Tarrant County
| |
|---|---|
| |
Flag 
Seal | |
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
| |
Texas's location within the U.S.
| |
| Coordinates: 32°46′N 97°17′W / 32.77°N 97.29°W / 32.77; -97.29 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1850 |
| Named for | Edward H. Tarrant |
| Seat | Fort Worth |
| Largest city | Fort Worth |
| Area | |
| • Total | 902 sq mi (2,340 km2) |
| • Land | 864 sq mi (2,240 km2) |
| • Water | 39 sq mi (100 km2) 4.3% |
| Population
(2020)
| |
| • Total | 2,110,640  |
| • Density | 2,340/sq mi (900/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 6th, 12th, 24th, 25th, 30th, 33rd |
| Website | tarrantcounty |
Tarrant County is a county located in the U.S. stateofTexas with a 2020 U.S. census population of 2,110,640, making it the third-most populous county in Texas and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seatisFort Worth.[1] Tarrant County, one of 26 counties created out of the Peters Colony, was established in 1849 and organized the next year.[2] It is named after Edward H. Tarrant, a lawyer, politician, and militia leader.
The ancestral homelands of Native American tribes: Caddo, Tonkawa, Comanche, and Cherokee covered Tarrant County. The Native American tribes resisted settlement and fought to defend their land. The Battle of Village Creek is a well known battle that took place in Tarrant County.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 902 square miles (2,340 km2), of which 864 square miles (2,240 km2) is land and 39 square miles (100 km2) (4.3%) is water.[3]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 664 | — | |
| 1860 | 6,020 | 806.6% | |
| 1870 | 5,788 | −3.9% | |
| 1880 | 24,671 | 326.2% | |
| 1890 | 41,142 | 66.8% | |
| 1900 | 52,376 | 27.3% | |
| 1910 | 108,572 | 107.3% | |
| 1920 | 152,800 | 40.7% | |
| 1930 | 197,553 | 29.3% | |
| 1940 | 225,521 | 14.2% | |
| 1950 | 361,253 | 60.2% | |
| 1960 | 538,495 | 49.1% | |
| 1970 | 716,317 | 33.0% | |
| 1980 | 860,880 | 20.2% | |
| 1990 | 1,170,103 | 35.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,446,219 | 23.6% | |
| 2010 | 1,809,034 | 25.1% | |
| 2020 | 2,110,640 | 16.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,182,947 | [4] | 3.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1850–2010[6] 2010–2019[7] | |||
| Race / ethnicity | Pop 2010[8] | Pop 2020[9] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 937,135 | 904,884 | 51.80% | 42.87% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 482,977 | 620,907 | 26.70% | 29.42% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 262,522 | 358,645 | 14.51% | 16.99% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 83,378 | 127,783 | 4.61% | 6.05% |
| Native AmericanorAlaska Native alone (NH) | 7,037 | 7,033 | 0.39% | 0.33% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 2,938 | 4,147 | 0.16% | 0.20% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 2,491 | 8,321 | 0.14% | 0.39% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 30,556 | 78,920 | 1.69% | 3.74% |
| Total | 1,809,034 | 2,110,640 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Note: the U.S. Census Bureau treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
Since the 1850 United States census, Tarrant County has experienced population growth except for the 1870 census; in 1850, the county had a population of 664, growing to 1,170,103 at the 1990 census. By the 2020 census, the county's population grew to 2,110,640.[9] Tarrant County is the second-most populous county in the Metroplex, behind Dallas County.
In 2000, the racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 71.2% White, 12.8% BlackorAfrican American, 0.6% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 9.1% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races; 19.7% of the population were HispanicorLatino of any race.[10] In 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup was 42.87% non-Hispanic white, 29.42% Hispanic or Latino American of any race, 16.99% Black or African American, 6.05% Asian alone, 0.33% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 0.39% some other race, and 3.74% multiracial.[9] Its increasing racial and ethnic diversity has reflected growing trends of diversification in Texas.[11][12][13]
In 2000, there were 533,864 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.22. As of the 2010 census, there were about 5.2 same-sex couples per 1,000 households in the county.[14]
In the county as of 2000, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $46,179, and the median income for a family was $54,068. Males had a median income of $38,486 versus $28,672 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,548. About 8.0% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over. According to the 2021 census estimates, the median income for a household in the county was $71,346.
