Arlen, Texas
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The series King of the Hill takes place in a fictional town called Arlen, Texas.
The location of the fictional town (Arlen) relative to real-life locations is never explicitly stated within the series. Characters refer to Madero, Houston, and Wichita Falls as if they are near, and Hank's preference for Dallas-based sports teams implies that Arlen lies within the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, although artistic license may be a factor here. The Hills rely on Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport for their air travel, which is 213 miles from Rainey Street in Austin (ZIP code 78701). In a Thanksgiving episode Hank says that it will take them four hours to get to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, approximately. In several episodes, Hank's mail shows 78104 or 78701 ZIP codes, the postal codes for Beeville, Texas and Austin, Texas, respectively, although the 78104 may have been 78704, which would also be an Austin ZIP code. The telephone number painted on the Strickland Propane truck has 409 area code, placing it in southeast Texas. Hank and Peggy have made day trips into Mexico when the peso was devalued, indicating a short distance from the international border. Kahn, Hank's Laotian neighbor, commutes into Houston, which is a three-hour drive from Arlen. Houston is 170 miles from Austin. It is also revealed that on a clear night, residents of Arlen can get broadcast television from San Antonio, some 80 miles away. Austin is near a small bedroom community named Manor (pronounced may-nor) from which McMaynorberry (sic) may be derived, although the two have nothing in common. Much speculation has noted that Arlen, Texas is probably Temple, Texas, based on distances to Austin, Dallas, and Houston listed in the show. Temple is the location of Scott and White Hospital of Texas A&M Health Science Center, and as such, it is noted that Bobby drove to this hospital, arguably the most recognizable in all of central texas. Temple is 3 hours from Houston, but Scott and White is 2.5 hours away. Dallas is 3 hours to Temple, but with the DFW airport 4 hours away due to it being in northern Dallas, and San Antonio as well as Austin are not far away either. Temple is located approximately 200 miles northeast from the Mexican border, allowing for a day trip.
In the episode "As Old as the Hills", Hank and Peggy are having their 20th anniversary and Bobby is spending the weekend with Cotton and Didi in Houston. Didi goes into labor and Bobby doesn't know where the hospital is in Houston. He instead drives to the Arlen hospital, which he says is 2 hours away, and a sign is shown that says "Arlen 96 miles". In the episode "Hank and the Great Glass Elevator," Bill tells Ann Richards that Rainey Street is only a few miles from Interstate 35, which runs from Laredo (on the Mexican border), through San Antonio, Austin, and the Dallas-Ft. Worth "Metroplex". Possible evidence against Arlen being near Dallas is that in "Peggy the Boggle Champ", Hank has distaste for Peggy attending a Boggle tournament there, stating that Dallas is full of "crackheads" and ensures his car doors are locked at all times and is even wary of valet drivers.
According to the series, Arlen, one of George Bush's "Communities of Excellence," has a population of 15,900. It was originally founded as "Harlottown," later shortened to "Harlen," by settlers during the westward migrations of the 1800s. The town was then known for its large population of prostitutes. City leaders renamed the town to its current name as a way to turn around the city's image. Arlen's current major industry is meat processing, and the town is home to at least one major pig processing facility. Most of Arlen's Main Street businesses were forced into bankruptcy after the opening of the local Mega Lo Mart. The chain store closed down Arlen's bait-and-tackle shop (Lay-a-way Ray's), its hardware store, and briefly, its propane supplier. Arlen is also home to several educational institutions such as Roger Staubach Elementary School, Tom Landry Middle School, Arlen High School, Arlen Community College and Arlen University. Arlen seems to be based upon Garland, TX, a suburb of Dallas, but sounds almost like Arlington, Texas.
