Carrollton, TX

Located 14 miles north of downtown Dallas, the city of Carrollton occupies 37 square miles in Denton, Dallas, and Collin counties. Carrollton is part of the Metrocrest, an area made up of four northwest Dallas County cities-Addison, Farmers Branch, and Coppell-that is served by one chamber of commerce.

Named by pioneer homesteaders who moved to the area from Carrollton, Illinois, in 1844, Carrollton was primarily an agricultural community until the Dallas and Wichita railroad was extended to Denton in 1880. By 1885 the population of Carrollton had grown to 150, and the town included a school and two churches as well as cotton gins and flour mills. Three years later, when the Cotton Belt rail line reached Carrollton, the town emerged as a shipping hub for cotton, livestock, and grain.

Today Carrollton's population is around 122,000. In 2008 Money magazine named Carrollton one of the top 15 places to live in the United States.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

More than 5,000 businesses now operate in Carrollton. The city is the only Foreign Trade Zone in North Dallas and sits only ten miles west of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The workforce is involved primarily in the following sectors:

• Managerial/professional
• Service
• Sales/office
• Construction/maintenance
• Production/transportation

Top employers in the area include:

• Stream International
• ST Microelectronics Semiconductors
• Halliburton Energy Services
• City of Carrollton

Additionally, the city serves as headquarters for several businesses, including Heely, Inc., FastSigns International, and Home Interiors and Gifts, Inc.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Carrollton accommodates about 40,500 houses with an occupancy ratio of about 97 percent. Out of the occupied houses, owner occupied houses tally to 25,000 and renter occupied houses account to about 13,500.

Carrollton's prominent residential neighborhoods include:

• The Francis Perry Estates neighborhood, located south of Belt Line Road and west of Josey Lane, was developed in the mid-1940s. This family-friendly neighborhood is within close proximity to local public schools and the Crosby Recreational Center.
• The Carrollton Highlands neighborhood was developed in the mid-1950s and is adjacent to Francis Perry Estates.
• Rollingwood Estates comprises more than 900 homes built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This neighborhood includes Martha Pointer Park and is located just east of Trinity Valley Shopping Center.
• Holiday Park is the southern-most residential neighborhood in Carrollton. The neighborhood was developed in the early 1960s and comprises nearly 400 single-family homes.

FAMILY FUN

Covering 1,200 acres of land, Carrollton's 52 parks offer athletic fields, playground equipment, and picnic pavilions, as well as other amenities.

Carrollton's park system also includes such natural attractions as the Elm Fork Nature Preserve, a 40-acre self-contained ecosystem, where hiking trails are accessible every day from dawn to dusk. Along with an interpretive center, the facility offers a library, environmental education classes, and guided hikes.

Running alongside the Trinity River, the undeveloped Dimension Track features a 14-acre pond, wetlands, native vegetation, river bottom terrain, and a launch site for canoes and kayaks.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

In addition to the vast number of cultural opportunities in nearby Dallas, Carrollton itself champions the performing arts, including:

• Carrollton Wind Symphony: A professional group that performs throughout the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, the Carrollton Wind Symphony prides itself on playing some of the most challenging band music.
• Brookhaven College School of the Arts: At the school's newly constructed performance hall, audience members can appreciate plays, dance festivals, and nationally recognized entertainers.
• Dallas School of Music, Inc.: This institution offers individual and group instruction for all woodwind, brass, string, percussion, and voice instruments. The Dallas School of Music serves students of all ages and ability levels.

EVENTS

• Chocolate Walk, Girl's Night Out: Twice a year downtown merchants extend their hours for this special ladies-only event. Friends meet to dine and shop in exclusive downtown stores, where chocolate samples are available for snacking.
• Men's Night Out: Every December, men have their own special night downtown for eating, drinking, and merrymaking, as well as holiday shopping.
• Flower Power, Living Green: Visitors to this April event learn tips for earth-friendly living from area garden clubs, nurseries, and organic gardening specialists.
• Old-Fashioned Fourth: This unique Fourth of July celebration features a variety of restored vintage cars and trucks, an experience accompanied by music from the 1950s and 1960s.
• Pink on the Square: Benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, this annual September walk unites hundreds of participants seeking to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. After the walk, vendors and health-care specialists are on hand with information and products.
• Santa Fe Days: Bringing the tastes, sound, and sights of New Mexico to Texas, Native American artists gather in downtown Carrollton to display handcrafted jewelry, pottery, sculpture, and other works of art celebrating their Native American heritage. Along with authentic food and music, educational demonstrations throughout the two-day festival provide the cultural experience for visitors.
• Christmas on the Square: While not many cities in Texas see a white Christmas, downtown Carrollton kicks off the holiday season with an extravagant family-oriented celebration, complete with drifts of actual snow. Activities include tubing down a snow-covered hill, Christmas caroling, riding a stagecoach, and reenactments of life in the Wild West.

FUN FACTS

Although Carrollton is not home to any professional sports teams, several professional athletes hail from Carrollton:

• Travis Wilson, Dallas Cowboys football team
• Jason Maxiell, Detroit Pistons basketball team
• Taylor Teagarden, Texas Rangers baseball team
• Deron Williams, Utah Jazz basketball team