Denton, Texas
| City of Denton | |||
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| Nickname(s): Little D, Redbud Capital of Texas | |||
| Motto: North of Ordinary | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
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| State | Texas | ||
| County | Denton | ||
| Settled | 1857 | ||
| Incorporated | 1866 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Council-Manager | ||
| - Mayor | Mark Burroughs | ||
| - City Manager | George C. Campbell | ||
| - City Attorney | Anita Burgess | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 62.3 sq mi (161.5 km²) | ||
| - Land | 61.5 sq mi (159.3 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 642 ft (201 m) | ||
| Population (2007)[1] | |||
| - City | 115,506 | ||
| - Density | 1,878.1/sq mi (725.1/km²) | ||
| - Metro | 6,145,037 | ||
| - Demonym | Dentonite | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CST (UTC-5) | ||
| Zip Codes | 76201 through 76210 | ||
| Area code(s) | 940 | ||
| FIPS code | 48-19972[2] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1334260[3] | ||
Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. According to the 2000 census, the city's population was 80,537, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The July 2007 United States Census Bureau estimate, however, gave Denton's population as 115,506,[1] and named the city as the nation's tenth fastest-growing city among those with over 100,000 people.[1]
Denton is home to two state universities, the University of North Texas, the largest university in North Texas and the third largest in Texas,[4] and Texas Woman's University, the largest state-supported university for women in the United States.
Both the city and county were named after John B. Denton, a pioneer, preacher, lawyer and Texas Militia Captain. Residents of Denton are known as "Dentonites" and the city has been known as the "Redbud Capital of Texas" since 1993.[5] In 2006, Money magazine named Denton no. 58 out of the "Top 100 Best Places to Live in America."[6] In 2008, Paste magazine named the "Best Music Scene" for 2008.[7]
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Geography
Denton is located at the northern edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area at the intersection of I-35 and U.S. Highways 380, 377 and 77. It is also here that I-35E and I-35W, which split south of the Metroplex at Hillsboro and go through Dallas and Fort Worth respectively, rejoin to form I-35 on its way north to Oklahoma City.
Denton is located at (33.216296, -97.129194).[8]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 62.3 square miles (161.4 km²), of which, 61.5 square miles (159.3 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (1.33%) is water.
Demographics
Denton's population increased in its first century primarily due to its role as a local agricultural trade center and subsequently when it became host to two universities. Since the mid 1900s, Denton has grown as a result of its proximity to Dallas and Fort Worth. According to July 2007 population estimates, Denton is the 213th largest city in the U.S., but only the 24th largest in Texas.[9]
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 80,537 people, 30,895 households, and 16,405 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,309.7 people per square mile (505.7/km²). There were 32,716 housing units at an average density of 532.0/sq mi (205.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.62% White, 9.12% African American, 0.58% Native American, 3.39% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 8.85% from other races, and 2.40% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race comprised 16.38% of the population.
There were 30,895 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population consists of 20.7% under the age of 18, 25.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,422, and the median income for a family was $51,419. Males had a median income of $33,698 versus $26,037 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,365. About 8.7% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
History
Denton was founded in 1857 because of the need for a county seat. Denton, as well as Denton County, was named after John B. Denton, a prominent Methodist lawyer and Indian fighter. The city was ultimately incorporated in 1866, when J.B. Sawyer was elected the first mayor.
Government and politics
Denton's city government is organized using the council-manager form of government. The current mayor is Mark Burroughs. The city manager is George C. Campbell. Council members include:
- Charlye Heggins, councilmember (district 1)
- Rudy Moreno, councilmember (district 2)
- Jack Thomson, councilmember (district 3)
- Chris Watts, councilmember (district 4)
- Pete Kamp, mayor pro tem (at-large)
- Joe Mulroy, deputy mayor pro tem (at-large)
Denton's city budget is just under $390 million for FY 2006-2007. The city employs more than 1,200 people, 300 of whom are public safety personnel.[10]
Other governmental activities
Denton is the county seat of Denton County and home to FEMA's Region VI headquarters. Most State of Texas agencies also have facilities in the city, the larger of which include a Texas Workforce Center, a driver license/highway patrol office, and a state school.
Culture and Recreation
Dentonites take pride in being part of a unique and diverse creative community, and many consider this community to be the primary value of life in Denton that separates it from other Texas cities. Many in the creative community see Denton as the antidote to the ballooning traffic and population concerns of larger cities. The combination of Denton's respected music and art cultures, and the large intellectual population sustained by the town's two universities, which together have a combined enrollment of over 45,000 students, make Denton one of the state's most dominant cultural bases.
Notable Residents
Denton's position as a cultural and educational center for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex has resulted in many notable people having resided in the city.
