North Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids North Texas
Region
From top, left to right: Downtown Dallas, Downtown Fort Worth, Denison Commercial Historic District
North Texas counties in red
Country	United States
State	Texas
Largest city	Dallas
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,584,519

North Texas is a large area in the northern part of Texas. People who live in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex usually think of North Texas as the area south of Oklahoma. It stretches east to Paris, west to Abilene, and north of Hillsboro. This region usually doesn't include the Texas Panhandle, which is the very top part of Texas.

Today, North Texas is mostly known for the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. This is the biggest metropolitan area in Texas and the southern United States. Sometimes, people use "Metroplex," "DFW," and "North Texas" to mean the same thing. But North Texas is actually much bigger. It includes many smaller, more rural counties along the Red River of the South border.

History of North Texas

Long ago, different Native American tribes lived in North Texas. These included the Caddo, Tawakoni, Wichita, Kickapoo, and Comanche tribes. When Europeans came, and later when Texas became independent, many of these tribes faced hard times. They were often forced to move from their homes. Over time, new cities like Dallas and Fort Worth grew in this area.

North Texas Climate and Weather

The climate in North Texas is subtropical, which means it has hot summers. It's also a continental climate, so temperatures can change a lot throughout the year. The amount of rain also varies, from about 28 to 48 inches (700–1200 mm) each year.

Strong storms are common in spring and summer. This area is in the southern part of "tornado alley," where tornadoes often happen. Winds usually blow from the south, often for several days. Cold fronts can bring strong winds from the north.

Winters are usually mild, but cold spells happen about three times a month. These cold spells can cause temperatures to drop suddenly. For example, Dallas once had 12.8 inches of snow in February 2010. Even in January, you can often find mild weather.

Summer days are usually hot and humid. Hot spells often last for three to five days, then are broken up by thunderstorms. It's rare for the temperature to stay above 80 °F (27 °C) at night. Daytime temperatures in summer often go over 100 °F (38 °C). Air conditioners are very helpful indoors and in cars during the summer.

Rain often falls at night. Rainy weather usually lasts only a day or two, followed by clear skies. Most of the yearly rain comes from thunderstorms, which can bring heavy rain for short times. Thunderstorms happen all year, but are most common in spring and early summer. Hail falls only a few days a year and usually causes little damage. Strong winds during thunderstorms can sometimes be destructive. Snowfall is not common.

The warm season, when there are no freezes, lasts about 249 days. The last freeze usually happens in mid-March, and the first freeze is typically in late November.

Counties in North Texas

Even though "North Texas" isn't an official state name, the Texas State Data Center lists many counties as part of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). These counties are:

Other groups of counties are also often considered part of North Texas:

Some other counties next to these are also sometimes included in the general idea of "North Texas."

Major Cities in North Texas

North Texas is home to many large and important cities. Here are some of the biggest:

City	Population (2023)	State rank	U.S. rank
Dallas	1,259,404	3	9
Fort Worth	961,885	5	13
Arlington	390,399	7	50
Plano	291,450	9	69
Garland	235,293	12	91
Irving	248,931	13	93
Grand Prairie	199,395	15	127
McKinney	214,302	17	155
Frisco	227,528	18	162
Mesquite	143,792	20	181
Carrollton	132,935	23	197
Denton	160,564	26	202
Richardson	113,613	32	255
Wichita Falls	103,687	35	285
Lewisville	114,170	36	288
Allen	109,411	40
Flower Mound	79,102	50

Economy in North Texas

The economy in North Texas is strong, with many large companies and organizations providing jobs.

Top Employers in Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex

Here are some of the biggest employers in the Dallas–Fort Worth area:

Top Employers in Wichita Falls Area

Here are some of the biggest employers in the Wichita Falls area:

Top Employers in Sherman–Denison Area

Here are some of the biggest employers in the Sherman–Denison area:

Colleges and Universities in North Texas

North Texas has many colleges and universities, both public and private. These schools offer a wide range of studies for students after high school.

