Branch, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Branch, Texas
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 Branch, Texas
Location in Texas
Branch, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Collin |
| Elevation | 522 ft (159 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 2034632 |
Branch is a small place in Collin County, Texas, that isn't officially a city. It's called an unincorporated community. In the year 2000, about 447 people lived there. Branch is located within the large Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area.
History of Branch
The area we know as Branch today got its name from a local store owner named J.T. Branch. A post office was set up in Branch in 1901. However, it closed just two years later. After that, mail for Branch was delivered from a nearby place called Clear Lake. In 1960, only 25 people lived in Branch. But between 1980 and 2000, the number of people living there grew to 447.
Where is Branch?
Branch is located right on the edge of Lavon Lake. You can find it along Farm to Market Road 982. It's about 11 miles (18 km) southeast of McKinney. This makes Branch part of southern Collin County.
Schools in Branch
Today, students in Branch attend schools that are part of the Princeton Independent School District. Younger students go to Harper Elementary School. After that, they attend Clark Middle School. Finally, older students go to Princeton High School.
Land Boundary Disagreement
In 2011, a judge in Collin County made a decision that ended a disagreement about the southern border of the nearby city of Princeton. The judge ruled that a certain piece of land was not legally part of Princeton's city limits.
This legal case started in January 2010. It was about whether Princeton had tried to claim land that it had never officially added to its city. This land, called "Tract Five," is a strip along Farm to Market Road 982. Part of this land was actually considered part of Branch from 1971 to 1977.
Local landowners felt that Princeton was ignoring their concerns about this land. They asked the Collin County District Attorney to look into the matter. The state argued that Princeton was trying to claim power over land it didn't own. They said Princeton's own records showed that this land was not part of their city.
The judge looked at Princeton's official city records. He decided that Princeton's southern border only went a short distance south of U.S. Highway 380. It did not include the longer 5.5-mile stretch of land that Princeton had claimed. This decision meant Princeton's southern boundary went back to where it had been for almost 32 years. Princeton's city council later decided not to appeal, or challenge, this court ruling.
