Lewisville, TX

Lewisville, Texas, is one of the oldest cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, having been incorporated in 1925. More than 98,000 people reside in this Denton County city, with the population at a median age of 29.8 and a nearly fifty-fifty split between men and women. The city has a total area of just over 42 square miles. Temperatures tend to reach an average of 95 degrees in the hottest month, July, and a low of just under 31 degrees in January. The average annual rainfall in Lewisville is 37.37 inches.

EDUCATION

The primary school district in Lewisville is Lewisville Independent School District (LISD), one of the 100-largest school districts in the United States. The district has received the highest possible accreditation from the Texas Education Agency, and its music education programs have been ranked among the nation's 100 best.

Also located within the city limits are schools from the Coppell Independent District and four private Christian academies.

Colleges and universities located near Lewisville include:

• Texas Woman's University (14 miles away in Denton, Texas)
• Brookhaven College (15 miles away in Farmer's Branch, Texas)
• University of North Texas (17 miles away in Denton, Texas)
• University of Texas at Dallas (19 miles away in Richardson, Texas)
• Richland College (21 miles away in Dallas, Texas)
• El Centro College (23 miles away in Dallas, Texas)
• University of Texas at Arlington (24 miles away in Arlington, Texas)

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Though Lewisville was a small rural town initially, its proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and access to major highways make it a city with good prospects of growth. The city has an unemployment rate that is much lower than the national average.

The leading industries in the city are educational services and health care, social assistance, retail trade and administrative and waste management services. Construction professions are the top employers of male workers, while educational service industries are the primary employers for females.

Major employers in Lewisville include clothing manufacturer The Apparel Group Ltd. and retirement financial products giant TIAA-CREF.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

With an area of 42.3 square miles, the city accommodates 31,700 houses and has an occupancy ratio is 95 percent. Out of these, 16,100 are owner-occupied and 13,800 are renter-occupied.

Residents and visitors will need a car or some other mode of transportation to get around the city. Additionally, there are many notable attractions for residents and visitors in Lewisville, such as parks, recreation centers, shopping malls and sports complexes.

The city features Old Town Lewisville, a bustling marketplace of locally owned shops, restaurants and specialty services. For the past several years, Lewisville has made a firm commitment to Old Town with the construction of a new City Hall and fire station, completion of a Streetscape project, and allocation of grant funds for historic building facades.

EVENTS

• Hearts and Roses Ball: A semiformal ball that combines two former Lewisville social events, the Daddy and Daughter Dance and the Mother and Son Black Tie Social. This event includes dinner, dancing, and photographs, and is open to all families with children ages 4 to 13.
• Funny Bunny Festival Pancake Breakfast: Held annually at the Memorial Park Recreation Center, this Easter-themed event features a breakfast as well as carnival games, face painting, and egg hunts for children.
• Cinco de Mayo Festival: An annual street fair held in honor of the Battle of Puebla that ultimately led to Mexican independence from the French, the Cinco de Mayo Festival celebrates the heritage and culture of Mexico. Events include live musical entertainment, food, arts and crafts, and a car show.
• Sound of Lewisville Summer Concert Series: This weekly series of concerts features music from area performers in a wealth of styles, including rock and folk.
• Annual Labor Day Rodeo: Sponsored by the city and a local riding club, this weekend-long event includes a number of professional rodeo activities, such as bareback and saddled bronco riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, and barrel racing.

FOR VISITORS

• Adrenaline Adventures: This amusement/theme park features rides and fun games that make hearts race.
• Aloha Adventure Park: In addition to a miniature golf course, this park features an arcade, batting cages, and race car tracks, including one designed especially for kids.
• Vista Ridge Mall: This shopping center is home to more than 150 stores and a cinema. It has more than a million square feet of total retail floor area.
• Greater Lewisville Community Theatre: Named the 2008 Best Theatre Arts Venue by the Dallas Morning News, this fine arts center at 160 West Main Street has been putting on such productions as Chicago and Pride and Prejudice for more than a quarter of a century.
• Lewisville Lake: Known as the "Official Urban Bass Fishing Capital of Texas," this 23,000-plus acre lake is a prime location for picnicking, camping, boating, swimming, water skiing, hiking, and biking.

Lewisville is also within driving distance of several interesting locations in other cities, including dude ranches, zoos, aquariums, the Dallas Arboretum, water parks, art museums, and ballet theaters.

LOCAL MEDIA

Although more than three dozen radio stations broadcast to the Lewisville area, only one-KESS 107.9 FM, Radio La Que Buena-broadcasts from within the city limits. No TV stations originate from within Lewisville. The local general interest newspaper is the Lewisville Leader, although the area also receives coverage in the Dallas Morning News. Some residents also read the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Lewisville residents root for Dallas's professional sports teams, which include:

• Baseball: Texas Rangers
• Basketball: Dallas Mavericks
• Hockey: Dallas Stars
• Football: Dallas Cowboys
• Soccer: FC Dallas