Fort Worth, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Worth, Texas
City
City of Fort Worth
Top to bottom, left to right: Downtown skyline, Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, Fort Worth Water Gardens, and Paddock Viaduct
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  Cowtown, Panther City, Funkytown, Queen City of the Prairie
Motto(s):  "Where the West begins"; "Crossroads of Cowboys & Culture"
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Tarrant, Denton, Parker, Wise, Johnson
Incorporated	1874
Named for	William J. Worth
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• Body	City Council
Area
• Total	355.56 sq mi (920.89 km2)
• Land	347.27 sq mi (899.44 km2)
• Water	8.28 sq mi (21.45 km2)
Elevation	653 ft (199 m)
Population  (2022)
• Total	958,692
• Rank	13th in the United States 5th in Texas
• Density	2,646.11/sq mi (1,021.65/km2)
Demonym(s)	Fort Worthian
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	76008, 76036, 76101-76124, 76126-76127, 76129-76137, 76140, 76147-76148, 76150, 76155, 76161-76164, 76166, 76177, 76179-76182, 76185, 76190-76193, 76195-76199, 76244
Area codes	682 and 817
FIPS code	48-27000
GNIS feature ID	1380947
Primary airport	Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Interstates
U.S. routes
Passenger rail	Amtrak Trinity Railway Express TEXRail
Website	fortworthtexas.gov

Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly 350 square miles (910 km²) into four other counties: Denton, Parker, Wise, and Johnson. According to the 2020 U.S. census, Fort Worth's population was 958,692. Fort Worth is the second-largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, which is the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States.

The city of Fort Worth was established in 1849 as an army outpost on a bluff overlooking the Trinity River. Fort Worth has historically been a center of the Texas Longhorn cattle trade. It still embraces its Western heritage and traditional architecture and design. USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) is the first ship of the United States Navy named after the city. Nearby Dallas has held a population majority as long as records have been kept, yet Fort Worth has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States in recent years, particularly in the 21st century, nearly doubling its population since 2000.

Fort Worth is the location of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and several museums designed by contemporary architects. The Kimbell Art Museum was designed by Louis Kahn, with an addition designed by Renzo Piano. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth was designed by Tadao Ando. The Amon Carter Museum of American Art, designed by Philip Johnson, houses American art. The Sid Richardson Museum, redesigned by David M. Schwarz, has a collection of Western art in the U.S., emphasizing Frederic Remington and Charles Russell. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History was designed by Ricardo Legorreta of Mexico.

Fort Worth is the location of several university communities: Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan, University of North Texas Health Science Center, and Texas A&M University School of Law. Several multinational corporations, including Bell Textron, American Airlines, BNSF Railway, and Chip 1 Exchange are headquartered in Fort Worth.

History

Treaty of Bird's Fort

The Treaty of Bird's Fort between the Republic of Texas and several Native American tribes was signed in 1843 at Bird's Fort in present-day Arlington, Texas. Article XI of the treaty provided that no one may "pass the line of trading houses" (at the border of the Indians' territory) without permission of the President of Texas, and may not reside or remain in the Indians' territory. These "trading houses" were later established at the junction of the Clear Fork and West Fork of the Trinity River in present-day Fort Worth. At this river junction, the U.S. War Department established Fort Worth in 1849 as the northernmost of a system of 10 forts for protecting the American Frontier following the end of the Mexican–American War. The City of Fort Worth continues to be known as "where the West begins."

Mexican–American War

A line of seven army posts were established in 1848–49 after the Mexican War to protect the settlers of Texas along the western American Frontier and included Fort Worth, Fort Graham, Fort Gates, Fort Croghan, Fort Martin Scott, Fort Lincoln, and Fort Duncan. Originally 10 forts had been proposed by Major General William Jenkins Worth (1794–1849), who commanded the Department of Texas in 1849. In January 1849, Worth proposed a line of 10 forts to mark the western Texas frontier from Eagle Pass to the confluence of the West Fork and Clear Fork of the Trinity River. One month later, Worth died from cholera in South Texas.

