North Texas facts for kids

Map of North Texas

North Texas (also commonly called Northeastern Texas, North Central Texas , and Nortex) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the northern portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex generally consider North Texas to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, west of Paris, and north of Waco. A more precise term for this region would be the northern part of the central portion of Texas. It does not include the Panhandle of Texas, which expands further north than the region previously described, nor does it include most of the region near the northern border of Texas.

Today North Texas is centered upon the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, the largest metropolitan area in Texas and the Southern United States. People in the Dallas and Fort Worth areas sometimes use the terms "Metroplex", "DFW", and "North Texas" interchangeably. However, North Texas refers to a much larger area that includes many rural counties along the northern border. During the early years of the Civil War, there were many Unionists in the rural counties, with there being few slaveholders. Many of the largest cities in North Texas outside Dallas and Fort Worth still follow a rural Southern way of life, especially in dialect, mannerisms, religion, and cuisine.

North Texas climatology

The North Texas climate is subtropical with hot summers. It is also continental, characterized by a wide annual temperature range. Average annual precipitation also varies considerably, ranging from less than 28 to more than 48 inches (700–1200 mm). Severe storms are frequent in the spring, as the area lies in the southern section of "tornado alley".

Average annual rainfall for North Central Texas, south is the prevailing wind direction, and southerly winds are frequently high and persist for several days. Strong northerly winds often occur during the passage of cold fronts. Dusty conditions are infrequent, occurring mostly with westerly winds. Dust storm frequency and intensity depend on soil conditions in eastern New Mexico, west Texas, and the Texas Panhandle.

Winters are mild, but northers occur about three times each month, and often are accompanied by sudden drops in temperature. In Dallas, a record-setting 12.8 inches of snow fell in February 2011. Periods of extreme cold that occasionally occur are short-lived, so that even in January mild weather occurs frequently.

The highest temperatures of summer are associated with fair skies, westerly winds and low humidities. Characteristically, hot spells in summer are broken into three- to five-day periods by thunderstorm activity. There are only a few nights each summer when the low temperature exceeds 80 °F (27 °C). Summer daytime temperatures frequently exceed 100 °F (38 °C). Air conditioners are recommended for maximum comfort indoors and while traveling via automobile.

Throughout the year, rainfall occurs more frequently during the night. Usually, periods of rainy weather last for only a day or two, and are followed by several days with fair skies. A large part of the annual precipitation results from thunderstorm activity, with occasional heavy rainfall over brief periods of time. Thunderstorms occur throughout the year, but are most frequent in the spring. Hail falls on about two or three days a year, ordinarily with only slight and scattered damage. Windstorms occurring during thunderstorm activity are sometimes destructive. Snowfall is uncommon.

The average length of the warm season (freeze-free period) is about 249 days. The average last occurrence of 32 °F (0 °C) or below is mid March and the average first occurrence of 32 °F or below is in late November.

Counties

Although the terms "Northeastern Texas" or "North Texas" are not official state designations, the Texas State Data Center and Office of the State Demographer lists the following counties as belonging to the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG):

Map of North Texas

The Texas State Demographer also lists the following regional county groupings, some or all of which are often included in the informal meaning of the terms "North Texas" or "North Central Texas."

Additionally, some other Texas counties contiguous with those named above are sometimes included in the general meaning of "North Texas."

Major cities

City	Population (2015)	State Rank	U.S. Rank
Dallas	1,300,092	3	9
Fort Worth	833,319	5	16
Arlington	388,125	7	50
Plano	283,558	9	69
Garland	236,897	12	91
Irving	236,607	13	93
Grand Prairie	187,809	15	127
McKinney	162,898	17	155
Frisco	154,407	18	162
Mesquite	144,788	20	181
Carrollton	133,168	23	197
Denton	131,044	26	202
Richardson	110,815	32	255
Wichita Falls	104,710	35	285
Lewisville	104,039	36	288
Allen	98,143	40
Flower Mound	71,253	50

Other cities and towns

Transportation

Commercial airports

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

• Dallas Love Field
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
• Wichita Falls Municipal Airport

Public transit

Dallas Area Rapid Transit

• Dallas Area Rapid Transit
• Denton County Transportation Authority
• Trinity Metro

Major highways

Interstates

Interstate 20

Interstate 35E

U.S. Routes

U.S. Route 75

U.S. Route 82

U.S. Route 287

Tollways

Dallas North Tollway

Economy

Top employers

Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex

Wichita Falls Metropolitan Area

Sherman–Denison Metropolitan Area

Sports

The North Texas region has teams from the four major professional sports leagues. Major professional sports first came to the area in 1960, when the Dallas Cowboys began competing in the National Football League and the Dallas Texans began competing in the American Football League. (The Texans later relocated to Kansas City and became the Chiefs). In 1972, Major League Baseball's Washington Senators moved to Arlington to become the Texas Rangers, named after the statewide law enforcement agency. The National Basketball Association expanded into North Texas in 1980 when the Dallas Mavericks were added to the league. The fourth sport was added in 1993 when the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League moved to Dallas, becoming the Dallas Stars.

The Major League Soccer team FC Dallas is based in Frisco, and the Dallas Wings of the WNBA plays in Arlington. The area is also home to many minor league professional teams and four colleges that compete in NCAA Division I athletics.

Major professional sports teams

Club	Sport	Founded	League	Venue
Dallas Cowboys	Football	1960	NFL	AT&T Stadium
Texas Rangers	Baseball	1972^	MLB	Globe Life Field
Dallas Mavericks	Basketball	1980	NBA	American Airlines Center
Dallas Stars	Hockey	1993^	NHL	American Airlines Center
FC Dallas	Soccer	1996	MLS	Toyota Stadium
Dallas Wings	Basketball	2015^	WNBA	College Park Center

^- Indicates year team relocated to the area

Other professional teams

^- Indicates year team relocated to the area

Division I college teams

School	City	Mascot	Conference
University of Texas at Arlington	Arlington	Mavericks	Sun Belt Conference
University of North Texas	Denton	Mean Green	Conference USA
Southern Methodist University	University Park	Mustangs	American Athletic Conference
Texas Christian University	Fort Worth	Horned Frogs	Big 12 Conference
Dallas Baptist University	Dallas	Patriots	Missouri Valley Conference (baseball only)

The headquarters for both the Big 12 and Conference USA are located in Irving, and the Southland Conference headquarters are in Frisco.

Images for kids

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  Metropolitan divisions in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington MSA:      Dallas–Plano–Irving      Fort Worth–Arlington–Grapevine