North Texas

North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas, Northeastern 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.

This article is about the region of Texas. For the university in Denton, see University of North Texas.

Map of North 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.[1] During the early years of the Civil War, there were many Unionists in the rural counties, as there were 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.

Climate

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".

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.[2]

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):[3][4]

Collin Dallas Denton Ellis Erath Hood Hunt

Johnson Kaufman Navarro Palo Pinto Parker Rockwall

Somervell Tarrant Wise

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."

Nortex Regional Planning Commission:[3][5] Archer Baylor Clay Cottle Foard Hardeman Jack Montague Wichita Wilbarger Young

Texoma Council of Governments:[3][6] Cooke Fannin Grayson

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	264,537	5	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

Addison Aledo Alma Alvarado Alvord Angus Anna Annetta Annetta North Annetta South Archer City Argyle Aubrey Aurora Azle Bailey Balch Springs Bardwell Barry Bartonville Bedford Bellevue Bells Benbrook Blooming Grove Blue Mound Blue Ridge Bonham Bowie Boyd Brazos Bend Breckenridge Briaroaks Bridgeport Bryson Burkburnett Burleson Byers Caddo Mills Callisburg Campbell Cashion Community Cedar Hill Celeste Celina Chico Chillicothe Cleburne Cockrell Hill Colleyville

Collinsville Commerce Cool Copper Canyon Combine Coppell Corinth Corral City Corsicana Cottonwood Coyote Flats Crandall Cresson Cross Roads Cross Timber Crowell Crowley Dalworthington Gardens Dawson Decatur Dean DeCordova Denison Desoto Dish Dodd City Dorchester Double Oak Dublin Duncanville Eagle Mountain Ector Edgecliff Village Elizabethtown Emhouse Ennis Euless Eureka Everman Fairview Farmers Branch Farmersville Fate Ferris Forest Hill Forney Frost Gainesville Garrett Glen Rose

Glenn Heights Godley Goodlow Gordon Graford Graham Granbury Grandview Grapevine Greenville Gunter Hackberry Haltom City Haslet Hawk Cove Heath Hebron Henrietta Hickory Creek Highland Park Highland Village Holliday Honey Grove Howe Hudson Oaks Hurst Hutchins Iowa Park Italy Jacksboro Jolly Josephine Joshua Justin Kaufman Keene Keller Kemp Kennedale Kerens Knollwood Krugerville Ladonia Lancaster Lake Bridgeport Lake Dallas Lake Worth Lakeside Lakeside City Lakewood Village

Lavon Leonard Lewisville Lincoln Park Lindsay Lipan Little Elm Lone Oak Lowry Crossing Lucas Mabank Mansfield Maypearl Megargel McLendon-Chisholm Melissa Meridian Mesquite Midlothian Mildred Milford Millsap Mineral Wells Mingus Mobile City Muenster Murphy Mustang Navarro Nevada New Fairview New Hope Newark Newcastle Neylandville Nocona Northlake North Richland Hills Oak Grove Oak Leaf Oak Point Oak Ridge (Cooke County) Oak Ridge (Kaufman County) Oak Valley Olney Ovilla Paducah Palmer Pantego Paradise

Parker Pecan Hill Pelican Bay Petrolia Pilot Point Pleasant Valley Ponder Post Oak Bend City Pottsboro Powell Princeton Prosper Providence Village Quanah Quinlan Ravenna Red Oak Retreat Rhome Reno Rice Richland Richland Hills Rio Vista River Oaks Roanoke Rockwall Rowlett Royse City Runaway Bay Sachse Sadler Saginaw Sanctuary Sanger Sansom Park Savoy Seagoville Scotland Scurry Seymour Shady Shores Sherman Southlake Southmayd Springtown St. Jo St. Paul Stephenville

Strawn Sunnyvale Talty Terrell The Colony Tioga Tolar Tom Bean Trenton Trophy Club Union Valley University Park Valley View Van Alstyne Venus Vernon Waxahachie Watauga Weatherford West Tawakoni Westlake Westover Hills Westworth Village Whitesboro White Settlement Whitewright Wilmer Windom Windthorst Wolfe City Wylie

Statistical areas

In the North Texas region there is one combined statistical area, three metropolitan areas, and six micropolitan areas.

