Ross is a rural city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city’s population was 245, making it part of the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Ross is situated at coordinates 31°44′36″N 97°06′50″W (31.74333° N, 97.11389° W) in north‑central Texas. The United States Census Bureau reports the city’s total area as 1.75 sq mi (4.53 km²), all of which is land, at an elevation of 571 ft (174 m) above sea level.
History
The community developed in the early 1870s as a stop on the Houston and Texas Central Railway, which extended northward from Waco. A post office was established in 1880 and named for Lawrence Sullivan Ross, a former Texas governor and Confederate general. By 1884 Ross had a steam gristmill, cotton gin, general store, two churches, a school, and about fifty residents.
Rail service expanded in the 1880s with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas (MKT) line passing nearby. Despite these connections, Ross never grew into a major commercial center; its population remained low, reported as twenty‑five in the late 1920s. The abandonment of the Houston and Texas Central track between Ross and Waco in 1929 reduced rail activity, but the community received a boost when U.S. Highway 81 was upgraded to Interstate 35 in the 1960s, shifting the local business focus toward the highway corridor.
Residents voted to incorporate the city in 1980, at which time the population was estimated at 231. Subsequent estimates placed the population near 260 in the late 1980s, 188 in 1990, and 228 in 2000.
Demographics (2020 census)
- Population: 245
- Population density: 140 people per square mile (54.1 /km²)
- Racial composition: 80.8 % White, 0.4 % Black or African American, 1.2 % American Indian, 0 % Asian, 9.8 % some other race, 7.8 % two or more races; 14.7 % Hispanic or Latino of any race.
- Households: 89, with an average household size of 2.68 and average family size of 3.09. Approximately 66 % of households were married‑couple families.
Economy and Income
The median household income was reported at $31,250, and the median family income at $41,875. Per‑capita income stood at $17,569. Approximately 4.5 % of families and 2.8 % of the overall population were below the poverty line.
Climate
Ross experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen classification Cfa), characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.
Education
Public education for Ross is provided by the West Independent School District, which absorbed the former Ross Common School District in 1976.
Transportation
The city lies near Interstate 35, providing regional highway access. Historically, the area was served by both the Houston and Texas Central Railway and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, though rail service has been largely reduced.
References
- United States Census Bureau, 2020 Census Data.
- Texas State Historical Association, “Ross, TX” (Handbook of Texas Online).
- “Ross, Texas,” Wikipedia (accessed via r.jina.ai).
