The oil connection in Kermit
Kermit is fueled by the oil and gas industry. In the 1910s, the Winkler County seat was a ranching and hunting town with just a few houses and a courthouse. But after oil was discovered in the Hendrick field in 1926, the ensuing population boom resulted in new homes, buildings and storefronts. Today, there are many more oil wells in Kermit than there were in the 1930s with the workforce to match. “West Texas is all oil, gas and the Permian basin,” eXp Realtor Kelly Clark says. “A lot of people who work in those fields live in Kermit.” With a strong industrial base, local restaurants and a “Muppets”-themed water tower that would make Jim Henson proud, Kermit is for the lovers, the dreamers – and the oil field workers.
Local spots for breakfast, burgers and barbecue
The downtown area is filled with family-style sit-down restaurants and diners alongside fast-food chains. Chaotic Wings has bone-in and boneless wings along with specialty pizzas, sandwiches and burgers, while Roma Pasta & Pizza also offers calzones, strombolis and veal entrees. Poor Daddy’s Smokehouse serves traditional barbecue along with specials that vary between beef dino ribs and lobster rolls, and Huddle House serves smash burgers and breakfast platters. Hardware and electronic retailers make up most of the local shopping, along with a few convenience stores. Groceries can be picked up at Lowe’s Market, Dollar General and Allsup’s.
Older homes that are RV-ready
There are mostly older homes in Kermit dating back to the 1950s. Tiny houses with dried-up lawns and sheds will be the least expensive between $75,000 and $90,000. Small stucco, brick veneer and manufactured homes have withered trees and small cacti along with wooden and chain link fences, costing between $100,000 to $200,000. “It’s a very small, rural community,” Clark says. “You’ve got little ranch houses, then you’ve got these huge houses as well.” Mid-sized homes with quarter-acre lots and carports range from $200,000 to $300,000, while larger ranch-style homes cost $300,000 to $600,000 and will have more bedrooms and up to 1-acre lots to park RVs and off-road vehicles.
Winkler County parks and golf courses
The nine-hole Winkler County Golf Course is 10 miles west of Kermit and has an on-site restaurant and a pool that’s $10 for admission. Special events and banquets are held at the Senior Citizens Recreation Center, which also has a dog park, playground and basketball court. There are many more slides, swing sets and sports fields at Kermit’s other facilities, which include Plaza, Vest, Birtceil and Winkler County Park.
From Kermit schools to Odessa College
The Kermit Independent School District serves the county at large and earns a C-plus on Niche. Kermit Elementary is part of the National School Lunch Program and provides free or reduced-cost meals to its students and has a C-minus. Kermit Junior High School has a C and a student-teacher ratio of 20-to-1. Kermit High School has a B-minus, with fans filling up Walton Field to cheer on their Yellow Jackets in the fall. “We’re big on Friday night football,” Clark says. “That’s pretty much our entertainment.” Odessa College is around 45 miles east and has a B-minus.
Celebration days in the fall
The city has hosted Kermit Celebration Days every September for over 20 years. The weekend-long festival features live music, food vendors, a car show, softball tournament and pony rides for children.
County roads that lead to New Mexico
Kermit has three main roads that run through the city. The New Mexico border is only 10 miles north when driving on County Road 18, while Interstate 20 is 23 miles south. Odessa is 45 miles east when taking County Road 302, and Andrews is 46 miles northeast when driving on County Road 115. The Winkler County Memorial Hospital is located within Kermit and is open for 24 hours.
