Lake Highlands facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Highlands
Neighborhood of Dallas
Nickname(s):  "L.H.", "The Highlands"
Boundaries of Lake Highlands
Location of the Lake Highlands area in Dallas
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Dallas
City	Dallas
Area
• Total	14.6 sq mi (37.8 km2)
• Land	14.6 sq mi (37.8 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation	571 ft (174 m)
Population  (2023)
• Total	99,360
• Density	6,805.5/sq mi (2,628.5/km2)
Demonym(s)	Lake Highlander
ZIP codes	75231, 75238, 75243
Area code(s)	214, 469, 972
Website	http://www.lhaia.org

Lake Highlands is a lively neighborhood located in Northeast Dallas, Texas. It's a big area made up of many smaller communities. Students in Lake Highlands attend public schools run by the Richardson Independent School District (RISD) and Dallas Independent School District (DISD). There are also many private schools in the area.

Exploring Lake Highlands' Location and Landscape

Where is Lake Highlands Located?

Lake Highlands is surrounded by several other cities and areas. To the north, it touches Richardson. To the east, you'll find Garland. South of Lake Highlands are White Rock Lake and East Dallas. To the west, it borders Lakewood and North Dallas.

Major highways cut through the area. I-635 runs from southeast to northwest. The DART Blue Line train also crosses the neighborhood. The southern border is Northwest Highway and White Rock Lake. To the west, it's bordered by White Rock Creek or Central Expressway.

How Does Lake Highlands Compare to Other Places?

Here's how Lake Highlands is located compared to nearby areas:

	Far North Dallas & Midtown	Richardson	Richardson & Garland
	North Dallas		Garland
		Lake Highlands
	Lakewood	White Rock Lake	East Dallas

Lake Highlands is directly north of White Rock Lake. It is also east of the North Central Expressway.

What is the Land Like in Lake Highlands?

Unlike many flat areas in Dallas, Lake Highlands has a unique landscape. It features rolling hills and valleys. The street levels can change quite a bit, sometimes by as much as 50 feet! This hilly terrain offers amazing views of downtown Dallas.

White Rock Lake is a large reservoir on the south side of Lake Highlands. It was built over 100 years ago. This lake and its surrounding park are very popular. People come here for boating, rowing, jogging, and biking. It's also a peaceful spot to relax away from the city. The 66-acre (267,000 m²) Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is also located on the lake's eastern shore.

White Rock Creek flows into White Rock Lake. From there, it continues to the Trinity River. Trails along White Rock Creek are part of the large Dallas County Trails System. These trails are great for outdoor activities.

White Rock Lake

Neighborhoods within Lake Highlands

Lake Highlands is made up of many smaller neighborhoods. Here are some of the communities that are considered part of this area:

People and Community in Lake Highlands

Who Lives in Lake Highlands?

In 2014, about 87,860 people lived in Lake Highlands. The area is about 14.60 square miles. This means there were about 6,018 people per square mile. The average age of residents was 34.7 years old.

The population is diverse. In 2014, about 48.2% of residents were White. About 30.8% were Black, and 6.0% were Asian. About 15.0% identified as two or more races. Also, 24.6% of the total population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

About 48.8% of residents are male and 51.2% are female. Most residents, 72.5%, are 18 or older. Many people are married (50.0%), while others have never been married (34.6%).

What About Homes and Income?

In 2016, the average household income was $44,539. About 31.8% of homes in Lake Highlands are detached, single-family houses. The average value of a home owned by its resident was $266,181.

The average household size is 2.38 people. About 39.7% of homes are owned by the people living in them. The rest are rented.

Learning and Education in Lake Highlands

Public Schools Serving Lake Highlands

Lake Highlands is special because most of it is not part of the Dallas Independent School District. Instead, most students attend schools in the Richardson Independent School District (RISD).

Here are some of the public schools in the RISD portion of Lake Highlands:

Elementary schools

• Aikin Elementary School
• Audelia Creek Elementary School
• Hamilton Park Pacesetter Elementary School
• Forestridge Elementary School
• Forest Lane Academy
• Lake Highlands Elementary School
• Merriman Park Elementary School
• Moss Haven Elementary School
• Northlake Elementary School
• Skyview Elementary School
• Stults Road Elementary School
• Thurgood Marshall Elementary School
• Wallace Elementary School
• White Rock Elementary School

Middle schools

• Forest Meadow Junior High School
• Lake Highlands Junior High School
• Liberty Junior High School

High schools

• Berkner High School
• Lake Highlands High School

Colleges and Universities Near Lake Highlands

• Richland College: This college is part of the Dallas County Community College District. It's located right in Lake Highlands. Founded in 1972, it's the largest school in its district with almost 22,000 students. Richland College is the only community college to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Nearby universities

Dallas Hall at Southern Methodist University in University Park

• Southern Methodist University (SMU): SMU is a private school in University Park. It's the closest university to Lake Highlands. Many SMU graduates live in the area. SMU was started in 1911 and has about 6,500 undergraduate students. It also has many graduate students. SMU is known as one of the best colleges in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

• The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD): UTD is a public university in Richardson. It's located in an area known as the Telecom Corridor. UTD is famous for combining arts and technology. It also has strong programs in engineering, computer science, and many other fields. UTD works closely with UT Southwestern Medical Center on research. About 27,000 students attend UTD.