Downtown Square
Denton's Historic downtown square is centered around the former county courthouse which now serves as a museum. Bordered by Elm, Oak, Hickory and Locust Streets, the downtown square is surrounded by many shops and restaurants, most of which have been in business for many years.
Historic Fry Street
Considered by many to be a cultural epicenter of Denton, the area surrounding Fry Street is home to a group of shops, bars, restaurants, and other cultural venues. Many of the buildings were originally constructed in the 1920s.
Redevelopment
In May 2006, the 100-block of Fry Street was purchased by United Equities, a Houston-based real estate company, which announced that several of the historic buildings would be demolished to accommodate a new mixed-use center. Known as Fry Street Village, the center would include lower level retail with apartments above. A grass roots effort by the non-profit organization Save Fry Street began soon thereafter seeking to preserve Fry Street as a historic and cultural icon for the city. The group was unsuccessful in preventing the demolition of two of the buildings, the Tomato Pizza restaurant and the Texas Jive bar. Most of the remaining businesses on the property were served with eviction notices with a vacating date of January 31, 2007, but it was not until May 2007 that businesses along Fry Street began to close. In June 2007, several local activists took over the gutted building that housed The Tomato Pizza, until the building burned in a raging arson fire on June 27, 2007. James Taylor Moseley, a local activist who had chained himself to The Tomato for three days, was arrested and accused of setting the fire.
Fry Street Fair
The Fry Street Fair was a mostly annual event held by the independent fraternity Delta Lodge. It was typically the most attended event of the year on Fry Street, with many bands performing. After two of the largest and most critically acclaimed fairs in 2001 and 2002, Fry Street Fair was moved to Deep Ellum in nearby Dallas due to overcrowding and complications with the city of Denton. However, a scaled-down version of the fair returned to the Fry Street area in 2005. In 2007, the Fry Street Fair moved yet again to the North Texas State Fairgrounds within the city. After losing money in both 2006 and 2007, the festival's creators announced that the fair would no longer be thrown.
Music
- See also: Musicians from Denton, Texas
The pervasive music culture that exists in Denton was originated in the University of North Texas's College of Music, a top-rated institution that draws musicians from all over the world . The college's Jazz Studies program, established in 1947, was the first of its kind in the country, and in more recent years the college's Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia (CEMI) has developed its own distinct reputation as an internationally-renowned center for teaching, research, and groundbreaking music creation.
Denton's vibrant and diverse music culture, however, extends well beyond the rigorous and disciplined world of UNT's College of Music. A thriving independent music scene has emerged and gained outside notoriety separate of Denton's more civically embraced academic music establishments.
The latest development of Denton's evolving scene has been the arrival of musicians creating work outside the University of North Texas College of Music. These Denton transplants move there because they are aware of Denton's reputation as a music town, but they are most familiar with the independent music, not the studied musicianship, the town has produced.
The city's live music venues are chiefly supported by Denton's very active music listening audience, but show attendance is often partly composed of Dallas/Ft.Worth music listeners. Dallas's largest alternative weekly, the Dallas Observer, once even suggested Dallas music listeners drive north to Denton to hear the best local music the Metroplex has to offer. The music events in Denton and a listing of Denton bands can be found on an independently owned website http://www.mydentonmusic.com
The Mountain Goats reference the town in the opening song of their 2002 album All Hail West Texas, "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton."
The size of the thriving music scene in Denton is large enough to sustain business for four major recording studios within the city. These studios include: The Panhandle House, Reeltime Audio, Black Bottle Recording,and Kapax Studios.
Denton's music scene was also written up in the New York Times May 2008 http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/travel/11cultured.html
Denton Arts and Jazz Festival
Every spring - usually the last weekend of April - Denton hosts the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, a city-sponsored event that brings over 200,000 people per year for live music, food, drink, crafts, and recreation at the Civic Center Park. Big-name performers and bands such as Arturo Sandoval, Tower of Power, and Brave Combo have performed at the Festival.
North Texas State Fair and Rodeo
Started in 1928, the annual fair held in August is compact by state fair standards, yet covers every aspect a local fair would encompass. The fair brings in over 100,000 people annually during its average 9 day run. It has been held at the North Texas State Fair Grounds, where it continues to be today, since 1948.
Education
Public Schools
Denton is served by the Denton Independent School District. Small portions of Denton extend into the neighboring districts of Argyle Independent School District and Sanger Independent School District.
In the Fall of 2007, Winfree Academy (http://winfreeacademy.com/), a public charter school, opened as an educational option for students as well.
Private Schools
- Denton Calvary Academy
- Hilltop Montessori School
- Immaculate Conception Catholic School
- The Selwyn School
- Community School
- Countryside Montessori
Colleges and Universities
- Texas Woman's University
- University of North Texas
- University of North Texas Research Park
Libraries
Denton is served by the Denton Public Library (http://www.cityofdenton.com/pages/library.cfm), which currently has three branches.
