Midland

West Texas oil city in the Permian Basin, where petroleum shaped the skyline and economy.

Midland sits in the Permian Basin of West Texas, roughly midway between Fort Worth and El Paso (that's where the name comes from — it was originally called Midway before being changed to avoid confusion). It's primarily an oil town: the discovery of the Santa Rita No. 1 well in the Permian Basin in 1923 transformed what had been a farming and ranching crossroads into the administrative capital of West Texas's petroleum industry.

The Permian Basin still produces around a fifth of total US petroleum output, and Midland's economy rises and falls with oil prices. The skyline of office buildings in an otherwise flat, scrubby landscape is a reminder that a lot of money has passed through here.

For visitors, the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum on I-20 is the standout attraction — a genuinely interesting museum covering the history and geology of the oil industry, with an outdoor equipment exhibition. Midland was also the childhood home of George W. Bush; the George W. Bush Childhood Home on West Ohio Avenue is open for tours. The Museum of the Southwest on West Missouri Avenue rounds out the cultural offering, with art, a children's museum, and a planetarium in a handsome 1930s mansion.

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Getting There

By air: Midland International Air and Space Port (MAF) is served by several US carriers, with direct flights to Dallas, Houston, Denver, and Las Vegas among other destinations. The airport is about 10 miles from downtown.

By car: Midland sits on Interstate 20, the main east-west highway through West Texas. From Dallas it's about 5.5 hours; from El Paso about 3 hours; from San Antonio about 4 hours. Odessa is just 20 miles to the west on I-20 and the two cities function as a single metro area.

By bus: Greyhound and other coach services connect Midland to the wider Texas bus network, though service is infrequent. For practical travel in and around West Texas, a car is essential.

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Things to Do

Midland's attractions are concentrated on two themes: the petroleum industry that made the city, and its unexpected role in the biography of at least one American president. There is more here than you'd guess from the flat, scrubby landscape.

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When to Go

West Texas weather is extreme and Midland is no exception. Summers are long and brutal — temperatures regularly exceed 38°C (100°F) from June through August, with full sun and low humidity. If you're visiting in summer, plan outdoor activities for early morning or evening.

Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are the best times to visit, with mild temperatures and occasional pleasant evenings. Spring brings wildflowers to the surrounding countryside — the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush that make Texas Hill Country famous extend in patchier form across the Edwards Plateau to the south.

Winter is mild by national standards — freezing temperatures happen but rarely persist — though the Permian Basin does occasionally experience ice storms that shut down roads and airports for a day or two.

Dust storms (locally called "haboobs" or just dust storms) are a feature of spring in particular; a wall of brown dust can reduce visibility to near zero in minutes. They pass, but they're worth knowing about.