General William S. Harney assumed command of the Department of Texas and ordered Major Ripley A. Arnold (Company F, Second United States Dragoons) to find a new fort site near the West Fork and Clear Fork. On June 6, 1849, Arnold, advised by Middleton Tate Johnson, established a camp on the bank of the Trinity River and named the post Camp Worth in honor of the late General Worth. In August 1849, Arnold moved the camp to the north-facing bluff, which overlooked the mouth of the Clear Fork of the Trinity River. The United States War Department officially named the post Fort Worth on November 14, 1849.

Native American attacks were still a threat in the area, as this was their traditional territory and they resented encroachment by European-American settlers, but people from the United States set up homesteads near the fort. E. S. Terrell (1812–1905) from Tennessee claimed to be the first resident of Fort Worth. The fort was flooded the first year and moved to the top of the bluff; the current courthouse was built on this site. The fort was abandoned on September 17, 1853. No trace of it remains.

Town development

As a stop on the legendary Chisholm Trail, Fort Worth was stimulated by the business of the cattle drives and became a brawling, bustling town. Millions of head of cattle were driven north to market along this trail. Fort Worth became the center of the cattle drives, and later, the ranching industry. It was given the nickname of "Cowtown".

During Civil War, Fort Worth suffered from shortages of money, food, and supplies. the population dropped as low a 175, but began to recover during Reconstruction. By 1872, Jacob Samuels, William Jesse Boaz, and William Henry Davis had opened general stores. The next year, Khleber M. Van Zandt established Tidball, Van Zandt, and Company, which became Fort Worth National Bank in 1884.

Late 20th and early 21st centuries

On March 28, 2000, at 6:15 pm, an F3 (some estimates claim an F4) tornado smashed through downtown, tearing many buildings into shreds and scrap metal. One of the hardest-hit structures was the Bank One Tower, which was one of the dominant features of the Fort Worth skyline and which had Reata, a popular restaurant, on its top floor. It has since been converted to upscale condominiums and officially renamed "The Tower". This was the first major tornado to strike Fort Worth proper since the early 1940s.

When oil began to gush in West Texas in the early 20th century, and again in the late 1970s, Fort Worth was at the center of the wheeling and dealing. In July 2007, advances in horizontal drilling technology made vast natural gas reserves in the Barnett Shale available directly under the city, helping many residents receive royalty checks for their mineral rights. Today, the city of Fort Worth and many residents are dealing with the benefits and issues associated with the natural gas reserves under ground.

Fort Worth was the fastest-growing large city in the United States from 2000 to 2006 and was voted one of "America's Most Livable Communities."

Geography and climate

Fort Worth is located in North Texas, and has a generally humid subtropical climate. It is part of the Cross Timbers region; this region is a boundary between the more heavily forested eastern parts and the rolling hills and prairies of the central part. Specifically, the city is part of the Grand Prairie ecoregion within the Cross Timbers.

The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is the hub of the North Texas region. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 298.9 square miles (774 km²), of which 292.5 square miles (758 km²) is land and 6.3 square miles (16 km²) (2.12%) is covered by water.

A large storage dam was completed in 1914 on the West Fork of the Trinity River, 7 miles (11 km) from the city, with a storage capacity of 33,495 acre feet of water. The lake formed by this dam is known as Lake Worth.

The city is not entirely contiguous and has several enclaves, practical enclaves, semi-enclaves and cities that are otherwise completely or nearly surrounded by it, including: Westworth Village, River Oaks, Saginaw, Blue Mound, Benbrook, Everman, Forest Hill, Edgecliff Village, Westover Hills, White Settlement, Sansom Park, Lake Worth, Lakeside, and Haslet.

