Lubbock is the 11th-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in the northwestern part of the state—a region known historically as the Llano Estacado—it is the county seat of Lubbock County. According to an estimate by the U.S. Census in 2005, the city population was 209,737. The Lubbock metropolitan area, however, has a population of 257,663. Lubbock is located at 33°33′53″N, 101°52′40″W (33.564735, -101.877793). The average elevation is 3,256 feet above sea level. Lubbock's nickname is the "Hub City" which derives from being the economy, education, and health care hub of a multi-county region commonly called the South Plains. The area is the largest contiguous cotton-growing region in the world and is heavily dependent on irrigation water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer.

As of the census of 2000, there were 199,564 people, 77,527 households, and 48,531 families residing in the city. The population density was 671.1/km² (1,738.2/mi²). There were 84,066 housing units at an average density of 282.7/km² (732.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.87% White, 8.66% African American, 0.56% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 14.32% from other races, and 2.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.45% of the population.