Murphy, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Murphy, Texas
City
City of Murphy
Flag
Location of Murphy in Collin County, Texas
Country	United States of America
State	Texas
County	Collin
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• Total	5.70 sq mi (14.76 km2)
• Land	5.69 sq mi (14.75 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	581 ft (177 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,013
• Density	3,600.28/sq mi (1,390.08/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	75074, 75094
Area code(s)	214, 469, 945, 972
FIPS code	48-50100
GNIS feature ID	2411197

Murphy is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. It's a suburb located northeast of Dallas. In 2020, about 21,013 people lived here. This is a big jump from the 3,099 people who lived in Murphy in 2000! The city has a long history, going back to the late 1800s.

History of Murphy, Texas

Early Settlers and Naming

The first people to settle in the Murphy area arrived in 1846. They were offered land grants by the Peters colony, which encouraged people to move there. The original town was on land owned by C. A. McMillen. It was first called "Old Decator" and later "Maxwell's Branch."

In 1888, the St. Louis Southwestern Railway built train tracks through the area. The town was then renamed "Murphy" to honor William Murphy. He gave land for the tracks and for building a train station, called a depot. A post office opened in Murphy in 1891.

Growth and Decline

From the 1880s to the 1950s, Murphy was a busy place. Farmers and people who raised animals used it as a shipping point to send their goods to other places.

However, things changed. The Great Depression (a time when many people lost their jobs and money) and new farming machines meant fewer people were needed for farm work. Also, there were more job opportunities in the big city of Dallas. Because of these reasons, Murphy's population started to shrink. By the mid-1950s, only about 150 people lived there. Mail service even stopped in 1954.

Becoming a City and New Growth

In 1958, the community officially became a city. In the mid-1970s, Murphy started to grow very quickly again. Many businesses opened in nearby cities like Plano and Richardson. This made Murphy a "commuter community," meaning people lived in Murphy and traveled to work in those other cities. In 1970, there were 261 residents, and by 1990, that number had grown to 1,547.

Historic Buildings

Not many old buildings from Murphy's early days are still around. One important building is the First Baptist Church of Murphy, which was built in 1901.

The old school building is another historic spot. It was built in 1938 as a WPA project. The WPA was a program during the Great Depression that created jobs by building public projects. This school taught both elementary and high school students. It closed in 1950, and students then went to school in Plano.

Later, citizens fixed up the old school building. It became the Community Center, Fire Station, and City Hall. The City Hall and Fire Station later moved to a new building across the street. The old building was then renovated again and reopened as the Community Center in 2012.

Geography of Murphy

Location and Neighbors

Murphy is located in the southern part of Collin County. It's part of the large Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, which is a group of cities and towns. Murphy is right between Plano and Wylie on FM 544. It's also just 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the famous Southfork Ranch.

Murphy shares its borders with several other cities:

• Plano to the west
• Richardson to the southwest
• Sachse to the south
• Wylie to the east
• Parker to the north

It's about 22 miles (35 km) northeast of downtown Dallas.

City Development and Growth

New neighborhoods are always being built in Murphy. One new area is a 470-acre (1.9 km²) development on the northeast side of the city. It has a "country living" feel with a park and a trail for walking and biking.

The main shopping area in Murphy is the Murphy Marketplace, built in 2008. It has many restaurants and services. The city's main buildings, like the Fire, Police, and City Administration, are all together in a municipal complex. There's also a sports center called PSA Murphy that opened in 2014.

The opening of the President George Bush Turnpike in 1999 made it easier to travel west from Murphy. This highway has helped the area grow a lot. New homes have been built quickly since 1999. The population grew from about 6,500 in 2002 to around 12,000 in 2006. By 2010, it was 17,708.

Murphy has been recognized as a great place to live. In 2008, D Magazine ranked it #7 in a survey of Dallas suburbs. In 2011, "Money's list of America's best small towns" ranked Murphy #27 in the entire country! In 2017, the "Area Vibes" website even ranked Murphy #2 among over 35,000 U.S. cities and towns of all sizes.

Climate

Murphy has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and generally mild winters.

Population in Murphy

In 2020, the city of Murphy had 21,013 people living there. There were 5,659 households, and most of them (5,143) were families.

In 2000, there were 3,099 people and 1,030 households. Most households (82.7%) had children under 18 living with them. About 83.8% of households were married couples living together.

The average age of people in Murphy is about 33.9 years old, which is younger than the average age in the U.S. Families make up a large part of Murphy's population, with 88.3% of residents living in family households.

In 2019, the average household income in Murphy was about $146,779. Murphy is located in Collin County, which is known as the wealthiest county in Texas. It's also one of the wealthiest counties in the entire United States!

Education in Murphy

Public Schools

Students in Murphy attend public schools that are part of two different school districts: the Plano Independent School District or the Wylie Independent School District.

Plano Independent School District

If you live in the Plano ISD part of Murphy, here are some of the schools you might attend:

Elementary Schools

• Boggess Elementary School (in Murphy)
• Martha Hunt Elementary School (in Murphy)
• Miller Elementary School (in Richardson)

Middle Schools

• Armstrong Middle School (in Plano)
• Murphy Middle School (in Murphy)

High Schools

• McMillen High School (for Grades 9–10) (in Murphy) – This school opened in 2011.
• Plano East Senior High School (for Grades 11–12) (in Plano)

Before McMillen High School opened, students from Murphy went to T. H. Williams High School in Plano.

Wylie Independent School District

If you live in the Wylie ISD part of Murphy, here are some of the schools you might attend:

Elementary Schools

• Harry and Retha Tibbals Elementary School (for K–4) (in Murphy)
• Don Whitt Elementary School (for K–4) (in Sachse, but part of Wylie ISD)

Secondary Schools

• Draper Intermediate School (for Grades 5–6) (in Wylie)
• Raymond B. Cooper Junior High School (for Grades 7–8) (in Wylie)
• Wylie High School (for Grades 9–12) (in Wylie)

See also

In Spanish: Murphy (Texas) para niños