Cityscape

Architecture

Downtown is mainly known for its Art Deco-style buildings. The Tarrant County Courthouse was created in the American Beaux Arts design, which was modeled after the Texas State Capitol building. Most of the structures around Sundance Square have preserved their early 20th-century façades. Downtown has a unique rustic architecture.

Natural gas wells

The city of Fort Worth contains over 1000 natural gas wells (December 2009 count) tapping the Barnett Shale. Each well site is a bare patch of gravel 2–5 acres (8,100–20,200 m²) in size. As city ordinances permit them in all zoning categories, including residential, well sites can be found in a variety of locations. Some wells are surrounded by masonry fences, but most are secured by chain link.

Surrounding municipalities

	River Oaks (4.9 miles)	Saginaw (11.5 miles) Blue Mound (9.7 miles)	Haltom City (5.5 miles)
	Westworth Village (7.5 miles)		Arlington (15 miles)
		Fort Worth
	Benbrook (11.6 miles)	Edgecliff Village (8.7 miles) Burleson (15.8 miles)	Forest Hill (8.6 miles)

Climate

Fort Worth has a humid subtropical climate according to the Köppen climate classification system and is within USDA hardiness zone 8a. The hottest month of the year is July, when the average high temperature is 95 °F (35.0 °C), and overnight low temperatures average 72 °F (22.2 °C), giving an average temperature of 84 °F (28.9 °C). The coldest month of the year is January, when the average high temperature is 55 °F (12.8 °C) and low temperatures average 31 °F (−0.6 °C). The average temperature in January is 43 °F (6 °C). The highest temperature ever recorded in Fort Worth is 113 °F (45.0 °C), on June 26, 1980, during the Great 1980 Heat Wave, and June 27, 1980. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Fort Worth was −8 °F (−22.2 °C) on February 12, 1899. Because of its position in North Texas, Fort Worth is very susceptible to supercell thunderstorms, which produce large hail and can produce tornados.

The average annual precipitation for Fort Worth is 34.01 inches (863.9 mm). The wettest month of the year is May, when an average of 4.58 inches (116.3 mm) of precipitation falls. The driest month of the year is January, when only 1.70 inches (43.2 mm) of precipitation falls. The driest calendar year since records began has been 1921 with 17.91 inches (454.9 mm) and the wettest 2015 with 62.61 inches (1,590.3 mm). The wettest calendar month has been April 1922 with 17.64 inches (448.1 mm), including 8.56 inches (217.4 mm) on April 25.

The average annual snowfall in Fort Worth is 2.6 inches (0.07 m). The most snowfall in one month has been 13.5 inches (0.34 m) in February 1978, and the most in a season 17.6 inches (0.45 m) in 1977/1978.

The National Weather Service office which serves the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is based in the northeastern part of Fort Worth.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	6,663		—
1890	23,076		246.3%
1900	26,668		15.6%
1910	73,312		174.9%
1920	106,482		45.2%
1930	163,447		53.5%
1940	177,662		8.7%
1950	278,778		56.9%
1960	356,268		27.8%
1970	393,476		10.4%
1980	385,164		−2.1%
1990	447,619		16.2%
2000	534,697		19.5%
2010	741,206		38.6%
2020	918,915		24.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 2010–2020

Fort Worth is the most populous city in Tarrant County, and second-most populous community within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its metropolitan area encompasses one-quarter of the population of Texas, and is the largest in the Southern U.S. and Texas followed by the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Per the American Community Survey's 2018 estimates, Fort Worth had a population near 900,000 residents. In 2019, it grew to an estimated 909,585. At the 2020 United States census, Fort Worth had a population of 918,915.

There were 337,072 housing units, 308,188 households, and 208,389 families at the 2018 census estimates. The average household size was 2.87 persons per household, and the average family size was 3.50. Fort Worth had an owner-occupied housing rate of 56.4% and renter-occupied housing rate of 43.6%. The median income in 2018 was $58,448 and the mean income was $81,165. The city had a per capita income of $29,010. Roughly 15.6% of Fort Worthers lived at or below the poverty line.

