Frisco, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frisco, Texas
City
George A. Purefoy Municipal Center at Frisco Square
Flag Logo
Location of Frisco in Collin County, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Collin, Denton
Established	1902; 123 years ago (1902)
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• City	69.19 sq mi (179.21 km2)
• Land	68.64 sq mi (177.77 km2)
• Water	0.56 sq mi (1.44 km2)
Elevation	689 ft (210 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	200,509
• Estimate  (2025)	239,842
• Rank	US: 97th TX: 14th
• Density	3,494.2/sq mi (1,127.79/km2)
• Urban	504,803 (US: 83rd)
• Urban density	3,328.9/sq mi (1,285.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	75033—75036, 75068, 75071
Area code(s)	214, 469, 945, 972
FIPS code	48-27684
GNIS feature ID	2410549

Frisco is a city in Texas, USA. It's located in two counties: Collin and Denton. It's part of the big Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex area, about 25 miles from two major airports. In 2020, about 200,509 people lived there.

Frisco grew super fast! It was the fastest-growing city in the U.S. in 2017, and also from 2000 to 2009. In the late 1990s, as nearby cities like Plano grew, Frisco started growing very quickly too. Many people who work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area choose to live in Frisco. Since 2003, Frisco has been named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

The U.S. Census Bureau sees Frisco and McKinney as the main cities in a separate urban area north of Dallas. This area had a population of 504,803 in 2020, making it the 83rd largest urban area in the United States.

Discover Frisco's Past

When American pioneers first settled the Dallas area, many traveled along the Shawnee Trail by wagon train. This trail later became Preston Road. A community called Lebanon was founded along this trail and got a U.S. post office in 1860.

In 1902, the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway (also known as "the Frisco") was building a train line through the area. Steam trains needed places to stop for water. Lebanon was too high up, so the watering stop was built about 4 miles west on lower ground. A new community grew around this train stop. Some people even moved their houses from Lebanon to the new town using logs!

The new town was first called Emerson. However, the U.S. Postal Service said the name was too similar to another town, Emberson. So, in 1904, the residents chose "Frisco City" to honor the railway. This name was later shortened to just Frisco.

Explore Frisco's Location and Weather

Frisco is located within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in North Texas. It's split between Denton and Collin counties. The city covers about 69 square miles, with most of that being land and a small part covered by water.

Frisco's Climate and Tornado Alley

Frisco has a humid subtropical climate. The city gets about 39 inches of rain each year. On average, there are 230 sunny days per year. The temperature in July can reach about 96°F, and in January, it can drop to about 33°F.

Frisco is also in Tornado Alley, an area where tornadoes are common. The most recent confirmed tornado in Frisco was an EF-0 tornado in 2024, near the UNT Frisco Campus.

Frisco's Growing Population

Frisco has grown a lot over the years. Here's how its population has changed:

As of the 2020 United States census, Frisco had 200,509 people living in 64,151 households. This was a big jump from 116,989 people in 2010.

Frisco is a diverse city. In 2020, about 48% of the people were white, 8.82% were Black or African American, and 26.27% were Asian. About 11.48% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

In 2019, the average income for a household in Frisco was $116,884. Only a small percentage of families and people were below the poverty line.

Frisco's Economy and Businesses

Inside Stonebriar Centre, a large shopping mall

Frisco has many places to shop and eat. These include Stonebriar Centre, a large mall with 165 stores, and IKEA, a furniture store. The Star, which is the headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys, also has shops and restaurants. Many businesses are located along Preston Road, a main street in the city.

Frisco chose a different way to grow its economy. It uses a small part of local sales tax to fund the Frisco Economic Development Corporation (FEDC). This group helps bring new businesses to the city.

Frisco Square is a special area that has become the city's new downtown. It includes the city hall, a main library, and public spaces. There are also apartments, restaurants, and offices. A Cinemark movie theater opened there in 2010, and a hospital, Medical City Plano-Frisco, was built nearby in 2012.

Top Employers in Frisco

Here are some of the biggest employers in Frisco as of 2023:

Arts, Culture, and Fun in Frisco

Frisco Discovery Center

Frisco is home to the Museum of the American Railroad. It's currently located in the Frisco Heritage Museum while a new museum is being built. The nearby Discovery Center has an art gallery, a theater, and the National Videogame Museum.

Frisco Square hosts many events throughout the year. These include Arts in the Square, Music in the Square, and the annual Christmas in the Square. The Christmas light show is the largest choreographed lights and music show in North Texas. The city hall also has a concert series called Music in the Chamber.

Frisco Public Library

The Frisco Public Library was in City Hall until March 2023. That's when the new library opened in a converted warehouse. The new library is the sixth-largest in Texas and even has a full-size Tyrannosaurus skeleton named Rexy!

Sports in Frisco

Frisco is a big sports city! It has many sports venues, headquarters for major sports teams, and even a college sports conference headquarters. In April 2011, Men's Journal magazine called Frisco the "Best Place to Raise an Athlete."

Sports Venues in Frisco

Ford Center at the Star, home to the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility

• The Ford Center at the Star is a 12,000-seat indoor stadium. It's part of "The Star," a 91-acre project that includes the Dallas Cowboys' headquarters and training facilities. The Cowboys practice here, and Frisco ISD high school teams also play games there.
• Riders Field is a 10,316-seat baseball stadium. It opened in 2003 and was named the best new ballpark that year.
• Toyota Stadium opened in 2005. It's a 20,500-seat stadium mainly used by FC Dallas, a professional soccer team. It also hosts concerts and high school and college football games, including the NCAA Division I Football Championship and the Frisco Bowl.
• The Comerica Center is a venue for hockey and basketball. It's home to the Texas Legends (a basketball team) and the Frisco Fighters (an indoor football team). It's also a practice facility for the Dallas Stars of the NHL.

