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Ellis County, Texas facts for kids

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Ellis County
U.S. county
Ellis County Courthouse (1 of 1).jpg
Map of Texas highlighting Ellis County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Texas
Founded 1850
Named for Richard Ellis
Seat Waxahachie
Largest city Waxahachie
Area
 • Total 952 sq mi (2,470 km2)
 • Land 936 sq mi (2,420 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 192,455
 • Density 202.16/sq mi (78.05/km2)
Demonym(s) Ellisite
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 6th
Waxahachie masonic lodge 2013
Across from the courthouse is the Ellis County Museum.

Ellis County is a special area in the U.S. state of Texas. It's like a big neighborhood with its own local government. In 2020, about 192,455 people lived here.

The main town, or county seat, is Waxahachie. This is where the county government offices are located. Ellis County was started in 1849 and officially organized in 1850.

The county is named after Richard Ellis. He was the leader of the group that wrote the Texas Declaration of Independence. Ellis County is also part of the larger Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington area, known as the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Exploring Ellis County's Land

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Ellis County covers a total area of about 952 square miles. Most of this area, about 935 square miles, is land. The remaining 16 square miles, which is about 1.7% of the total, is covered by water.

Lake Waxahachie is a popular spot in Ellis County. It is located about five miles south of Waxahachie. The lake was created in 1956 when a dam was built on Waxahachie Creek.

This lake is about 650 acres in size and can be as deep as 50 feet. It is a great place for fun activities like boating and fishing for everyone in the county. There's even a public park with a boat ramp.

Main Roads in Ellis County

Many important highways run through Ellis County, making it easy to travel around.

  • I-35E (TX)
    Interstate 35E
    Interstate 35E
  • I-45 (TX)
    Interstate 45
    Interstate 45
  • US 67
    U.S. Route 67
    U.S. Route 67
  • US 77
    U.S. Route 77
    U.S. 77
  • US 287
    U.S. Route 287
    U.S. 287
  • Texas 34
    Texas State Highway 34
    State Highway 34
  • Texas 342
    Texas State Highway 342
    State Highway 342

Neighboring Counties

Ellis County shares its borders with several other counties:

Towns and Cities in Ellis County

Ellis County is home to many different communities, from small towns to larger cities.

USACE Bardwell Dam and Lake
Bardwell Dam and Lake in Ellis County near the town of Ennis
Ellis County, TX Courts building IMG 5610
Ellis County Courts building

Cities in Multiple Counties

Some cities are so large they stretch into more than one county:

Cities in Ellis County

Towns in Ellis County

Census-Designated Place

  • Bristol (This is a special area the Census Bureau defines for gathering population data.)

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city or town:

Who Lives in Ellis County?

The word demographics means studying the population of a place. This includes how many people live there and what groups they belong to.

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 989 —
1860 5,246 430.4%
1870 7,514 43.2%
1880 21,294 183.4%
1890 31,774 49.2%
1900 50,059 57.5%
1910 53,629 7.1%
1920 55,700 3.9%
1930 53,936 −3.2%
1940 47,733 −11.5%
1950 45,645 −4.4%
1960 43,395 −4.9%
1970 46,638 7.5%
1980 59,743 28.1%
1990 85,167 42.6%
2000 111,360 30.8%
2010 149,610 34.3%
2020 192,445 28.6%
2023 (est.) 222,829 48.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2020

The population of Ellis County has grown a lot over the years! In 1850, there were less than 1,000 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 192,455. In 2023, it was estimated to be even larger, with about 222,829 people.

This table shows the different groups of people living in Ellis County over time. The U.S. Census counts people by their race and whether they are of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Ellis County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 79,401 97,987 106,495 71.30% 65.49% 55.34%
Black or African American alone (NH) 9,514 13,161 23,738 8.54% 8.80% 12.33%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 473 565 710 0.42% 0.38% 0.37%
Asian alone (NH) 368 811 1,525 0.33% 0.65% 0.79%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 10 87 202 0.01% 0.06% 0.10%
Other race alone (NH) 82 155 790 0.07% 0.10% 0.41%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 1,004 1,683 6,963 0.90% 1.12% 3.62%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 20,508 35,161 52,032 18.42% 23.50% 27.04%
Total 111,360 149,610 192,455 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

In 2000, about 80.63% of the people in Ellis County were White, and 18.42% were Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, the county became even more diverse. The percentage of non-Hispanic White people was 55.34%, and Hispanic or Latino people made up 27.04% of the population.

The United States Census Bureau also made estimates for 2023. They estimated that about 28.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. About 51.9% were non-Hispanic White, and 16.5% were non-Hispanic Black.

Race Total Percentage
Hispanic or Latino 63,319 28.4%
NH White 115,601 51.9%
NH Black 36,823 16.5%
NH Asian 2,261 1.0%
NH Native American 837 0.4%
NH Pacific Islander 222 0.1%
NH Multiracial 3,766 1.7%

Keeping Ellis County Safe

The Ellis County Sheriff's Office helps keep the county safe. They provide law enforcement services. The current sheriff is Brad Norman. The Sheriff's Office also runs the Ellis County Jail in Waxahachie.

News and Media in Ellis County

Ellis County is part of the big Dallas/Fort Worth television market. This means people in Ellis County can watch TV stations like KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV, and WFAA-TV.

The county has its own local radio station, KBEC 1390 AM and 99.1 FM. This station has been on the air since 1955 and is the oldest family-owned radio station in Texas! There are also several local newspapers. The Ellis County Press is published weekly in Ferris. The Waxahachie Daily Light and Waxahachie Sun come out twice a week. Other weekly papers include The Ennis News and Midlothian Mirror.

Learning in Ellis County

Ellis County has many school districts that serve its students:

  • Avalon Independent School District
  • Ennis Independent School District
  • Ferris Independent School District
  • Frost Independent School District
  • Italy Independent School District
  • Maypearl Independent School District
  • Midlothian Independent School District
  • Milford Independent School District
  • Palmer Independent School District
  • Red Oak Independent School District
  • Waxahachie Independent School District

For students who want to continue their education after high school, Ellis County is also served by Navarro College.

Famous People from Ellis County

Some well-known individuals have connections to Ellis County:

  • Clyde Barrow – He was part of the famous duo Bonnie and Clyde.
  • J. D. Grey – A clergyman who was a pastor in Ennis from 1931 to 1934. He later became president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
  • Ernest Tubb – A famous country singer and songwriter.
  • Lecil Travis Martin – Also known as Boxcar Willie, another popular country singer and songwriter.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Ellis (Texas) para niños

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