In 2010's American Community Survey census estimates there were 291,676 housing units, 261,042 households, and 174,909 families. Fort Worth had an average household size of 2.78 and the average family size was 3.47. A total of 92,952 households had children under 18 years living with them. There were 5.9% opposite sex unmarried-partner households and 0.5% same sex unmarried-partner households in 2010. The owner-occupied housing rate of Fort Worth was 59.0% and the renter-occupied housing rate was 41.0%. Fort Worth's median household income was $48,224 and the mean was $63,065. An estimated 21.4% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.

Race and ethnicity

Racial composition	2020	2010	1990	1970	1940
White	44.9%	61.6%	63.8%	79.4%	85.7%
—Non-Hispanic	36.6%	41.7%	56.5%	72.0%	n/a
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	34.8%	34.1%	19.5%	7.9%	n/a
Black or African American	19.2%	18.9%	22.0%	19.9%	14.2%
Asian	5.1%	3.7%	2.0%	0.1%	-

In 2018, 38.2% of Fort Worth was non-Hispanic white, 18.6% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian or Alaska Native, 4.8% Asian American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from two or more races, and 35.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), marking an era of diversification in the city limits. A study determined Fort Worth as one of the most diverse cities in the United States in 2019. Fort Worth's Hispanic or Latino American populace included 271,025 Mexican Americans, 9,936 Puerto Ricans, 3,430 Cubans, and 35,255 persons of other Hispanic and Latino heritage in 2018. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Fort Worth's population as 72% non-Hispanic white, 19.9% black, and 7.9% Hispanic or Latino.

At the 2015 census estimates, there were 333,743 non-Hispanic whites (39.9% of the population). Blacks made up 18.5%, Native Americans 0.2%, Asians 4.1%, some other race 0.1%, and two or more races 1.8%. Hispanics or Latinos of any race collectively made up 35.4% of the local population. An estimated 296 Fort Worthers were Pacific Islanders. At the 2010 census, the racial composition of Fort Worth's population was 61.1% White (non-Hispanic whites: 41.7%), 18.9% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 34.1% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), and 3.1% of two or more races.

Religion

Fort Worth is part of the Bible Belt and as such Christianity is the largest religious group. While the city of Dallas and Dallas County have more Catholic than Protestant residents, Fort Worth and Tarrant County are home to more Protestants than Catholics. Overall, the Dallas metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is more religiously diverse than Fort Worth and its surrounding suburbs.

The largest Christian group in Fort Worth as of 2018 are Baptists (18.1%). The Baptist community of Fort Worth is dominated by the Southern Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc, National Baptist Convention of America International, Inc, and the Texas Baptists. The second largest Christian group are Catholics (7.1%), served primarily by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth. Methodists (3.9%) form the third largest group followed by Pentecostals (1.6%), Latter-day Saints (1.6%) Lutherans (1.1%), Episcopalians or Anglicans (0.6%), Presbyterians (0.5%), and other Christians including the United Church of Christ, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Eastern Orthodox Church (6.5%).

The Episcopal or Anglican community in Fort Worth are primarily divided between the Episcopal Church in the United States and Anglican Church in North America. The Anglican Communion-affiliated Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth was the previous name of the jurisdiction in the area. The Anglican Church in North America has a parallel hierarchy also named the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. The latter body was formed in schism from the Episcopal Church in the United States. Since the schism, the Anglican Communion-affiliated body was renamed the Episcopal Church in North Texas.

