Las Colinas, Irving, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Las Colinas Association
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Streetscape in the Las Colinas Urban Center
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| Nickname(s):
Las Colinas
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 Las Colinas, Irving, Texas
Location in Texas
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Texas | |
| Counties | Dallas | |
| City | Irving | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 9.4 sq mi (24.3 km2) | |
| Elevation | 479 ft (146 m) | |
Las Colinas is a special kind of community in Irving, Texas. It's a "mixed-use" place, meaning it has homes, offices, shops, and fun places all together. It's part of the bigger Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area.
Las Colinas is managed by a group called The Las Colinas Association. Because it's located right between Dallas and Fort Worth, and close to two big airports (Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field), many companies choose to move their offices here.
Contents
History of Las Colinas
Las Colinas was started in 1972 by a rich rancher named Ben H. Carpenter. He first called it El Ranchito de Las Colinas, which means "the Little Ranch of the Hills."
This community was one of the first "planned communities" in the United States. It was once the biggest mixed-use area in the Southern U.S., covering more than 12,000 acres (about 48.5 square kilometers). Experts helped design the whole town before similar projects were built in other Texas cities like Plano and Allen.
During the 1980s, many companies moved their offices to Las Colinas. It became a popular spot for businesses. Big companies like ExxonMobil, Verizon (then GTE Telephone), and Kimberly-Clark set up offices here. Some even made Las Colinas their global headquarters.
In 1985, there were some money problems in the real estate market. But even after that, more office buildings were constructed in the late 1990s.
Recent Growth and Companies
Today, Las Colinas has a huge amount of office space, similar to downtown Dallas. More than 2,000 companies are located here. Some very large companies, like Caterpillar Inc., ExxonMobil, Fluor, and Kimberly-Clark, have their main global offices in Las Colinas.
Other well-known companies and groups with offices here include Mission Foods, Trend Micro, La Quinta Inns and Suites, Abbott Laboratories, Accenture, AT&T, Microsoft, Nokia, and Oracle. Even popular radio shows like The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show and sports channels like ESPN Dallas have studios here. FOX News also tapes shows from its Texas studios in Las Colinas.
In 2022, ExxonMobil announced it would move its main headquarters from Las Colinas to a new campus in Spring, near Houston. This was part of a plan to change how the company works.
Fun Things to Do in Las Colinas
Las Colinas has many fun places. There are three private country clubs, including the Las Colinas Country Club. It also has four championship golf courses, often surrounded by fancy gated communities. The TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas Resort used to host a big golf tournament called the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
You can also find tall office buildings, shopping centers, nice homes, apartments, and places for fun. Two famous attractions are the Mustangs at Las Colinas sculpture and fountain, and the Las Colinas Flower Clock. The Mustang sculptures are in a courtyard where a private club, La Cima Club, is located.
Las Colinas also has a "River Walk" style canal, like the one in San Antonio. You can even take gondola boat rides there! There's also a special above-ground train system called the Las Colinas APT System. The area has a lot of office space, shops, and thousands of single-family homes. The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas is also a big attraction.
Geography and Climate
Las Colinas is part of Irving, Texas, and the larger Dallas-Fort Worth area. The climate here is called "humid subtropical." This means summers are very warm and humid, winters are mild, and it rains throughout the year.
Neighborhoods in Las Colinas
Las Colinas has many different neighborhoods, each with its own style. Some of these include:
- Avalon Square
- Bridges at Las Colinas
- Parkside
- Cottonwood Valley
- Crest at Las Colinas Station
- Hackberry Creek
- La Villita
- The Lakes of Las Colinas
- Mandalay Place
- Positano
- Riverside Village
- The Terraces of Las Colinas
- University Hills
Entertainment District
The Las Colinas Entertainment District is a special area with lots of fun things to do. It includes the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas and the Toyota Music Factory.
Arts and Culture
Las Colinas is a great place for arts and culture.
- Toyota Music Factory: A popular place for live music concerts and shows.
- Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas: A large building used for big meetings, events, and shows.
Parks and Outdoor Fun
Las Colinas has beautiful parks and outdoor spaces:
- Las Colinas Flower Clock: A unique clock made out of flowers.
- Lake Carolyn: A lovely lake where you can enjoy the water.
- Mandalay Canal: A scenic canal with a River Walk feel.
- Mustangs of Las Colinas: Famous bronze sculptures of wild horses running through water.
Education in Las Colinas
Students in Las Colinas attend schools in different districts. Some parts are in the Irving Independent School District, while others are in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District.
- Las Colinas Elementary School and La Villita Elementary School are two of the local schools.
- The Highlands School is a private Catholic school for students from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade.
- North Hills Preparatory is a special charter school that is part of Uplift Education. It's an International Baccalaureate school and has been ranked as one of the top schools in America by Newsweek magazine.
Transportation in Las Colinas
Getting around Las Colinas is easy, thanks to several transportation options.
Public Transit
Las Colinas is part of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system. DART offers many bus routes. The North Irving Transit Center serves Las Colinas with express bus service to downtown Dallas.
In 2012, DART's Orange Line train service started in Las Colinas, connecting the area to downtown Dallas. Later, the Orange Line was extended to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 2014, making it easy to get to the airport by train.
Roads and Highways
Like most of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, many people in Las Colinas travel by car. Major highways surround and run through the area:
- Interstate 635 forms the northern edge of Las Colinas.
- Texas State Highway 114 goes right through the middle of the community.
- A part of the President George Bush Turnpike (Texas State Highway 161) is on the western side.
- You can also reach the southern part of Las Colinas from Texas State Highway 183 using local roads like MacArthur Boulevard and Belt Line Road.
Images for kids
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Streetscape in the Las Colinas Urban Center
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Las Colinas logo
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Las Colinas Blvd.
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Houses on Camino Lago, Las Colinas
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The Las Colinas APT System
See also
In Spanish: Las Colinas (Estados Unidos) para niños
