

Steven Stucky

lawyer, represented "Jane Roe" in case of Roe v. Wade

Sarah Weddington

actress^[78]

Ann Wedgeworth

musician, best known for his guitar instrumental "Classical Gas"

Mason Williams

, Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia

Chita

Río Cuarto, Córdoba

List of museums in West Texas

Abilene CityLink

Abilene paradox

Official website

Convention & Visitors Bureau

Abilene.com

at Curlie

Abilene, Texas

. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries. (circa 1900s-1950s)

"Collections: City Directories: Abilene"

. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.

"Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene"

. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.

Abilene, Texas

Abilene

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Named for