Vernon is a town of approximately 11,000 residents located in North Texas just 30 miles from the Oklahoma border. Vernon offers a slower-pace, small-town atmosphere, but is strategically located within hours of several big cities. Wichita Falls, a city of over 100,000 residents, is just 45 minutes away.Vernon is also just 2.5 hours from the DFW Metroplex, 2.5 hours from Oklahoma City, and 2.5 hours from both Lubbock and Amarillo, all of which have major airports with flights leaving every day for destinations all around the world. Major highways – U.S. 283, U.S. 287, U.S. 183 and U.S. 70 – all pass through Vernon providing easy access to the many vacation points that are within a day’s drive.
Wilbarger County is served by three independent school districts, Vernon ISD, Northside ISD, and Harrold ISD, and is also home to Vernon College, which is consistently rated as one of the best values in higher education and is noted for its nursing program.
Vernon is also the location of one of the two bacon processing plants owned by Tyson Food. The main campus of the North Texas State Hospital, a forensic medicine facility, is also in Vernon, as is a Texas AgriLife Experiment and Research Station. AEP also has a coal burning electricity plant, the Oklaunion Power Station, in the county.
The Red River Valley Museum, which features one of the best big game hunting exhibits in the state, as well as an exhibit on the historic and massive Waggoner Ranch, which has its headquarters in Wilbarger County, also makes its home in Vernon.
For more information about Vernon, check out the following links: City of Vernon, Vernon Chamber of Commerce, and Wilbarger County.