While Dallas is the most populous city, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area (Dallas MSA) consists of 12 counties: Collin, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise. The metro area’s population of 6,447,615 ranks fourth among U.S. metropolitan statistical areas and is among the nation’s fastest-growing. The area grew 24 percent between 2000 and 2009 by U.S. Census Bureau estimates- adding more than 1,251,427 people – while the nation’s population as a whole increased 9.1 percent over the same period.

Dallas MSA is comprised of two Metropolitan Divisions (MD); Dallas-Plano-Irving MD which is 5,819.4 square miles and Fort Worth-Arlington MD which is 3,464.8 square miles. Together the two Metropolitan Divisions bring Dallas MSA to a total of 9,284.2 square miles, an area bigger than the state of Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut combined.

In 2008 the Gross Domestic Product for all industries in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA brought in 379,863 million dollars which is more than some countries when compared to national economies. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport moved 638,199 tons of cargo during 2009 and the Dallas region is only behind New York and Houston in having the most Fortune 500 company-based headquarters.

As the financial hub of the Southwest and being home to a branch of the Federal Reserve Bank, Dallas’ growth is stimulated by high-tech companies, manufacturing, and service industries. With low taxes, affordable land and a large labor force continuing to steady job growth throughout the region, the Dallas area is well positioned to prosper in the global economy.

TEXAS COUNTIES
In general, Texas County government is an extension of state government, focusing on the judicial system, health and welfare service delivery, law enforcement, and road construction. In contrast to the jurisdiction of other counties, Texas counties usually do not have responsibility for schools, water and sewer systems, electric utilities, and commercial airports. Dallas County, like the state’s other 253 counties, has a governing body (the Commissioner's Court) consisting of one member elected at large (the county judge) and four members (County Commissioners) elected from districts. The County tax rate is set by the Commissioners Court and it also adopts the budget, appoints boards and commissions, approves grants and personnel actions, and oversees the administration of county government.

The following information is an overview of the 12 counties which make up the Dallas/Fort Worth region (commonly called the Metroplex). Some cities reside in more than one county and in those cases that part of the overlapping city may be very small. School Districts might also fall into multiple cities and counties.

COLLIN COUNTY – OVERVIEW
Collin County, named in honor of Collin McKinney, one of the five men who drafted the Texas Declaration of Independence, is the sixth most populous and the fastest growing county in Texas. The area takes up 848 square miles of land, 38 square miles of water and a small portion of the City of Dallas is located in the county. The majority of Collin County residents vote Republican in Presidential and congressional elections, the last Democrat to win in the county was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Collin County is less then 20 miles north of Dallas and borders 6 other counties. Residents make use of the five county parks and open spaces, 40 plus recreational and senior centers, and local lakes. Currently, road expansions are being built from the $1.5 billion Highway 121 toll revenues for easier east-west commutes.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Allen, Anna, Blue Ridge, Carrollton, Celina, Copeville, Dallas, Fairview, Farmersville, Frisco, Garland, Josephine, Lavon, Lowry Crossing, Lucas, McKinney, Melissa, Murphy, Nevada, New Hope, Parker, Plano, Princeton, Prosper, Richardson, Royse City, Sachse, Saint Paul, Van Alstyne, Weston, Wylie

— DEMOGRAHPICS
• Population
• Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.co.collin.tx.us