Public Universities

Public universities

School	Enrollment	Location	Mascot	Athletic Affiliation (Conference)	University System
The University of North Texas	46,940	Denton	Mean Green	NCAA Division I FBS (American)	University of North Texas System
University of Texas at Arlington	40,990	Arlington	Mavericks	NCAA Division I (WAC) Non–Football	University of Texas System
University of Texas at Dallas	30,885	Richardson	Comets	NCAA Division III (American Southwest) Non–Football	University of Texas System
Texas Woman's University	15,472	Denton	Pioneers	NCAA Division II (Lone Star) Women's sports only	Independent
Tarleton State University	14,092	Stephenville	Texans	NCAA Division I FCS (WAC)	Texas A&M University System
Texas A&M University–Commerce	10,966	Commerce	Lions	NCAA Division I FCS (Southland)	Texas A&M University System
Midwestern State University	6,102	Wichita Falls	Mustangs	NCAA Division II (Lone Star)	Independent
University of North Texas at Dallas	3,513	Dallas	Trailblazers	NAIA (Sooner) Non–Football	University of North Texas System

Private Universities

Private universities

School	Enrollment	Location	Mascot	Athletic Affiliation (Conference)
Southern Methodist University	11,643	University Park	Mustangs	NCAA Division I FBS (American)
Texas Christian University	10,323	Fort Worth	Horned Frogs	NCAA Division I FBS (Big 12)
Dallas Baptist University	5,445	Dallas	Patriots	NCAA Division II (Lone Star) Non–Football, compete in the Missouri Valley Conference at the Division I level for baseball
Texas Wesleyan University	3,378	Fort Worth	Rams	NAIA (Sooner)
University of Dallas	2,576	Irving	Crusaders	NCAA Division III (SCAC) Non–Football, compete in Texas Rugby Union at the Division II level for Rugby
Southwestern Assemblies of God University	2,012	Waxahachie	Lions	NAIA NCCAA (Sooner)
Austin College	1,224	Sherman	Roos	NCAA Division III (SCAC) Compete in the Southern Athletic Association for football
Paul Quinn College	600	Dallas	Tigers	NAIA (Red River) Non–Football

Sports in North Texas

North Texas is a big area for sports fans! It has teams in the four main professional sports leagues. The first major teams came in 1960.

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 the year the team moved to the area.

Other Professional Teams

North Texas also has many other professional sports teams:

^ Indicates the year the team moved to the area.

Division I College Teams

Many colleges in North Texas also have exciting sports teams that compete at the highest level of college sports, NCAA Division I:

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
Texas A&M University–Commerce	Commerce	Lions	Southland Conference
Dallas Baptist University	Dallas	Patriots	Missouri Valley Conference (baseball only)

The main offices for the Big 12 and Conference USA sports leagues are in Irving. The Southland Conference headquarters are in Frisco.

Transportation in North Texas

North Texas has many ways to get around, from airports to public transportation and major highways.

Commercial Airports

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

Public Transit Options

• Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
• Denton County Transportation Authority
• Falls Ride (Wichita Falls)
• Trinity Metro (Fort Worth)
• TAPS
• STAR Transit

Major Highways

North Texas has a large network of highways, including Interstates and U.S. Routes, that connect cities and towns.

Interstates

• Interstate 20 in Texas
  • Interstate 820
• Interstate 30
• Interstate 35 in Texas
  • Interstate 35E in Texas
  • Interstate 35W in Texas
  • Interstate 635 in Texas
• Interstate 44 in Texas
• Interstate 45
  • Interstate 345

U.S. Routes

• U.S. Route 62 in Texas
• U.S. Route 67 in Texas
• U.S. Route 69 in Texas
• U.S. Route 70 in Texas
• U.S. Route 75 in Texas
• U.S. Route 77 in Texas
• U.S. Route 80 in Texas
• U.S. Route 81 in Texas
• U.S. Route 82 in Texas
• U.S. Route 83 in Texas
• U.S. Route 175
• U.S. Route 180 in Texas
• U.S. Route 183 in Texas
• U.S. Route 277 in Texas
• U.S. Route 281 in Texas
• U.S. Route 283 in Texas
• U.S. Route 287 in Texas
• U.S. Route 377 in Texas
• U.S. Route 380

Tollways

These are highways where you pay a fee to drive:

• Chisholm Trail Parkway
• Dallas North Tollway
• International Parkway
• President George Bush Turnpike
• Sam Rayburn Tollway
• Texas State Highway 360

Images for kids

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  Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

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  Dallas Area Rapid Transit bus

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  Interstate 20

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  Interstate 35E

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  U.S. Route 75

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  U.S. Route 82

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  U.S. Route 287

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  Dallas North Tollway