Dallas Area Information

Business opportunities. Affordable housing. Higher education. Arts and entertainment. More than 350 people move to the greater Dallas, Texas area every day—and they’re drawn to this dynamic region for countless reasons. With a city population of nearly 1.3 million and more than 6 million people in the surrounding metropolitan area, Dallas is a major corporate and cultural hub. Only New York City is home to more top 1,000 public companies and top 1,000 private companies.

Dallas has a unique sense of style reflected in beautiful residential neighborhoods, renowned restaurants, and world-class shopping. Along with neighboring Fort Worth and the rest of the Metroplex area, it’s also a top cultural destination with the largest urban arts district in the United States. With museums, galleries, public art and performance venues, seven major professional sports teams, and unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities, Dallas’ energy and diversity make it an ideal place to live, work, and go to school.

Dallas Facts

Dallas, Texas is a city of great diversity, opportunities, and contrasts. From mundane to amazing, here are a few facts about our dynamic hometown and the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area.

Quality of Life

  • Dallas’ cost of living is 6.1 percent below the national average and the sixth-lowest among 27 metropolitan areas. Local housing is 21.4 percent below the U.S. average of 100.
  • The average business commute time in and around Dallas is 27 minutes, relatively short compared to major U.S. metropolitan areas.
  • Hispanic Magazine recently ranked Dallas #4 among the top U.S. cities for Hispanics. Just over 2.3 million inhabitants of Dallas, Texas are Hispanic, making it the largest minority group. Several organizations such as the area's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Bar Association, DFW Hispanic Bankers, a society for Hispanic engineers, and the DFW Minority Business Development Council make for an excellent support system for Latino professionals.
  • The City of Dallas, Texas maintains and operates 41 community and neighborhood recreation centers, 232 playgrounds, 173 basketball courts, 112 volleyball courts, 126 play slabs, 258 neighborhood tennis courts, 258 picnic areas, 69 miles of hiking and biking trails including Katy Trail, six 18-hole golf courses, two driving ranges, a 100-acre zoo, 260 acres at Fair Park, and 477 athletic fields.
  • Dallas, Texas is home to seven major professional sports teams including football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer.
  • Dallas, Texas has the highest number of shopping centers per capita in the United States and North Park Mall draws in more revenue per unit area than any other retail complex in the U.S.
  • The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area has more restaurants per capita than any other metropolitan area in the United States.

Government

  • Dallas, Texas holds the highest municipal bond rating among large cities in the United States.
  • Dallas, Texas has expanded its Convention Center facilities to more than 1 million square feet. The center is now capable of accommodating up to four major conventions at one time and provides rooftop helicopter landing facilities.
  • While many cities across the country are encountering water shortages, the long-term water-supply plan developed by Dallas, Texas water utilities has ensured that the citizens will have sufficient water supply well through 2050.

Business Climate

  • Texas is the #1 State for doing business according to CEO Magazine in 2015.
  • Total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for DFW reached $440 billion in 2014.
  • 18 Fortune 500 companies, 9 Forbes top private companies, and 40 among the Fortune 1000 call the region home.
  • Texas is the #3 state in the U.S. and DFW the #5 metropolitan area for corporate relocations, according to Site Selection Magazine.
  • Dallas has the 6th largest concentration of high-tech jobs in the U.S.  More than Houston, Seattle, San Jose and Austin.
  • DFW has one of the most diverse economies in the nation, reporting between 4 and 22 percent of the workforce in each of the major industrial sectors except mining, which has less than 1 percent.
  • DFW has no personal or corporate income tax and no state property or unitary tax.

Health Care

  • DFW is home to 90 hospitals, with more than 15,000 beds and more than 11,000 physicians practicing a total of 78 specialties.
  • The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Texas - (a medical school and research university for graduate level science adjacent to Parkland Hospital) - is home to 15 members of the National Academy of Sciences and five : four in physiology and one in chemistry.
  • The DFW region is a leading medical center for burns and trauma care and a leading transplant center of the Southwest.

Arts and Culture

  • The arts in Dallas, Texas add $57.6 billion to the annual economy and the cultural budget per capita is $7.23.
  • Dallas, Texas houses the largest Urban Arts District in the United States. The district is home to the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Dallas Museum of Art. Construction is now under way on the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, which will be composed of five venues: the Winspear Opera House, the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, the City Performance Hall, the Grand Plaza and the Annette Strauss Artist Square.
  • Fair Park is home to the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world and the tallest Ferris wheel in North America. The park hosts the largest state fair in the country, the State Fair of Texas, and is home to the largest cowboy in the world: Big Tex, a 52-foot speaking cowboy statue.
  • Dallas, Texas is home to renowned art collections, including the $20 million Hamon Building collection; the $38 million Reves collection at the Dallas Museum of Art; 400 pieces of Egyptian and Nubian art at the DMA; the African-American Museum of Art; the Museum of Africa, Asia, and The Pacific with rare collections of Indonesian art and textiles; the Museum of Contemporary Art; the Museum of the Americas; the Museum of Europe; the Meadows Museum of Art at ÃÛÌÒ½´featuring 15th- through 20th-century Spanish art.