DALLAS COUNTY – OVERVIEW
Primarily a rural and agricultural county around the turn of the twentieth century, cotton was the leading crop until the manufacturing industry took over thereafter. Today Dallas County is ninth in residential population for all counties in the United States with its centerpoint at 32°46' north latitude and 96°48' west longitude. The 902 square miles of land is mostly flat and heavy Blackland Prairie and the rest is 29 square miles of water. In 2007 Dallas formally adopted a guide of objectives to be pursued over the next 10 years that outlines five essential goals: become a model interagency partner; have a healthy community; be safe, secure, and prepared; proactively address critical regional issues; and be the destination of choice for residents and businesses. Unlike many of its neighboring counties in the area, Dallas is gradually shifting political allegiances towards the Democratic party due to the stronghold in the City of Dallas. Dallas County can be reached by Interstate Highways 20, 30, 45, and 635.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Addison, Balch Springs, Cedar Hill, Carrollton, Cockrell Hill, Combine, Coppell, Dallas, DeSoto, Duncanville, Farmers Branch, Ferris, Garland, Glenn Heights, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Highland Park, Hutchins, Irving, Lancaster, Lewisville, Mesquite, Ovilla, Richardson, Rowlett, Sachse, Sand Branch, Seagoville, Sunnyvale, University Park, Wilmer, Wylie

• Demographics • Economic Characteristics
— EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.dallascounty.org

DELTA COUNTY – OVERVIEW
Over a century ago Sheriff Sam B. Turbeville said, “What Delta County lacks in size is fully made up in fertility." At about 280 square miles and under $100,000 in annual federal spending, Delta County is surely small in repute but not in fruitfulness. Nearly 60 percent of the terrain is prime farmland and the year sees a 233-day growing season with a warm and moist climate. The east part of the area is restricted by Sulphur River which forks and gives the county boundary a triangular shape, much like the Greek letter Delta. Oak, elm, pecan, and mesquite hardwoods grow beside streams and under an annual average rainfall of forty-four inches. Adjacent counties include Lamar, Red River, Franklin, Hopkins, Hunt, and Fannin. Delta is one of Texas’ thirty counties which prohibits alcohol consumption making the area a completely “dry” county.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Cooper, Enloe, Pecan Gap, Klondike, Lake Creek

• Demographics • Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.co.delta.tx.us

DENTON COUNTY – OVERVIEW
Denton County sits bordered above Dallas and Tarrant counties, and below Cooke and Grayson counties. Oklahoma state can be reached by driving north up I-35N for about thirty miles. Elevations levels range from 500 to 900 feet, annual average rainfall is about thirty-three inches, and the temperature can be a low 34° F in January to a high 96° in July. The geological formation called Barnett Shale is partially located in Denton County and thought to have a large natural gas field. Gas drilling in the area has provided tax revenue but since much of the area is urban, roads have been damaged due to the heavy equipment. Forty percent of Denton County families have children under 18 years of age and of those school-aged children, fourteen percent attend a private school. The former Denton County Courthouse, in the city of Denton, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Argyle, Aubrey, Bartonville, Bolivar, Carrollton, Coppell, Copper Canyon, Corinth, Corral City, Cross Roads, Dallas, Denton, DISH, Double Oak, Elizabethtown, Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Frisco, Hackberry, Haslet, Hebron, Hickory Creek, Highland Village, Justin, Krugerville, Krum, Lake Dallas, Lakewood Village, Lewisville, Lincoln Park, Little Elm, Northlake, Oak Point, Pilot Point, Plano, Ponder, Prosper, Roanoke, Sanger, Shady Shores, Southlake, The Colony, Trophy Club, Westlake

• Demographics • Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.co.denton.tx.us

ELLIS COUNTY – OVERVIEW
Established as Ellis County on December 20, 1849 by the Texas State legislature, the county’s name is in honor of Richard Ellis who served as the President of the convention which signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. The terrain is mostly flat if not rolling with a southeastward-sloping plain and is well drained by many streams that flow into the Trinity River. Natural mineral resources include gas, oil, stone, clays, chalk, and shale. An ebb and flow of population has marked census reports with pluses and minuses over the last century but within the last decade, population has been steadily on the upswing. Politically, the area is heavily Republican and often votes more than two-thirds that way. Presently, Waxahachie is the largest town and county seat. In 2010 Ellis County was ranked number 40 on The Daily Caller's list of America's 100 most conservative-friendly counties.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Alma, Avalon, Bardwell, Cedar Hill, Ennis, Ferris, Forreston, Garrett, Grand Prairie, Glenn Heights, Italy, Mansfield, Maypearl, Midlothian, Milford, Oak Leaf, Ovilla, Palmer, Pecan Hill, Red Oak, Telico, Venus, Waxahachie