Methodist organizations dividing Methodist Christians include the United Methodist Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church. Fort Worth is the episcopal seat of the Central Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The Church of God in Christ and Assemblies of God USA comprise a significant number of Pentecostals, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest Latter-day Saint body in the city and surrounding area. Lutherans are split among the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and other smaller bodies, and the Eastern Orthodox community is primarily served by the OCA Diocese of the South and Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

The oldest continuously operating church in Fort Worth is First Christian Church, founded in 1855. Other historical churches continuing operation in the city include St. Patrick Cathedral (founded 1888), Saint James Second Street Baptist Church (founded 1895), Tabernacle Baptist Church (built 1923), St. Mary of the Assumption Church (built 1924), Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church and Parsonage (built 1929 and 1911), and Morning Chapel C.M.E. Church (built 1934).

About 1.2% of Fort Worth's population identified with Islam in 2018. More than two mosques exist in the city and most are affiliated with Sunni Islam, though some Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslim mosques are also present. Fort Worth has a small Jewish community forming 0.1% of the religious demographic, and followers of Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism make up less than 0.1% of Fort Worth's religiously-affiliated community.

Culture

Building on its frontier western heritage and a history of strong local arts patronage, Fort Worth, in recent years, has begun promoting itself as the "City of Cowboys and Culture". Fort Worth has the world's first and largest indoor rodeo.

Arts and sciences

Theatre

Bass Performance Hall, Casa Mañana, Stage West Theatre, Kids Who Care Inc., Jubilee Theater, Circle Theatre, Amphibian Stage Productions

Museums

Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Sid Richardson Museum, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, Military Museum of Fort Worth, Texas Civil War Museum, Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Fort Worth Stockyards Museum, Al and Ann Stohlman Museum, Lenora Rolla Heritage Center Museum, National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum

Music

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Billy Bob's, Texas Ballet Theater, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Fort Worth Opera, Live Eclectic Music (Ridglea Theater)

The Academy of Western Artists, based in Gene Autry, Oklahoma presents its annual awards in Fort Worth in fields related to the American cowboy, including music, literature, and even chuckwagon cooking.

Nature

The Fort Worth Zoo is home to over 5000 animals and has been named as a top zoo in the nation by Family Life magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and USA Today and one of the top zoos in the South by Southern Living Reader's Choice Awards; it has been ranked in the top 10 zoos in the United States.

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas are also in the city. For those interested in hiking, birding, or canoeing, the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge in northwest Fort Worth is a 3621-acre preserved natural area designated by the Department of the Interior as a National Natural Landmark Site in 1980. Established in 1964 as the Greer Island Nature Center and Refuge, it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014. The Nature Center has small, genetically pure bison herd, a resident prairie dog town, and the prairie upon which they live. It is one of the largest urban parks of its type in the U.S.

Parks

Fort Worth has a total of 263 parks with 179 of those being neighborhood parks. The total acres of park land is 11,700.72 acres with the average being about 12.13 acres per park.

There are two dog parks located in the city including ZBonz Dog Park and Fort Woof. These are both off-leash dog parks. Fort Woof was recognized by Dog Fancy Magazine as the No. 1 Dog Park in the Nation in 2006, and as City Voter's the Best Dog Park in the Metroplex in 2009. The park includes an agility course, water fountains, shaded shelters and waste stations.

Sports

While much of Fort Worth's sports attention is focused on Dallas's professional sports teams, the city has its own athletic identity. The TCU Horned Frogs compete in NCAA Division I athletics, including the football team, consistently ranked in the top 25, and the baseball team, which has competed in the last six NCAA tournaments and 3 straight College World Series, coming within a win of making the College World Series finals in 2009 and 2016. The women's basketball team has competed in the last seven NCAA tournaments. Texas Wesleyan University competes in the NAIA, and won the 2006 NAIA Div. I Men's Basketball championship and three-time National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) team championships (2004–2006). Fort Worth is also home to the NCAA football Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, as well as four amateur sports teams.