The Frisco Fighters playing at the Comerica Center

The Dallas Cowboys moved their main offices to "The Star" in Frisco in 2016. The Ford Center at the Star was built with help from Frisco ISD, which uses it for high school football games.

Several indoor football teams have played in Frisco, including the Frisco Thunder and the Texas Revolution. In 2020, the Frisco Fighters team started playing at the Comerica Center. They made it to the playoffs in their first year.

The Dallas Stars NHL team has its headquarters in Frisco and practices at the Comerica Center. The Texas Tornado hockey team was also based in Frisco for many years.

National Soccer Hall of Fame

FC Dallas, a Major League Soccer team, moved to Toyota Stadium in 2005. Frisco also hosts the Dallas Cup, a big international youth soccer tournament. The National Soccer Hall of Fame is located at Toyota Stadium.

The main entrance of Riders Field

The Frisco RoughRiders, a minor league baseball team linked to the Texas Rangers, play at Riders Field.

The Texas Legends, a basketball team connected to the Dallas Mavericks, play at the Comerica Center.

In 2017, Major League Lacrosse moved the Rochester Rattlers team to Frisco, renaming them the Dallas Rattlers. However, the team stopped playing after the 2019 season.

The Southland Conference, a college sports organization, moved its headquarters to Frisco in 2006. Since 2011, Toyota Stadium has hosted the Football Championship Subdivision college football championship game.

Other Sports and Activities

Frisco also has a modern, Olympic-sized swimming pool called a natatorium. The Frisco Baseball and Softball Association started in 1984. There's also the Frisco Football League and Flagfootball4fun Flag Football League (FF4FUN) for kids. The popular YouTube sports entertainment group Dude Perfect is based in Frisco.

Parks and Recreation

The Frisco Athletic Center has a large indoor water park and outdoor water features. It also has exercise equipment, basketball courts, and group fitness classes.

In January 2023, Universal Destinations & Experiences announced plans to build a new theme park in Frisco called Universal Kids Resort.

How Frisco is Governed

Local Government

Frisco is a "home rule" city, meaning it has its own special rules for how it's run. Frisco residents have voted to update these rules several times since 1987.

Frisco has a council-manager government. This means there's a mayor, six city council members, and a city manager. The city council members are elected by all the voters in the city. Their jobs include making local laws, approving budgets, and setting policies. The mayor and city council members serve three-year terms and can serve up to three terms.

Frisco has had only two city managers in its history. George Purefoy served for over 34 years until he retired in 2022. His replacement is Wes Pierson.

The city of Frisco is also part of the North Central Texas Council of Governments. This group helps local governments work together to solve regional problems and avoid doing the same work twice.

Frisco Mayors Through the Years

State and Federal Government

Frisco is represented in the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate. It is also part of several United States Congressional districts.

Political Trends

In the 2022 Texas governor election, most Frisco voters chose the Republican candidate.

Education in Frisco

Schools for Kids and Teens

Centennial High School

Most of Frisco is served by the Frisco Independent School District (Frisco ISD). Some parts of the city are in the Lewisville Independent School District, Little Elm Independent School District, and Prosper Independent School District.

Frisco ISD has 12 high schools, 18 middle schools, and 43 elementary schools. Most of these schools are within Frisco, but some are in nearby towns. All Frisco high schools compete in UIL Class 5A, except for Panther Creek High School, which is in Class 4A.

The Frisco ISD Early Childhood School helps children ages three and four who qualify for special programs. High school students can also explore different careers at the Frisco ISD Career and Technical Education Center.

Colleges and Universities

Collin College has a campus in Frisco called Preston Ridge, which opened in 1995. Amberton University also has a campus in Frisco.

Several universities offer programs in Frisco:

• The University of Dallas moved its Carrollton campus to Frisco.
• UT Arlington has a professional MBA campus in Frisco.
• The University of North Texas offers core MBA courses at its Frisco campus.

Getting Around Frisco

Major Roads and Highways

Here are some of the main roads in Frisco:

• Dallas North Tollway (Dallas North Tollway)
• Sam Rayburn Tollway (Sam Rayburn Tollway, also known as SH 121)
• SH 289 (Preston Road)
• US 380 (University Drive)
• FM 423 (U.S. Army Sergeant Enrique Mondragon Memorial Highway)

Famous People from Frisco

Politicians

• Pat Fallon — a member of the United States House of Representatives for Texas (since 2021)
• Jared Patterson — a member of the Texas State House of Representatives (since 2018)

Entertainers and Celebrities

• King Diamond — a heavy metal musician from Denmark
• Courtney Gibbs — Miss Texas USA 1988 and Miss USA 1988
• Maelyn Jarmon — winner of the 16th season of The Voice
• Cheyenne Kimball — a former member of the band Gloriana
• Dude Perfect — popular YouTube influencers

Academic

• Anika Chebrolu — a young science talent in medical research

Sports Stars

• Jaedyn Shaw — a soccer player for North Carolina Courage
• Jay Ajayi — former football player for the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles
• Jack Anderson — professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Marion Barber III — former football player for the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears
• Ben Bishop — professional ice hockey goalie for the Dallas Stars
• Nick Bolton — professional football player for the Kansas City Chiefs
• Bobby Crues — American baseball player
• Dawson Deaton — professional football player for the Cleveland Browns
• Elliott Fry — professional football player
• Lamar Jordan — former professional football player for the Atlanta Falcons
• Matt Lepsis — former football player for the Denver Broncos and Super Bowl XXXIII winner
• Kene Nwangwu — professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings
• Ryan O’Hearn — professional baseball player for The Baltimore Orioles
• Red Patterson — former professional baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers

See also

In Spanish: Frisco (Texas) para niños