Wichita Falls, city, seat of Wichita County, northern Texas, on the Wichita River, near Oklahoma; incorporated 1889. It is a manufacturing, commercial, and distribution center in a region producing petroleum, wheat, and cattle. Glass, fiberglass, fabricated metal products, gas turbine components, plastic products, and clothing are manufactured here. Healthcare is a growing sector of the economy. Midwestern State University is in the city, and Sheppard Air Force Base is nearby. The community, settled in the 1870s, grew as a shipping point for cattle and wheat after the arrival of the railroad in 1882. Oil was discovered in the area in 1911. The city was badly damaged by a tornado in 1979. The name of the city refers to the Wichita people and to a falls formerly located on the Wichita River that has been commemorated by a 16.5 m- (54-ft) man-made waterfall. Population 94,201 (1980); 96,259 (1990); 104,197 (2000).