Transportation
Major Highways
Interstate 35
Interstate 35E
Interstate 35W
Loop 288
U.S. Highway 380
U.S. Highway 377
U.S. Highway 77
Public Transportation
Denton is served by the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) which currently operates express bus service to downtown Dallas along with local fixed route and paratransit service throughout the city. DCTA plans to open a commuter rail line run from Denton to Carrollton in 2010. This line will tie in to a planned Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail line also opening in 2010.[11]
Additional paratransit service for senior citizens is offered by Special Programs for Aging Needs (SPAN), a non-profit organization.
Air Transportation
Denton Municipal Airport is a public airport located three miles (5 km) west of the central business district (CBD) of Denton. This airport serves as home to various cargo and charter operators as well as two flight schools. A new terminal opened in 2008, but as of June 2008 no scheduled commuter service is in place[12].
Sports
Denton is home to the Denton Outlaws baseball team, a member of the Texas Collegiate League.
TWU and UNT field a variety of collegiate teams as members of the NCAA. Several area school districts have large athletics programs which draw significant attendance from the general public, especially for high school football games.
The Denton Rugby Football Club (http://www.dentonrugby.com) was formed in 1979 out of the ashes of the former North Texas State University Rugby Club (which was formed in 1972). A part of the Texas Rugby Union, the club has seen some success over the past few years, including winning the Texas Rugby Union Championship, Western Rugby Union Championship, and playing in the National Quarterfinals in Reno, Nevada in 2004, as well as numerous other trips and wins to the Texas Rugby Union Championship. The town is also home to the University of North Texas Rugby Football Club.
Twinned Cities
Denton is a part of the Sister Cities International program and maintains cultural and economic exchange programs with its sister city.[13]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Table 1: Population Estimates for the 25 Fastest-Growing U.S. Cities with Populations over 100,000 in 2007: July 1, 2006 to July 1, 2007". Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "College Comparison Chart - University of North Texas". Retrieved on 2007-07-09.
- ↑ "Official Capital Designations - Texas State Library". Retrieved on 2007-07-09.
- ↑ "Top 100 Best Places to Live in America", MONEY Magazine (2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
- ↑ Sims, Dave (November 21, 2008). "Signs of Life 2008: Best Music Scene - Denton, Texas", Paste.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places Over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2007 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007" (CSV). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
- ↑ "Annual Program of Services", City of Denton, TX. Retrieved on 2007-04-01.
- ↑ "RailDCTA Frequently Asked Questions". Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
- ↑ http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_terminal_0322.1395898a.html New Airport Terminal Denton Record-Chronicle
- ↑ "Sister Cities International (Online Directory: Texas, USA)". Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
External links
- City of Denton, TX website
- All Listings in Denton
- Denton Census information
- Denton, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Denton, Texas is at coordinates
- Bird's eye view of Denton, Denton County, Texas : 1883 / drawn by Augustus Koch.
- [1]
- Meyer, Carolyn. White Lilacs. 1993. Harcourt Brace & Company
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 |
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington |
|---|---|
| Counties | Collin | Dallas | Delta | Denton | Ellis | Hunt | Johnson | Kaufman | Parker | Rockwall | Tarrant | Wise |
| over 1000 | Dallas† |
| over 500 | Fort Worth† |
| 200 - 500 | Arlington | Garland | Irving | Plano |
| 100 - 200 | Carrollton | Denton† | Frisco | Grand Prairie | McKinney† | Mesquite | Richardson |
| 50 - 100 | Allen | Euless | Flower Mound | Lewisville | Mansfield | North Richland Hills |
| 10 - 50 | Addison | Azle | Balch Springs | Bedford | Benbrook | Burleson | Cedar Hill | Cleburne† | Colleyville | Coppell | Corinth | DeSoto | Duncanville | Ennis | Farmers Branch | Forest Hill | Grapevine | Greenville† | Haltom City | Highland Village | Hurst | Keller | Lancaster | Little Elm | Rockwall† | Rowlett | Sachse | Saginaw | Seagoville | Southlake | Terrell | The Colony | University Park | Watauga | Waxahachie† | Weatherford† | White Settlement | Wylie |
| under 10 | Argyle | Blue Mound | Cockrell Hill | Combine | Cooper† | Crowley | Dalworthington Gardens | Decatur† | Edgecliff Village | Everman | Glenn Heights | Highland Park | Hutchins | Kaufman† | Kennedale | Lake Worth | Lakeside | Newark | Ovilla | Pantego | Pelican Bay | Richland Hills | River Oaks | Sansom Park | Sunnyvale | Westover Hills | Westworth Village | Willow Park | Wilmer |
| ↑ thousands of people† - County Seat. A full list of cities under 10,000 is available here. | |
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