Claude is located just east of Amarillo on US 287 and Hwy 207 near the Salt Fork of the Red River. it is the largest town in Armstrong County, with a population in 1990 of 1,199.
The proximity of Claude to Amarillo and the nearby Pantex Ordnance Plant has enabled it to maintain a stable population. Also, three motion pictures were filmed there in the '60s and '70s, 'The Sundowners' (1960), 'Hud' (1963), and 'Sunshine Christmas' (1977).
Claude's population increased from 820 in 1960 to 992 in 1970 and 1,112 in 1980. In 1984 the town had twenty businesses. A city park, a rodeo arena, and a skeet range provide local recreation, and the public library remains the town's educational resource center.