Tarrant County, like all Texas counties, is governed by a Commissioners Court. The court consists of the county judge, who is elected county-wide and presides over the full court, and four commissioners, who are elected in each of the county's four precincts.[15]
| Office | Name | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Tim O'Hare | Republican | |
| County Commissioner, Precinct 1 | Roy Charles Brooks | Democratic | |
| County Commissioner, Precinct 2 | Alisa Simmons | Democratic | |
| County Commissioner, Precinct 3 | Gary Fickes | Republican | |
| County Commissioner, Precinct 4 | Manny Ramirez | Republican | |
| Office | Name[16][17] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Clerk | Mary Louise Nicholson | Republican | |
| Criminal District Attorney | Phil Sorrells | Republican | |
| District Clerk | Thomas A. Wilder | Republican | |
| Sheriff | Bill E. Waybourn | Republican | |
| Tax Assessor-Collector | Wendy Burgess | Republican | |
| Office | Name[16][17][18] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constable, Precinct 1 | Dale Clark | Republican | |
| Constable, Precinct 2 | Robert McGinty | Democratic | |
| Constable, Precinct 3 | Darrell Huffman | Republican | |
| Constable, Precinct 4 | Jason Scott Bedford | Republican | |
| Constable, Precinct 5 | Pedro Munoz | Democratic | |
| Constable, Precinct 6 | Jon H. Siegel | Republican | |
| Constable, Precinct 7 | Sandra Lee | Democratic | |
| Constable, Precinct 8 | Michael R. Campbell | Democratic | |
The JPS Health Network (Tarrant County Hospital District) operates the John Peter Smith Hospital and health centers.
Countywide law enforcement is provided by the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office and Tarrant County Constable's Office. All cities in the county provide their own police services, with three exceptions: Westlake contracts service from the Keller Police Department,[19] and Haslet[20] and Edgecliff Village[21] contract service from the Sheriff's Office. DFW Airport,[22] the Tarrant County Hospital District, and the Tarrant Regional Water District also provide their own police forces.
Since the disbandment of the North Tarrant County Fire Department, no countywide firefighting services exist. All municipalities provide their own fire departments. Most cities also operate their own ambulances, with two notable exceptions: Fort Worth and 14 other Tarrant County cities are served by the Metropolitan Area EMS Authority (MAEMSA), a governmental administrative agency established under an interlocal operating agreement and operating as MedStar Mobile Health,[23] while the city of Arlington contracts paramedic apparatus from private entity American Medical Response.[24]
Fire and EMS protection in unincorporated portions of Tarrant County is governed by the Tarrant County Emergency Services District #1, which administers contracts with 17 fire departments (including 10 with EMS response) and has mutual aid agreements with eight additional fire departments.[25]
CareFlite air ambulance services operate from Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.
