Discover Abilene

Located 150 miles west of Fort Worth, Abilene was established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881. The city was named after Abilene, Kansas; the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The city later became a major cattle-producing area with diversified farming. In recent years, petroleum has added great impetus to the city’s economy. At the city’s centennial in 1981, a demonstration oil-drilling rig was set up on the county fairgrounds to illustrate the techniques of “making hole.” By pure accident, it struck oil—enough for modest profitable production.

Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area known as “The Big Country” or the “Texas Midwest.” By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city. The city is now bustling with new subdivisions and shopping centers in the fastest-growing areas of town.