• Demographics • Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.co.ellis.tx.us

HUNT COUNTY - OVERVIEW
Formed from Fannin and Nacogdoches counties, Hunt County is centered at approximately 36°06' north latitude and 96°05' west longitude. In the beginning, the region did not prosper from crops because without a nearby railroad or waterway, travel in and out of Hunt County was difficult. The residents were isolated and become self-sufficient out of necessity but that changed in the early 1900s when railroads where established in several parts of the county. Today the 841 square miles of land and the 41 square miles of water is home to major communities, including Greenville, the county seat and the largest city, located 51 miles northeast of Dallas on Interstate Highway 30. The eight adjacent counties are: Fannin, Delta, Hopkins, Rains, Van Zandt, Kaufman, Rockwall, and Collin.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Caddo Mills, Campbell, Cash, Celeste, Commerce, Floyd, Greenville, Hawk Cove, Lone Oak, Merit, Neylandville, Quinlan, Union Valley, West Tawakoni, Wolfe City

• Demographics • Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.huntcounty.net

JOHNSON COUNTY – OVERVIEW
Southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area is Johnson County. Cleburne, the county seat, is fifty-five miles southwest of downtown Dallas and twenty-nine miles south of downtown Fort Worth. Johnson County is named after Middleton Tate Johnson, a Texas Ranger, soldier, and politician who was once one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the region. The 730 square miles of land is more diversified then most counties in the Metroplex and can be classified into three types of terrain. Grand Prairie ground in the western county is where alkaline loam soil can be found. A third of the county is Eastern Cross Timbers which is the strip of land that runs from southeastern Kansas across Central Oklahoma to Central Texas and marks the western habitat limit of many mammals and insects. The rest of the area to the east is Blackland Prairie where cotton and small grains can be grown.

— CITIES AND TOWNS • Demographics • Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.johnsoncountytx.org

KAUFMAN COUNTY – OVERVIEW
Thirty miles east of Dallas is the city of Terrell, Kaufman County’s largest town. Both the county and the city were named for David Spangler Kaufman who was a diplomat and U.S. congressman from Texas and the first Jewish person to serve in Congress from Texas. Of the 788 square miles of land, the center lies at approximately 32°35' north latitude and 96°18' west longitude. Kaufman County was established in 1848 and has an elevation ranging from 300 to 550 feet above sea level. As of late, manufacturing, agribusiness, and tourism are primary economic sources. There is a growing season of about 245 days a year and climate is subtropical-humid. In 2010 Kaufman County was ranked number 59 on The Daily Caller's list of America's 100 most conservative-friendly counties.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Ables Springs, Combine, Cottonwood, Crandall, Dallas, Elmo, Forney, Grays Prairie, Kaufman, Kemp, Mabank, Mesquite, Oak Grove, Oak Ridge, Poetry, Post Oak Bend City, Rosser, Scurry, Seagoville, Seven Points, Talty, Terrell

• Demographics • Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.kaufmancounty.net

PARKER COUNTY– OVERVIEW
Parker County sits south of Jack and Wise counties, west of Tarrant County, north of Hood and Johnson counties, and east of Palo Pint County. Temperatures are warm to hot during the summer months when residents take pleasure in lakes Weatherford and Mineral Wells for recreational use. Local crops include peanuts, oats, watermelons, and peaches but land use for livestock and livestock products brings in the largest chunk of money for the area. At 1,368 feet, the highest peak in the county is on Slipdown Mountain. In the last decade, Parker County has averaged about 3,000 new residents a year. Parker is one of three counties out of all of Texas to achieve the honor of financial transparency from the Comptrollers office.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Adell, Agnes, Aledo, Annetta, Annetta North, Annetta South, Azle, Briar, Brock, Cool, Cresson, Dennis, Garner, Hudson Oaks, Millsap, Mineral Wells, Peaster, Poolville, Reno, Sanctuary, Springtown, Weatherford, Wheatland, Whitt, Willow Park