| Office | Name[16][17] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1 | Ralph Swearingin Jr. | Republican | |
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 | Mary Tom Curnutt | Republican | |
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3 | Bill Brandt | Republican | |
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 | Chris Gregory | Republican | |
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5 | Sergio L. De Leon | Democratic | |
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 6 | Jason M. Charbonnet | Republican | |
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 7 | Kenneth Sanders | Democratic | |
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 8 | Lisa R. Woodard | Democratic | |
| Office | Name[16][17][26] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Criminal Court No. 1 | David Cook | Republican | |
| County Criminal Court No. 2 | Carey F. Walker | Republican | |
| County Criminal Court No. 3 | Bob McCoy | Republican | |
| County Criminal Court No. 4 | Deborah Nekhom | Republican | |
| County Criminal Court No. 5 | Brad Clark | Republican | |
| County Criminal Court No. 6 | Randi Hartin | Republican | |
| County Criminal Court No. 7 | Eric Starnes | Republican | |
| County Criminal Court No. 8 | Charles L. "Chuck" Vanover | Republican | |
| County Criminal Court No. 9 | Brian Bolton | Republican | |
| County Criminal Court No. 10 | Trent Loftin | Republican | |
| Office | Name[16][17] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Court at Law No. 1 | Don Pierson | Republican | |
| County Court at Law No. 2 | Jennifer Rymell | Republican | |
| County Court at Law No. 3 | Mike Hrabal | Republican | |
| Office | Name[16][17] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Probate Court No. 1 | Chris Ponder | Republican | |
| County Probate Court No. 2 | Brooke Allen | Republican | |
| Office | Name[16][17][27] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal District Court No. 1 | Elizabeth H. Beach | Republican | |
| Criminal District Court No. 2 | Wayne Salvant | Republican | |
| Criminal District Court No. 3 | Douglas Allen | Republican | |
| Criminal District Court No. 4 | Andy Porter | Republican | |
| 213th District Court | Chris Wolfe | Republican | |
| 297th District Court | David C. Hagerman | Republican | |
| 371st District Court | Ryan Hill | Republican | |
| 372nd District Court | Julie Lugo | Republican | |
| 396th District Court | George Gallagher | Republican | |
| 432nd District Court | Ruben Gonzalez Jr. | Republican | |
| 485th District Court | Steven Jumes | Republican | |
| Office | Name[16][17][28] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17th District Court | Melody Wilkinson | Republican | |
| 48th District Court | Chris Taylor | Republican | |
| 67th District Court | Don Cosby | Republican | |
| 96th District Court | J. Patrick Gallagher | Republican | |
| 141st District Court | John P. Chupp | Republican | |
| 153rd District Court | Susan Heygood McCoy | Republican | |
| 236th District Court | Tom Lowe | Republican | |
| 342nd District Court | Kimberly Fitzpatrick | Republican | |
| 348th District Court | Megan Fahey | Republican | |
| 352nd District Court | Josh Burgess | Republican | |
| Office | Name[16][17][29] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 231st District Court | Jesus "Jesse" Nevarez Jr. | Republican | |
| 233rd District Court | Kenneth Newell | Republican | |
| 322nd District Court | James Munford | Republican | |
| 324th District Court | Beth Poulos | Republican | |
| 325th District Court | Cynthia Terry | Republican | |
| 360th District Court | Patricia Baca Bennett | Republican | |
| Office | Name[16][17] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 323rd District Court | Alex Kim | Republican | |
Since the 1950s, Tarrant County has been very conservative for an urban county, and is one of the most populous Republican-leaning counties in the nation. However, it elected Democrat Jim Wright to 17 terms (1955–1989) as U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House (1987–1989), and Wright was succeeded by fellow Democrat Pete Geren (1989–1997).
