Question: Which Texas city was once known as the helium capital of the world?
Answer: Amarillo
After the Cliffside Gas Field was discovered there in 1921, the Amarillo Helium Plant opened in 1929 and was the only U.S. helium plant until 1943, supplying nearly all of the world’s helium. The federal plants were shut down after Congress passed the Helium Privatization Act of 1996, and the remaining assets were auctioned off and purchased by Messer in 2024. A monument near the Don Harrington Discovery Center now honors the city’s helium heritage.