• Demographics • Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.co.parker.tx.us

ROCKWALL COUNTY – OVERVIEW
The nearly square County of Rockwall is the smallest county in Texas at only 147 square miles but has a storied past. Several tribes of Caddo inhabited the area centuries ago until Cherokees came in from the east and created an inter-Indian war. Some how the arrival of the first Anglo-Americans did not interfere with the battle and construction of the National Road of the Republic of Texas was built as a major route for travelers. Around the same time a well was being dug when a large rock formation that crossed the county was discovered. Legend had it that it was built by prehistoric natives but scientific analysis states it is a natural geological formation. During 2000 through 2005, Rockwall County was ranked the third fastest-growing county in the nation by the US Census Bureau, adding 46.1% more residents. Present day Rockwall County is an attractive part of the Dallas Metropolitan area with Lake Ray Hubbard to its left and Interstate 30 a few miles north.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Dallas, Fate, Heath, McLendon-Chisholm, Mobile City, Rockwall, Rowlett, Royse City, Wylie

• Demographics • Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.rockwallcountytexas.com

TARRANT COUNTY – OVERVIEW
General Edward H. Tarrant never lived in the area known as Tarrant County but was held in such regard for driving out the occupied Indian land that a military outpost was established and named in his honor. The gently sloping to level frontier since the County’s founding in 1849 remains, while the economic landscape has renewed several times. No longer dependent on defense plants and the military base, Tarrant County now credits aerospace and tourism for business resurgence. The strong cultural district is due in part to the cattle drives that brought gambling parlors, saloons, and dance halls. Once the railroad was complete, Fort Worth Stockyards was transformed into a livestock center. The 898 square miles is home to major lakes in the county including Arlington, Benbrook, Eagle Mountain, Grapevine, and Worth which offer relief during the hot days of summer. Trinity River and its tributaries are being preserved for environmental quality, conservation, recreation facilities, trail developments, reforestation, beautification, and linkage to neighborhoods, downtown, and other special districts. Rainfall averages a little more than thirty-two inches per year, and the growing season extends for 230 days.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Arlington, Azle, Bedford, Benbrook, Blue Mound, Burleson, Colleyville, Crowley, Dalworthington Gardens, Edgecliff Village, Euless, Everman, Flower Mound, Forest Hill, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Grand Prairie, Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst, Keller, Kennedale, Lake Worth, Lakeside, Mansfield, Newark, North Richland Hills, Pantego, Pelican Bay, Richland Hills, River Oaks, Saginaw, Sansom Park, Southlake, Trophy Club, Watauga, Westlake, Westover Hills, Westworth Village, White Settlement

• Demographics • Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.tarrantcounty.com

WISE COUNTY – OVERVIEW
Divided vertically by Grand Prairie and Western Cross Timbers, the 922 square miles of Wise County is both farm land and forest and grazing land. Vegetation includes live oak, cottonwood, and mesquite trees. Forty miles south of the Oklahoma border, Wise County was named after an American statesman who supported the annexation of Texas. Lake Bridgeport and Eagle Mountain Lake supply water and recreational facilities to residents who mostly work in Fort Worth. The area was largely Democratic up until the 1970s when it turned Republican. Major U.S. and State Highways include 287, 380, 101, and 114. Wise County is included in only a handful of counties to have several family-oriented nudist resorts in the U.S.

— CITIES AND TOWNS
Alvord, Aurora, Balsora, Boonsville, Boyd, Briar, Bridgeport, Chico, Cottondale, Decatur, Greenwood, Lake Bridgeport, New Fairview, Newark, Paradise, Pecan Acres, Rhome, Runaway Bay, Slidell

• Demographics • Economic Characteristics — EDUCATION
• School Districts:
• Educational Attainment For more information, visit the county’s website at www.co.wise.tx.us