Professional sports

Fort Worth pro sports teams

Club	League	Sport	Venue (capacity)	Founded	Championships
Panther City Lacrosse Club	NLL	Box lacrosse	Dickies Arena (14,000)	2020	0

Amateur sports

Fort Worth area amateur sports teams

Club	League	Sport	Venue (capacity)	Founded	Championships
Fort Worth Vaqueros FC	NPSL	Soccer	Farrington Field (18,500)	2013	0
Inocentes FC	UPSL	Soccer	Poly Tech High School	2012	1
North Texas Fresh	UBA	Basketball	Crowley Middle School	2009	0
Azul City Premier FC	UPSL	Soccer	Gateway Park	2018	0

TCU Horned Frogs

The presence of Texas Christian University less than 5 miles (8 km) from the downtown area and national competitiveness in football, baseball, and men's and women's basketball have sustained TCU as an important part of Fort Worth's sports scene.

The Horned Frog football team produced two national championships in the 1930s and remained a strong competitor in the Southwest Conference into the 1960s before beginning a long period of underperformance. The revival of the TCU football program began under Coach Dennis Franchione with the success of running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Under Head Coach Gary Patterson, the Horned Frogs have developed into a perennial top-10 contender, and a Rose Bowl winner in 2011. Notable players include Sammy Baugh, Davey O'Brien, Bob Lilly, LaDainian Tomlinson, Jerry Hughes, and Andy Dalton. The Horned Frogs, along with their rivals and fellow non-AQ leaders the Boise State Broncos and University of Utah Utes, were deemed the quintessential "BCS Busters", having appeared in both the Fiesta and Rose Bowls. Their "BCS Buster" role ended in 2012 when they joined the Big 12 athletic conference in all sports. The Horned Frog football teams have one of the best winning percentages of any school in the Football Bowl Subdivision in recent years.

Recreation

Colonial National Invitational Golf Tournament

Fort Worth hosts an important professional men's golf tournament every May at the Colonial Country Club. The Colonial Invitational Golf Tournament, now officially known as the Fort Worth Invitational, is one of the more prestigious and historical events of the tour calendar. The Colonial Country Club was the home course of golfing legend Ben Hogan, who was from Fort Worth.

Motor racing

Fort Worth is home to Texas Motor Speedway, also known as "The Great American Speedway". Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile quad-oval track located in the far northern part of the city in Denton County. The speedway opened in 1997, and currently hosts an IndyCar event and six NASCAR events among three major race weekends a year.

Amateur sports-car racing in the greater Fort Worth area occurs mostly at two purpose-built tracks: Motorsport Ranch and Eagles Canyon Raceway. Sanctioning bodies include the Porsche Club of America, the National Auto Sports Association, and the Sports Car Club of America.

Cowtown Marathon

The annual Cowtown Marathon has been held every last weekend in February since 1978. The two-day activities include two 5Ks, a 10K, the half marathon, marathon, and ultra marathon. With just under 27,000 participants in 2013, the Cowtown is the largest multiple-distance event in Texas.

Rodeo

In addition to the weekly rodeos held at Cowtown Coliseum in the Stockyards, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is held within the Will Rogers Memorial Center at the brand new Dickies Arena. Dickies Arena also hosts a few TCU basketball games and in the future will host college basketball tournaments at the conference and national levels. Boxing and WWE events are also slated for future dates.

Transportation

Like most cities that grew quickly after World War II, Fort Worth's main mode of transportation is the automobile, but bus transportation via Trinity Metro is available, as well as an interurban train service to Dallas via the Trinity Railway Express. As of January 10, 2019, train service from Downtown Fort Worth to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport's Terminal B is available via Trinity Metro's TEXRail service.

History

Electric streetcars

The first streetcar company in Fort Worth was the Fort Worth Street Railway Company. Its first line began operating in December 1876, and traveled from the courthouse down Main Street to the T&P Depot. By 1890, more than 20 private companies were operating streetcar lines in Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Street Railway Company bought out many of its competitors, and was eventually itself bought out by the Bishop & Sherwin Syndicate in 1901. The new ownership changed the company's name to the Northern Texas Traction Company, which operated 84 miles of streetcar railways in 1925, and their lines connected downtown Fort Worth to TCU, the Near Southside, Arlington Heights, Lake Como, and the Stockyards.

