Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
Harve Chapman stood before a room of North Texas Commission members in 1972 and proposed a new name for the region. He was an executive vice president with Dallas-based Tracy-Locke, one of three advertising agencies working to market the area. The commission had previously used the term North Texas, but studies showed that only 38 percent of survey groups identified Dallas and Fort Worth as part of that region. Many people thought the Texas Panhandle was the correct answer instead. Chapman coined the word metroplex by blending metropolis and complex into a single portmanteau. The North Texas Commission copyrighted the phrase Southwest Metroplex later that same year to replace the old terminology. This marketing strategy aimed to unify two distinct cities under one recognizable identity.
The U.S. Census Bureau recorded 7,637,387 residents living within the Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington metropolitan statistical area during the 2020 census count. That number represented a significant jump from the 6,371,773 people counted just ten years prior in 2010. In 2016, this specific metro area held the highest annual population growth rate across the entire United States. By 2024, estimates placed the population at 8,344,032 people. Demographic shifts show that 42 percent of residents were non-Hispanic white while 29 percent identified as Hispanic or Latino American. Foreign-born residents made up approximately 18.5 percent of the total population according to the 2020 American Community Survey. Migration patterns indicate that 56 percent of these immigrants came from Latin America and 30 percent arrived from Asia.
Dallas and Fort Worth host 23 Fortune 500 companies as of 2022, ranking fourth behind New York City and Chicago. The region boasts a gross domestic product exceeding $620.6 billion in 2020. AT&T maintains its headquarters at the Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas. American Airlines operates its largest corporate headquarters complex in Fort Worth with a cost of $350 million. Southwest Airlines employs more than 53,000 staff members within the city limits. Technology firms like Texas Instruments and Microsoft maintain significant operations along US 75 through Richardson and Plano. This corridor is often called Silicon Prairie or the Telecom Corridor. Defense manufacturers including Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter Textron operate primarily on the Fort Worth side near SH 170. McKinsey and Charles Schwab relocated their offices from San Francisco between late 2018 and early 2019.
The Metroplex sits within the Texas blackland prairies region characterized by fertile soil found in Collin and Dallas counties. Rolling hills dotted by human-made lakes cut by streams surround forested land across the area. Summers bring very hot and humid conditions with heat indexes regularly surpassing 105 degrees Fahrenheit during July and August. The all-time record high temperature reached 114 degrees set on June 26 and 27, 1980 during the Heat Wave of 1980. Winters feature cool to mild weather with occasional cold spells known as Blue Northers. Snow accumulation occurs in about 70 percent of winter seasons but generally falls for only one to two days annually. The all-time record low temperature inside the city was minus 3 degrees recorded on the 18th of January 1930. Winter Storm Uri caused temperatures at DFW International Airport to drop to 1 degree on the 16th of February 2021.
Major professional sports first arrived in 1952 when the Dallas Texans competed in the NFL for a single season. The Dallas Cowboys began play in 1960 while the Texas Rangers started baseball operations in Arlington in 1972. The Dallas Mavericks joined the NBA in 1980 and the Dallas Stars entered hockey competition in 1993. AT&T Stadium in Arlington hosts major events including Super Bowl XLV in 2011 and WrestleMania 32 in 2016. Globe Life Field serves as home to the Texas Rangers since 2020. American Airlines Center houses both the Mavericks and Stars. The Metroplex is one of twelve U.S. metropolitan areas with teams in all four major professional leagues. NASCAR Cup Series races occur annually at Texas Motor Speedway. PGA Tour events like the Colonial National Invitation Tournament take place each year.
The UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas houses six Nobel Laureates within its research facilities. This institution ranked number one globally among healthcare institutions in biomedical sciences according to recent assessments. Southern Methodist University anchors private education efforts in University Park with over 11,000 students enrolled. Texas Christian University operates from Fort Worth with more than 10,000 students attending classes. The region contains the highest concentration of colleges and universities in the entire state of Texas. Public universities include the University of North Texas in Denton and the University of Texas at Arlington. Private institutions such as Dallas Baptist University contribute significantly to the academic landscape. These schools collectively support a dense network of higher learning opportunities across the metro area.
Common questions
Who coined the name Dallas, Fort Worth metroplex and when was it created?
Harve Chapman coined the word metroplex by blending metropolis and complex into a single portmanteau in 1972. The North Texas Commission copyrighted the phrase Southwest Metroplex later that same year to replace old terminology.
What is the population of the Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan statistical area according to the 2020 census count?
The U.S. Census Bureau recorded 7,637,387 residents living within the Dallas Fort Worth Arlington metropolitan statistical area during the 2020 census count. Estimates placed the population at 8,344,032 people by 2024.
Which companies maintain their headquarters or major operations in the Dallas Fort Worth region as of 2022?
Dallas and Fort Worth host 23 Fortune 500 companies including AT&T American Airlines Southwest Airlines Texas Instruments Microsoft Lockheed Martin Bell Helicopter Textron McKinsey and Charles Schwab. AT&T maintains its headquarters at the Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas while American Airlines operates its largest corporate headquarters complex in Fort Worth with a cost of $350 million.
When did the all-time record high temperature occur in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex and what was the value?
The all-time record high temperature reached 114 degrees set on June 26 and 27 1980 during the Heat Wave of 1980. Summers bring very hot and humid conditions with heat indexes regularly surpassing 105 degrees Fahrenheit during July and August.
What professional sports teams play in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex and when did they begin competition?
Major professional sports first arrived in 1952 when the Dallas Texans competed in the NFL for a single season. The Dallas Cowboys began play in 1960 while the Texas Rangers started baseball operations in Arlington in 1972. The Dallas Mavericks joined the NBA in 1980 and the Dallas Stars entered hockey competition in 1993.