Beginning in 2016, the Democratic Party rebounded to represent a larger portion of the political profile and made huge gains in Tarrant County, concentrated in several areas throughout the county: eastern Euless, Grand Prairie and eastern and southern Arlington, northern and western areas of Mansfield, large portions of Fort Worth, particularly the area surrounding the Stockyards and Meacham Airport, southern and eastern Fort Worth, especially in dense metro areas and along I-35W, and Forest Hill.[30]
Republicans are dominant in many of the rural areas of the county, downtown and western Fort Worth and north of Loop 820, and almost all suburban areas including Benbrook, rural Mansfield areas and western Arlington, Haltom City, Mid-Cities (Hurst, Euless, and Bedford), and the northern suburbs.[30]
The county has leaned Republican in United States Senate races since Democrat Lloyd Bentsen's 1988 victory, but in the 2018 election Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke carried Tarrant, though losing statewide to incumbent Ted Cruz.[31]
In 2020, Joe Biden carried the county with 49.3% (toDonald Trump's 49.1%) in the 2020 presidential election, the first win for a Democratic presidential ticket in Tarrant County since Texas native Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and the closest race in the county since 1976, which was won by the razor thin margin of 1,826 votes (The margin of votes in 2020, in comparison, was 1,836 votes). Many other suburban Texas counties, including Tarrant's immediate neighbors in Denton County and Collin County as well as those around Houston and Austin, have shown similar trends since 2016.[32]
From the 1893 beginning of U.S. House District 12, there have been two Republicans in 127 years elected to the U.S. House for the western half of Tarrant County; from the 1875 inception of U.S. House District 6, there have been three Republicans in 145 years elected to the U.S. House for the eastern portion of Tarrant County, including former congressman and senator Phil Gramm's election as both a Democrat and a Republican after he switched parties in 1983 to run for re-election. The first Republican elected to the State Senate from Tarrant County since Reconstruction was Betty Andujar in 1972.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 409,741 | 49.09% | 411,567 | 49.31% | 13,389 | 1.60% |
| 2016 | 345,921 | 51.74% | 288,392 | 43.14% | 34,201 | 5.12% |
| 2012 | 348,920 | 57.12% | 253,071 | 41.43% | 8,899 | 1.46% |
| 2008 | 348,420 | 55.43% | 274,880 | 43.73% | 5,253 | 0.84% |
| 2004 | 349,462 | 62.39% | 207,286 | 37.01% | 3,393 | 0.61% |
| 2000 | 286,921 | 60.74% | 173,758 | 36.78% | 11,710 | 2.48% |
| 1996 | 208,312 | 50.85% | 170,431 | 41.60% | 30,901 | 7.54% |
| 1992 | 183,387 | 38.90% | 156,230 | 33.14% | 131,779 | 27.96% |
| 1988 | 242,660 | 61.24% | 151,310 | 38.19% | 2,267 | 0.57% |
| 1984 | 248,050 | 67.25% | 120,147 | 32.57% | 665 | 0.18% |
| 1980 | 173,466 | 56.86% | 121,068 | 39.69% | 10,532 | 3.45% |
| 1976 | 124,433 | 50.05% | 122,287 | 49.18% | 1,911 | 0.77% |
| 1972 | 151,596 | 68.55% | 69,187 | 31.29% | 355 | 0.16% |
| 1968 | 81,786 | 42.88% | 79,705 | 41.79% | 29,256 | 15.34% |
| 1964 | 56,593 | 36.71% | 97,092 | 62.98% | 473 | 0.31% |
| 1960 | 72,813 | 54.75% | 59,385 | 44.66% | 788 | 0.59% |
| 1956 | 66,329 | 59.65% | 43,922 | 39.50% | 946 | 0.85% |
| 1952 | 63,680 | 57.97% | 45,968 | 41.85% | 194 | 0.18% |
| 1948 | 17,157 | 28.25% | 36,325 | 59.81% | 7,257 | 11.95% |
| 1944 | 4,113 | 8.05% | 36,791 | 72.05% | 10,161 | 19.90% |
| 1940 | 7,474 | 17.15% | 36,062 | 82.73% | 53 | 0.12% |
| 1936 | 3,781 | 11.20% | 29,791 | 88.24% | 190 | 0.56% |
| 1932 | 5,251 | 15.67% | 27,836 | 83.06% | 426 | 1.27% |
| 1928 | 20,481 | 68.99% | 9,208 | 31.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 5,859 | 26.45% | 13,673 | 61.73% | 2,619 | 11.82% |
| 1920 | 3,486 | 20.38% | 12,431 | 72.66% | 1,191 | 6.96% |
| 1916 | 1,550 | 12.69% | 10,269 | 84.08% | 394 | 3.23% |
| 1912 | 548 | 6.13% | 7,222 | 80.79% | 1,169 | 13.08% |
| District | Name[34] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 11 | Patricia Hardy | Republican | |
| District 13 | Erika Beltran | Democratic | |
| District | Name[34] | Party | Residence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | Ramon Romero Jr. | Democratic | Fort Worth | |