Electric interurban railways

At its peak, the electric interurban industry in Texas consisted of almost 500 miles of track, making Texas the second in interurban mileage in all states west of the Mississippi River. Electric interurban railways were prominent in the early 1900s, peaking in the 1910s and fading until all electric interurban railways were abandoned by 1948. Close to three-fourths of the mileage was in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, running between Fort Worth and Dallas and to other area cities including Cleburne, Denison, Corsicana, and Waco. The line depicted in the associated image was the second to be constructed in Texas and ran 35 miles between Fort Worth and Dallas. Northern Texas Traction Company built the railway, which was operational from 1902 to 1934.

Current transport

In 2009, 80.6% of Fort Worth (city) commuters drive to work alone. The 2009 mode share for Fort Worth (city) commuters are 11.7% for carpooling, 1.5% for transit, 1.2% for walking, and .1% for cycling. In 2015, the American Community Survey estimated modal shares for Fort Worth (city) commuters of 82% for driving alone, 12% for carpooling, .8% for riding transit, 1.8% for walking, and .3% for cycling. The city of Fort Worth has a lower than average percentage of households without a car. In 2015, 6.1 percent of Fort Worth households lacked a car, and decreased to 4.8 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Fort Worth averaged 1.83 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.

Roads

Fort Worth is served by four interstates and three U.S. highways. It also contains a number of arterial streets in a grid formation.

Interstate highways 30, 20, 35W, and 820 all pass through the city limits.

Interstate 820 is a loop of Interstate 20 and serves as a beltway for the city. Interstate 30 and Interstate 20 connect Fort Worth to Arlington, Grand Prairie, and Dallas. Interstate 35W connects Fort Worth with Hillsboro to the south and the cities of Denton and Gainesville to the north.

U.S. Route 287 runs southeast through the city connecting Wichita Falls to the north and Mansfield to the south. U.S. Route 377 runs south through the northern suburbs of Haltom City and Keller through the central business district. U.S. Route 81 shares a concurrency with Highway 287 on the portion northwest of I-35W.

Notable state highways:

• Texas State Highway 114 (east-west)
• Texas State Highway 183 (east-west)
• Texas State Highway 121 (north-south)

Public transportation

Trinity Metro, formerly known as the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, serves Fort Worth with dozens of different bus routes throughout the city, including a downtown bus circulator known as Molly the Trolley. In addition to Fort Worth, Trinity Metro operates buses in the suburbs of Blue Mound, Forest Hill, River Oaks and Sansom Park.

In 2010, Fort Worth won a $25 million Federal Urban Circulator grant to build a streetcar system. In December 2010, though, the city council forfeited the grant by voting to end the streetcar study.

In July 2019, Trinity Metro partnered with Via Transportation to launch an on-demand microtransit service called ZIPZONE. ZIPZONE offers shared rides across the Alliance, Mercantile, Southside, and South Tarrant neighborhoods and was designed as a first-and-last mile connection for TEXRail and bus commuters. Trips are booked from a smartphone app and charge a flat $3 for service as of April 2021. ZIPZONE rides are also included with multi-ride Trinity Metro local tickets.

Rail transportation

• TEXRail is a commuter rail line opened in January 2019 that connects downtown Fort Worth with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with stops in the cities of Grapevine and North Richland Hills.
• Trinity Railway Express is a commuter rail line that operates between T&P Station in downtown Fort Worth and terminates at Dallas Union Station.
• Two Amtrak routes stop at Fort Worth Central: Heartland Flyer and Texas Eagle.

Airports

• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is a major commercial airport located between the major cities of Fort Worth and Dallas. DFW Airport is the world's third-busiest airport based on operations and tenth-busiest airport based on passengers.