Community Support and Shopping

Nonprofit Organizations Helping the Community

• Forerunner Mentoring Program: This group helps boys in Lake Highlands who are growing up without a father figure. For over 10 years, they have offered one-on-one mentoring. They also have after-school programs for younger boys and a high school ministry for young men. They even have a program for the single mothers of the students they serve.

Where to Shop in Lake Highlands

• Lake Highlands Town Center: This is a local shopping area.

Nearby shopping

• NorthPark Center: A large shopping mall.
• Galleria Dallas: Another big shopping mall.
• Preston Hollow Village: A shopping and dining area.
• Upper Greenville: An area with various shops and restaurants.

Fun and Recreation in Lake Highlands

White Rock Lake, located on the south end of Lake Highlands

Lake Highlands is a great place for outdoor fun! It has over 875 acres of parks and 26 miles of trails. You can find disc golf courses, baseball fields, soccer fields, and playgrounds.

White Rock Lake is a major spot for recreation. It's located at the south end of Lake Highlands. You can rent kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards on the lake. The park around the lake has a 9.33-mile trail. This trail is perfect for hiking, running, and bicycling. There's also a dog park on the north side of the lake for your furry friends.

Economy and Jobs in Lake Highlands

Lake Highlands is home to the main office of Texas Instruments (TI). TI is a huge company that makes computer chips. They are one of the top manufacturers of semiconductors in the world. They also make chips for cell phones and other electronic devices.

Other important business areas near Lake Highlands include the Platinum Corridor, Preston Center, and the Telecom Corridor. These areas offer many job opportunities.

Libraries in Lake Highlands

The main libraries serving Lake Highlands are the Audelia Road Branch and Forest Green Branch. Both are part of the Dallas Public Library system. The Audelia Road Branch was built in 1971 and was updated in 2004.

Getting Around Lake Highlands

The Central Expressway and I-635 interchange near Lake Highlands, commonly known as the High Five Interchange.

Most of Lake Highlands was built in the late 1900s. This means that cars are the main way people get around. The area is not as crowded as older neighborhoods. The City of Dallas and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) have worked to add more ways to travel.

Since 1996, two light rail lines have been built near Lake Highlands. These train lines have been very popular. Lake Highlands has a well-planned road system. It includes major highways, large main roads, and smaller local streets.

Major Highways in Lake Highlands

Lake Highlands is close to Dallas's main freeway system. This system is designed like a "hub and spoke" model, with roads spreading out from downtown.

• U.S. Highway 75 (Central Expressway) runs northeast to southwest.

Two other major highways also pass through Lake Highlands:

• Northwest Highway (Loop 12)
• Interstate 635

Main Roads in Lake Highlands

Here are some of the important roads in the area:

Light Rail Train System

DART's light rail system started serving Lake Highlands in 2001.

• The Red Line connects Lake Highlands to downtown Dallas, Uptown, Richardson, and Plano.
• The Blue Line connects Lake Highlands to downtown, Uptown, East Dallas, and Garland.
• The Orange Line goes to DFW Airport, Irving, Las Colinas, Dallas Love Field, and other key areas.

Lake Highlands Station

Here are the DART lines and stations in Lake Highlands:

Blue

• White Rock Station
• Lake Highlands Station
• LBJ/Skillman Station

Red Orange

• Forest Lane Station
• LBJ/Central Station

Famous People from Lake Highlands

Many well-known individuals have connections to Lake Highlands. Here are a few:

• Merton Hanks - A professional football player who won the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers.
• Annie Clark - A Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter known as St. Vincent.
• Mark Salling - An actor who was on the TV show Glee.
• C.B. Hudson - The lead guitarist for the rock band Blue October.
• Chris Harrison - The host of the TV show "The Bachelor".
• Morgan Fairchild - A famous film and television actor.
• Gibby Haynes - The lead singer of the band Butthole Surfers. His father was "Mr. Peppermint."
• Jerry Haynes - Also known as "Mr. Peppermint," he was an actor and host of a long-running children's TV show in Dallas called "Mr. Peppermint Place."
• Tony Liscio – A professional football player who won the Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys.