Explore Texas’ Route 66 Ghost Town With Church, RV Park, and More

The term ghost town gets tossed around a lot. It feels odd using it to refer to a place where people still live, but there are plenty of places that get the label while people still call them home. The actual definition of a ghost town is "a deserted town with few or no remaining inhabitants" according to the Oxford English Dictionary. When it comes to this Texas town on Route 66, the description is spot on.

The Route 66 Ghost Town In Texas With An RV Park, Church, And Travel Plaza

There's a town in the Texas panhandle on Route 66 that went from being the biggest town in its county to having a population of 23 as of 2020. It once had a two-story school, hotel, bank, two grocery stores, churches, a saloon, a hardware store, a blacksmith shop, and a livery stable. At its peak, the town had a population of around 500.

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Unfortunately, the population dwindled over time. One of the reasons is supposedly the development of nearby towns during the oil boom of the 1920s. By 1933, the population is said to have been around 150. There was a slight rise to about 200, and then another steady decline. Today, you'll pass through it on Route 66 without even realizing it. It's the story of Alanreed, Texas.

What's Left In Alanreed, Texas Today

Today, Alanreed is home to a Baptist church whose sign reads "Serving Route 66 Since 1904". There's also an old gas station left over from the glory days of the Mother Road that looks like it gets some upkeep occasionally. There's also the travel center along I-40. There's a post office, motel, gift shop, and surprisingly, there's an RV park.

There are a lot of ghost towns in the Texas panhandle, and many of them rest along I-40. The big difference between Alanreed and the rest is that Alanreed is the only one I'm aware of that has an RV park. Here's a quick photo tour of the "ghost town" known as Alanreed, Texas.