| 91 | Stephanie Klick | Republican | Fort Worth | |
| 92 | Salman Bhojani | Democratic | Euless | |
| 93 | Nate Schatzline | Republican | Fort Worth | |
| 94 | Tony Tinderholt | Republican | Arlington | |
| 95 | Nicole Collier | Democratic | Fort Worth | |
| 96 | David Cook | Republican | Arlington | |
| 97 | Craig Goldman | Republican | Fort Worth | |
| 98 | Giovanni Capriglione | Republican | Southlake | |
| 99 | Charlie Geren | Republican | River Oaks | |
| 101 | Chris Turner | Democratic | Grand Prairie | |
| District | Name[34] | Party | Residence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Kelly Hancock | Republican | Fort Worth | |
| 10 | Phil King | Republican | Weatherford | |
| 12 | Jane Nelson | Republican | Flower Mound | |
| 22 | Brian Birdwell | Republican | Granbury | |
| 23 | Royce West | Democratic | Dallas | |
| District | Name[34] | Party | Residence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas's 6th congressional district | Jake Ellzey | Republican | Waxahachie | |
| Texas's 12th congressional district | Kay Granger | Republican | Fort Worth | |
| Texas's 24th congressional district | Beth Van Duyne | Republican | Irving | |
| Texas's 25th congressional district | Roger Williams | Republican | Weatherford | |
| Texas's 26th congressional district | Michael Burgess | Republican | Lewisville | |
| Texas's 30th congressional district | Jasmine Crockett | Democratic | Dallas | |
| Texas's 33rd congressional district | Marc Veasey | Democratic | Fort Worth | |
Under the Texas Education Code, Tarrant County is the entire official service area of Tarrant County College (formerly Tarrant County Junior College).[35]
Universities in Tarrant County include:
Public schools in Texas are organized into independent school districts and charter schools. Tarrant County is also home to dozens of private high schools and nearly 100 lower-level private schools.[36]
Those serving the county include:[37]
Masonic Home Independent School District formerly served a part of the county.[38] In 2005 it merged into FWISD.[39]
![[icon]](https://akarinohon.com/text/taketori.cgi/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} |
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2008)
|
I-20
I-30
I-35W
I-635
I-820
US 81
US 287
Bus. US 287
US 377
SH 10
SH 26
SH 97
SH 114
SH 121
FM 156
FM 157
SH 161
SH 170
SH 180
SH 183
SH 303
SH 360Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is partially in the cities of Grapevine and Euless in Tarrant County and IrvinginDallas County.
Fort Worth Alliance Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located 14 miles (23 km) north of the central business district of Fort Worth on Interstate-35W. Billed as the world's first purely industrial airport, it was developed in a joint venture between the City of Fort Worth, the Federal Aviation Administration and Hillwood Development Company, a real estate development company owned by H. Ross Perot Jr. Alliance Airport has 9600' and 8200' runways.
Fort Worth Meacham International Airport is located at the intersection of Interstate 820 and U.S. Business Highway 287 in northwest Fort Worth, 5 miles from the downtown business district. Meacham International Airport has two parallel runways.
Fort Worth Spinks Airport is located 14 miles south of the downtown business district. The airport is located at the intersection of Interstate-35W and HWY 1187 and serves as a reliever airport for Fort Worth Meacham International Airport and Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport.
Places adjacent to Tarrant County, Texas
| ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
|
Municipalities and communities of Tarrant County, Texas, United States
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |
|
|
| Towns |
| |
| CDPs |
| |
| Other communities |
| |
| Historical communities |
| |
| Ghost towns |
| |
| Footnotes | ‡ This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| ||
|
| |
|---|---|
| Topics |
|
| Counties |
|
| Major cities |
|
| Cities and towns 100k–300k |
|
| Cities and towns 25k–99k |
|
| Cities and towns 10k–25k |
|
| International |
|
|---|---|
| National |
|
| Geographic |
|
| Other |
|
32°46′N 97°17′W / 32.77°N 97.29°W / 32.77; -97.29
