The first structure to stand on the area that Midland occupies today was a train station belonging to the Texas and Pacific Railway. The station was initially called Midway Station as it was halfway between El Paso and Fort Worth. As a settlement began to grow around the station its name was changed to Midland to prevent confusion with other, already registered towns in the state. Midland flourished and because of its good rail connection, by the end of the 19th century it had developed into an important hub for the transportation of cattle. What concreted the future of Midland even more as a prosperous community was the discovery of oil in the Permian Basin in the second decade of the 20th century. The oil industry and associated companies assured the city's continual growth and by the 1960s it was home to over sixty thousand residents. It was during that era that the descendants of some of the Italian migrant workers decided to become independent and work for themselves by opening the first pizzerias in Midland.

Midland in Texas is known for Thick Crust pizza

Midland is known for thick crust pizza which is pretty much the only type of pie you'll find on the menus of the pizzerias in Midland. It's the favorite bake of the pizza chefs in this Texas city and the most popular pie among their clients. Thick crust, sometimes called old world, pizza is an authentic Italian bake which has existed for centuries. The pizzerias in Midland don't fiddle-faddle around with the basic dough recipe either, they make it just the same way their grandmother's grandmother did. Where the pizza chefs do demonstrate a touch of personal flair when they're producing pizzas is in the topping ingredient combinations they use and the names they call their pies. That makes ordering and eating entertaining as well as appetite-satisfying.

Best Delivery Pizza in Midland, Texas

When you want the best delivery pizza in Midland you have to order from a pizzeria that not only has a good reputation for making great pies, but lives up to that reputation every time they bake another one. The pizzeria in Midland that does that is DoubleDave's Pizzaworks on North Loop 250 West. DoubleDave's occupies a classily done-out premises where the benches are even branded with their double D logo. That's a nice attention to detail and at DoubleDave's they give their pizzas the same amount of attention too. Try The Works or Dave's Fave with garlic and fresh tomato and you'll be singing their praises after just a couple of bites.

Best Takeout Pizza in Midland, Texas

After you've spent the morning at the Sibley Nature Center you may well be considering getting a take-out pizza for lunch and who can blame you? Luckily for you, you're just a few minutes drive from Palio's Pizza Cafe which is where you can get the best take-out pizza in Midland. Palio's Pizza Cafe has their premises on West Loop 250 North in the Commons at North Park shopping complex. You can drive almost to the door of the castle-like stone-clad building as there are parking lots right out front. Inside you'll find a dining area that's done out in a modern uncluttered way and a large counter that matches the stone-clad exterior. To pass the time while you're waiting for your pizza to cook you can take photos of yourself in front of the ginormous butterfly wings painted on the wall for just that purpose.

Best Pizza near Midland, Texas

Odessa

Make the twenty mile journey west from Midland to Odessa and you'll be surprised at what you'll find. Have fun exploring by downloading a map of the locations of the city's thirty-plus jack rabbit statues or try and find as many as you can without the help of a guide. Just out of curiosity, pay a visit to the Odessa Meteor Hole, which is just a hole, or the replica of Stonehenge on the campus of the University of Texas Permian Basin which is in a lot better condition than the original. Add a note of seriousness to the day by taking a look around the Ellen Noel Art Museum before going to Teak and Charlie's Jersey Girl Pizza on John Ben Shepperd Parkway.

Monahans

Monahans is a straight fifty-minute drive west from Midland and somewhere you can go to see more sand than there is on the African continent. Find the Monahans Sandhills State Park and you'll find a dune-filled landscape covering over three and a half thousand acres of Texas. To find out more about the park's unique ecosystem pay a visit to the Dunagan Visitor Center where you can also hire a sand disc to go sliding down the dunes. You can hike anywhere you want throughout the park so long as you keep in mind where you are, don't get lost and take plenty of water with you. The park is a sensational place to sit and watch the sun go down while eating a take-out pizza from Fermin's on North Main Avenue so long as you don't mind getting sand on your crusts.

Big Spring

Big Spring is a forty minute drive from Midland and a place where you can combine some indoor and outdoor activities in one day. The Hangar 25 Air Museum is where you can get a close up look at some interesting aircraft before taking a scenic drive through the Big Spring State Park. There's a short nature trail in the park if you fancy a leg stretch or a five mile long hiking and biking trail for some more serious exercise. If you're not into hiking through desert environments, try the trails in the Comanche Trail Park where there's a lake. When you're starting to feel peckish head over to Hunt Brothers Pizza on Birdwell Lane for a pie.