Accessibility

  • DFW International Airport is the ninth busiest in passenger activity in the world, serving more than 63 million passengers in 2014.
  • Dallas Love Field Airport, located three miles from downtown Dallas, Texas is home to Southwest Airlines and serves more than 8 million passengers a year.
  • The Dallas, Texas region is served by 15 international and 12 domestic airlines, including DFW International Airport-based American Airlines and Love Field-based Southwest Airlines.
  • Direct flight time from DFW to nearly any city in the continental U.S. takes four hours.
  • DFW’s central location is equally close to North America’s five largest business centers: Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York City, and Toronto.

Adapted from the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce's Fact Sheet:

[Note: The contents of the sites listed above - or Secondary Information Sources - are the sole responsibility of the individuals who constructed them and do not necessarily represent the policies or opinions of ÃÛÌÒ½´Methodist University Comments. Comments regarding these pages should be directed to those responsible for them.]

In a city as large and varied as Dallas, Texas; there’s never a reason to be bored. Whether you like arts or athletics, reading or running, shopping or stargazing, Dallas has something for everyone. Here’s just a sample of things to enjoy in and around Dallas, Texas. For more ideas, visit the and

  • in Fair Park
  • Dallas & Botanical Garden at White Rock Lake
  • downtown
  • Take a train ride!
  • Fair Park. Home of the Texas State Fair every September and October
  • Farmers Market just south of downtown. For fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables
  • downtown. Fun and refreshing on a hot afternoon
  • at Love Field
  • in Plano. A historic house and four-acre living farm
  • near downtown Dallas. Experience Texas life in 1861
  • Pegasus Plaza. An urban park at Main and Akard downtown
  • One of Dallas' newest points of interest. Tickets typically need to be purchased days in advanced.
  • Neiman Marcus downtown—the legendary original downtown store
  • at the Hyatt Regency downtown. Amazing views of Dallas from top of landmark tower
  • north of Dallas. Open April to September
  • Southfork Ranch. Famous home of the Ewing family from the television’s “Dallas” series
  • ÃÛÌÒ½´Methodist University



[Note: The contents of the sites listed above - or Secondary Information Sources - are the sole responsibility of the individuals who constructed them and do not necessarily represent the policies or opinions of ÃÛÌÒ½´Methodist University Comments. Comments regarding these pages should be directed to those responsible for them.]

The Dallas,Texas area climate ranges from humid to arid, with temperatures varying widely throughout the year. Winters can bring sudden drops in temperature, but because they’re short-lived, we often enjoy mild weather even in January.

Late-March to mid-October offers Dallas, Texas residents warmer temperatures—typically mid-70s to high-90s. The highest temperatures of summer are associated with fair skies, mild wind, and low humidity. Summer daytime temperatures can exceed 100 degrees at times.

Early-November through February is the coldest season with temperatures ranging from 30 to 50 degrees. For current weather conditions and more details, visit .

[Note: The contents of the sites listed above - or Secondary Information Sources - are the sole responsibility of the individuals who constructed them and do not necessarily represent the policies or opinions of ÃÛÌÒ½´Methodist University Comments. Comments regarding these pages should be directed to those responsible for them.]

Dallas,Texas is a city that grew up with the automobile. Although driving is still the way to go for most Dallasites, the city offers many transportation options, including extensive light-rail and bus service provided by Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

Dallas,Texas is accessible through two airports — Dallas/Fort Worth International, located between Dallas and Fort Worth, and Love Field, located just northwest of downtown Dallas. Most airlines serve the Dallas, Texas region, which functions as a major hub and headquarters for American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

You can find ground transportation information boards at both airports near the baggage claim area inside your terminal. Taxicab service and other ground transportation are available outside the terminal exits. Shuttle service is available from SuperShuttle Dallas/Fort Worth and other carriers.

Here are some helpful links for planning transportation to Dallas — and in and around the city.

  • - providing commuter rail service between Dallas and Fort Worth

[Note: The contents of the sites listed above - or Secondary Information Sources - are the sole responsibility of the individuals who constructed them and do not necessarily represent the policies or opinions of ÃÛÌÒ½´Methodist University Comments. Comments regarding these pages should be directed to those responsible for them.]