Dallas–Fort Worth TX-OK Combined Statistical Area

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)

• Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington (Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, and Wise counties)
• Sherman-Denison (Grayson County)

Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSAs)

• Athens (Henderson County) (In East Texas)
• Corsicana (Navarro County)
• Durant, OK (Bryan County, Oklahoma) (In Oklahoma)
• Gainesville (Cooke County)
• Granbury (Hood and Somervell counties)
• Mineral Wells (Palo Pinto County)
• Sulphur Springs (Hopkins County) (In East Texas)

Wichita Falls area

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)

• Wichita Falls (Archer, Clay, Wichita counties)

Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSAs)

• Vernon (Wilbarger County)

Other

Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSAs)

• Stephenville (Erath County)

Economy

Top employers

[7] Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex

Company	No. of employees locally	Type of business
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.	34,000	Retail
American Airlines	27,000	Commercial airline
Texas Health Resources	22,296	Health care
Dallas Independent School District	19,740	Education
Baylor Health Care System	16,500	Health care

[8] Wichita Falls Metropolitan Area

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Sheppard Air Force Base	12,272
2	Wichita Falls Independent School District	2,059
3	North Texas State Hospital	1,974
4	United Regional Health Care System	1,778
5	City of Wichita Falls	1,477
6	Midwestern State University	1,284
7	James V. Allred Unit	971
8	Cryovac	732
9	Work Services Corporation	730
10	Howmet Castings	704

[9] Sherman–Denison Metropolitan Area

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Tyson Foods	1,400
2	Texoma Health Systems	1,375
3	Texas Instruments	1,200
4	Cigna	1,000
5	Wilson N Jones Health Systems	1,000

Colleges and universities

Public universities

School	Enrollment	Location	Mascot	Athletic Affiliation (Conference)	University System
University of Texas at Arlington	39,714	Arlington	Mavericks	NCAA Division I (Sun Belt) Non–Football	University of Texas System
University of North Texas	37,979	Denton	Mean Green	NCAA Division I FBS (C–USA)	University of North Texas System
University of Texas at Dallas	26,793	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	13,049	Stephenville	Texans	NCAA Division II (Lone Star)	Texas A&M University System
Texas A&M University–Commerce	12,385	Commerce	Lions	NCAA Division II (Lone Star)	Texas A&M University System
Midwestern State University	6,080	Wichita Falls	Mustangs	NCAA Division II (Lone Star)	Independent
University of North Texas at Dallas	3,030	Dallas	Trailblazers	No Athletics (N/A)	University of North Texas System

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

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
• Falls Ride
• Trinity Metro
• TAPS

Major highways

Interstates

Interstate 20

Interstate 35E

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U.S. Routes

U.S. Route 75

U.S. Route 82

U.S. Route 287

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Tollways

Dallas North Tollway

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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

Club	Sport	Founded	League	Venue
Allen Americans	Hockey	2009	ECHL	Allen Event Center
Dallas Sidekicks	Indoor soccer	2012	Major Arena Soccer League	Allen Event Center
Frisco RoughRiders	Baseball	2003^	Texas League	Dr Pepper Ballpark
Fort Worth Cats	Baseball	2001	ULB	LaGrave Field
Fort Worth Vaqueros	Soccer	2014	NPSL	LaGrave Field
Grand Prairie AirHogs	Baseball	2007	AAIPBL	QuikTrip Park
Texas Legends	Basketball	2010^	NBA G League	Dr Pepper Arena
Texas Revolution	Indoor football	2011^	Champions Indoor Football	Allen Event Center
Texas Wild	Tennis	2013^	World Team Tennis	Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas

^- Indicates year team relocated to the area

Division I college athletics

School	City	Mascot	Conference
University of Texas at Arlington	Arlington	Mavericks	Sun Belt Conference
University of North Texas	Denton	Eagles	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.

See also

• List of geographical regions in Texas
• Dallas/Fort Worth Area Tourism Council

References

1. W5JCK Map of North-Central Texas Counties
2. https://www.weather.gov/fwd/dnarrative
3. Counties by Regional Councils of Governments
4. www.NCTCOG.org
5. "Counties". Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
6. Texoma Council of Governments
7. Dallas Business Journal 2016
8. City of Wichita CAFR
9. "Sherman-Denison Employers". Archived from the original on 2015-06-11. Retrieved 2016-06-02.