Prior to the construction of DFW, the city was served by Greater Southwest International Airport, which was located just to the south of the new airport. Originally named Amon Carter Field after the publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Greater Southwest opened in 1953 and operated as the primary airport for Fort Worth until 1974. It was then abandoned until the terminal was torn down in 1980. The site of the former airport is now a mixed-use development straddled by Texas State Highway 183 and 360. One small section of runway remains north of Highway 183, and serves as the only reminder that a major commercial airport once occupied the site.

Fort Worth is home to these four airports within city limits:

• Fort Worth Alliance Airport
• Fort Worth Meacham International Airport
• Fort Worth Spinks Airport
• Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth

Walkability

A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Fort Worth 47th-most walkable of 50 largest U.S. cities.

Sister cities

Fort Worth is a part of the Sister Cities International program and maintains cultural and economic exchange programs with its eight sister cities.

• Reggio Emilia, Italy (1985)
• Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, Japan (1987)
• Trier, Germany (1987)
• Bandung, Indonesia (1990)
• Budapest, Hungary (1990)
• Toluca, Mexico (1998)
• Mbabane, Swaziland (2004)
• Guiyang, China (2010)

Economy

At its inception, Fort Worth relied on cattle drives that traveled the Chisholm Trail. Millions of cattle were driven north to market along this trail, and Fort Worth became the center of cattle drives, and later, ranching until the Civil War. During the Civil War, Fort Worth suffered shortages causing its population to decline. It recovered during the Reconstruction Era with general stores, banks, and "Hell's Half-Acre", a large collection of saloons and dance halls which increased business and criminal activity in the city. By the early 20th century the military used martial law to regulate Hell's Half-Acre's bartenders.

Since the late 20th century several major companies have been headquartered in Fort Worth. These include American Airlines Group (and subsidiaries American Airlines and Envoy Air), the John Peter Smith Hospital, Pier 1 Imports, Chip 1 Exchange, RadioShack, Pioneer Corporation, Cash America International, GM Financial, Budget Host, the BNSF Railway, and Bell Textron. Companies with a significant presence in the city are Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Lockheed Martin, GE Transportation, and Dallas-based telecommunications company AT&T. Metro by T-Mobile is also prominent in the city.

In 2013, Fort Worth–Arlington ranked 15th on Forbes' list of the "Best Places for Business and Careers". In 2018, Fortune named Fort Worth the 18th best city for Hispanic entrepreneurs. In 2018, the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex ranked 18th on U.S. News & World Report's list of "125 Best Places to Live in the USA".

Education

Public libraries

Fort Worth Public Library is the public library system.

Public schools

Most of Fort Worth is served by the Fort Worth Independent School District.

Other school districts that serve portions of Fort Worth include:

The portion of Fort Worth within the Arlington Independent School District contains a wastewater plant. No residential areas are in this portion.

Pinnacle Academy of the Arts (K–12) is a state charter school, as are Crosstimbers Academy and High Point Academy.

Private schools

Private schools in Fort Worth include both secular and parochial institutions.

Institutes of higher education

Notable people

Images for kids

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  Map – showing – the Geographical location of Fort-Worth, Tex., and Rail-Roads, 1888

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  Texas and Pacific Railway yard in Fort Worth, 1916

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  Postcard of the Fort Worth business district, 1921

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  Texas and Pacific Passenger Station, Fort Worth, Texas (postcard, circa 1909)

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  W 7th bridge bikeway, 2015

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  Tarrant County Courthouse

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  Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is adjacent to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

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  The Japanese Gardens at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 2011

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  The Fort Worth Water Gardens

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  Location of studios and offices for KXAS (as well as KXTX), in Fort Worth, just south of DFW Airport

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  Headquarters of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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  KXAS studios and offices (as well as those of co-owned KXTX-TV, and for a time those of radio stations WBAP (AM) and KSCS-FM) were located in this building east of downtown Fort Worth on Barnett Street

See also

In Spanish: Fort Worth para niños