Stanton is a friendly community that supports athletics and businesses
A sign greets Interstate 20 West drivers as they enter Stanton. Below the standard town welcome, it reads, “Home of 3,000 Friendly People & A Few Old Sore Heads.” The sign reflects the area’s personality — supportive and lighthearted — while smaller signs around it advertise the region’s passions, including Stanton High School’s 1997 undefeated, state-champion football team, and the town’s annual Old Sorehead Trade Days event. All of it revolves around the idea of community. “The people make it special,” says Jackie Garza, the librarian at the Martin County Library. “We come together like a force of nature.”
Brick ranch-style homes sit along wide, grid-like streets
Traditional brick or vinyl homes, including some ranch-style houses, are spread throughout the town. The median sale price is around $175,000, well below the national median. The area’s grid-like asphalt streets are wide, and it is common for drivers to park along the side of the road. Sidewalks usually sit on at least one side of the car-dependent community’s streets. The community has few tall trees. Patches of grass, dirt and desert scrubs often surround the roads. Yards are mostly grass, though they can feature bushes near the front of houses and some smaller trees.
Pizza, burgers, homemade desserts and Dollar General
Most of the town’s restaurants sit along Texas State Highway 137 and West Front Street. EJ’s Cotton Pickin’ Dive has a rotating menu of comfort food. At Pizza Marie’s, customers eat for free and earn a picture on the Wall of Fame if they finish a 16-inch meat lover’s pizza in 30 minutes. The Tarzan Grill, inside Tarzan & Jane Travel Center, is a popular stop for burgers and breakfast burritos. Valley Bakery and Restaurant is known for its display cases of sweet treats. The town has Lawrence Bros and Dollar General locations.
The Stanton High football team draws a crowd, plus school choice
Students are served by the Stanton Independent School District. They can attend Stanton Elementary School, which has a B Niche grade. Stanton Middle School also receives a B. Stanton High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 13-to-1 and an Advanced Placement enrollment of nearly 15%, according to Niche. It earns a B rating. Garza says the community often gathers at the school’s Buffalo Stadium for football games on Friday nights in the fall.
Starting in 2026, Texas’ school choice voucher program will send eligible families close to $10,000 to put toward private school tuition. Midland, around 25 miles away, has several private schools, including the Trinity School of Midland, a prekindergarten through 12th-grade academy with an A-plus Niche score.
Climb on rocket-themed jungle gyms, play sports and ride horses
Kids can pretend to be astronauts at Howard Jenkins Memorial Space Park, where several play structures are shaped like rockets. Shelbourn Park has jungle gyms, swings, basketball courts, and a baseball diamond. Tommy Walker Softball Park hosts youth tournaments. A small green space off North Front Street known as Memorial Park has a bench and picnic tables. Nearby, Outback Adventure Track lets visitors ride their ATVs and dirt bikes for miles. The town is around 10 miles from 3 Bar Arena, a horse riding facility that also hosts rodeo events. The Martin County Historical Museum collects photographs and other artifacts from the region’s past and present. Garza says kids come to the Martin County Library for summer reading sessions. Prizes are determined not by how much kids read, but by showing up. "We give everyone an equal amount of goodies so everyone enjoys it,” Garza says.
1884 Plaza hosts markets and other events throughout the year
Old Sorehead Trade Days are held twice per year and bring more than 600 vendors to Stanton’s historic downtown. An annual nighttime Christmas Parade travels down North Saint Peter Street. 1884 Plaza hosts a Christmas Market, a Pumpkin Trail and other seasonal events on the site of a former Catholic convent, where an 1800s monastery still stands. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church sits along Carpenter Street near the plaza.
Access to Interstate 20 and Midland International Air & Space Port
Interstate 20 bends around Stanton to the north, taking drivers toward Midland and Big Spring, while the I-20 Frontage Road cuts through its center. State Highway 137 runs north and south through the town’s western side. A railroad goes through the middle of the area, just south of West Front Street. Midland International Air & Space Port is close to a 30-mile drive. Martin County Hospital has around 20 beds. Summers can reach more than 100 degrees. The area experiences heavy storms and environmental effects at a similar rate to other parts of the state.
