Ovilla, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ovilla, Texas
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Location of Ovilla, Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Counties | Ellis, Dallas |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.79 sq mi (14.99 km2) |
| • Land | 5.79 sq mi (14.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 669 ft (204 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 4,304 |
| • Density | 720.19/sq mi (278.05/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
75154
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| Area code(s) | 214, 469, 945, 972 |
| FIPS code | 48-54444 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411344 |
Ovilla is a city in Texas, a state in the United States. It is located in both Dallas and Ellis Counties. In 2020, about 4,304 people lived there.
Contents
History of Ovilla
How Ovilla Began
Ovilla is the oldest town in Ellis County. It started in 1844 as a protected settlement called McNamara's. This was to keep Native American groups from attacking.
James McNamara and his wife, Joanna, arrived in 1843. They were among the first settlers in this area from the Peters Colony. They received 640 acres of land. This land became the start of the place later known as 'Shiloh'. It was named after a nearby creek and a new church.
Other Peters Colony settlers also came to the area. They attended church meetings at the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church. This church was started in 1847.
First Buildings and Community Life
The church first met in a simple outdoor area. In 1853, a log cabin was built. It served as both a church and a school.
Later, in 1872, a proper church building was finished. This church helped move Trinity University to Waxahachie in 1902. It also helped start a girls' school in Milford.
Growing Pains and New Beginnings
Even though Ovilla was a busy farming community by the 1850s, it didn't have an official name. Mrs. M. M. Molloy, the wife of a reverend, created the name. She used the Spanish word villa, which means "town".
Ovilla kept growing. By the early 1900s, it had many important businesses. These included a post office, a bank, and a cotton gin. There was also a pharmacy, a blacksmith shop, and several stores.
However, its post office closed in 1906. Fires in 1918 and 1926 destroyed many buildings downtown. Also, railroads and major highways didn't pass through Ovilla. These things caused the town to grow more slowly.
Becoming a City
As the city of Dallas grew, more people started moving to smaller towns nearby. Ovilla began to grow again.
To avoid being taken over by nearby cities like DeSoto, Ovilla officially became a city in 1963. After this, its population quickly increased. In 1980, it had 1,067 people. By 2010, the population was 3,492. In 2020, it reached 4,304 people. The community also expanded into Dallas County.
Famous Connections
The country music singer Boxcar Willie was born near Ovilla. An overpass on Interstate 35E is named after him.
Some parts of the TV show Walker, Texas Ranger, starring Chuck Norris, were filmed here. Downtown Ovilla was used as the set for an old Native American town in the show.
Geography
Ovilla covers an area of about 5.7 square miles (14.8 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Population Information
The population of Ovilla has grown steadily over the years. Here's how many people have lived in Ovilla during different census years:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 339 | — | |
| 1980 | 1,067 | 214.7% | |
| 1990 | 2,027 | 90.0% | |
| 2000 | 3,405 | 68.0% | |
| 2010 | 3,492 | 2.6% | |
| 2020 | 4,304 | 23.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 4,709 | 34.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, there were 4,304 people living in Ovilla. There were 1,474 households and 1,238 families.
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (NH) | 2,750 | 63.89% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 647 | 15.03% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 18 | 0.42% |
| Asian (NH) | 45 | 1.05% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 3 | 0.07% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 11 | 0.26% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 198 | 4.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 632 | 14.68% |
| Total | 4,304 |
Education
Students in Ovilla attend schools in several different school districts.
- Most areas in Ellis County are part of the Red Oak Independent School District. Some parts are in the Midlothian Independent School District.
- Areas in Dallas County are split between the Cedar Hill Independent School District and the DeSoto Independent School District.
Here are some of the schools students might attend:
- For the Red Oak ISD area: Red Oak High School
- For the Midlothian ISD area: McClatchey Elementary School, Walnut Grove Middle School, and Midlothian Heritage High School
- For the Cedar Hill ISD area: Cedar Hill High School
- For the DeSoto ISD area: Cockrell Hill Elementary School (Kindergarten to 2nd grade), Frank Moates Elementary School (3rd to 5th grade), Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School, DeSoto High School Freshman Campus, and DeSoto High School
There is also a private Christian school in Ovilla called Ovilla Christian School. It is connected with Ovilla Road Baptist Church.
For college, students in Ellis County parts of Ovilla can go to Navarro College. Those in Dallas County parts can attend Dallas College.
See also
In Spanish: Ovilla (Texas) para niños
