Denton is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Denton County. With a population of 139,869 as of 2020, it is the 20th-most populous city in Texas, the 177th-most populous city in the United States, and the 10th-most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
A Texas land grant led to the formation of Denton County in 1846, and the city was incorporated in 1866. Both were named after pioneer and Texas militia captain John B. Denton. The arrival of a railroad line in the city in 1881 spurred population, and the establishment of the University of North Texas in 1890 and Texas Woman's University in 1901 distinguished the city from neighboring regions. After the construction of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport finished in 1974, the city had more rapid growth; between 2022 and 2023, Denton was the 13th largest-gaining city in population nationwide in terms of numeric change.
Located on the far north end of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in North Texas on Interstate 35, Denton is known for its active music scene; the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo, Denton Arts and Jazz Festival, and Thin Line Fest attract over 300,000 people to the city each year. The city has hot, humid summers and few extreme weather events. Its diverse citizenry is represented by a nonpartisan city council, and numerous county and state departments have offices in the city. With over 45,000 students enrolled at the two universities within its city limits, Denton is often characterized as a college town. As a result of the universities' growth, educational services play a large role in the city's economy. Residents are served by the Denton County Transportation Authority, which provides commuter rail and bus service to the area.
History
Denton's formation is closely tied to that of Denton County. White settlement of the area began in the mid-1800s when William S. Peters of Kentucky obtained a land grant from the Texas Congress and named it Peters Colony. After initial settlement in the southeast part of the county in 1843, the Texas Legislature voted to form Denton County in 1846. Both the county and the town were named for John B. Denton, a preacher and lawyer who was killed in 1841 during a skirmish with the Kichai people in what is now Tarrant County. Pickneyville and Alton were selected as the county seat before Denton was named the seat in 1857. That year, a commission laid out the city and named the first streets.
On July 8, 1860, approximately half of the downtown Square burned down in what was later called the "Texas Troubles". Fires occurred in ten Texas communities that day, including Dallas and Pilot Point, and were quickly attributed to a slave insurrection. By the end of July, vigilante justice took hold and "[r]egularly constituted law-enforcement agencies stepped aside to allow the vigilantes to do their work. Although no hard evidence was ever adduced to prove the guilt of a single alleged black arsonist or white abolitionist, many unfortunates of both classes were nevertheless hanged for their alleged crimes."
In February 1861, a statewide referendum was held and Texans voted to join the Confederate States of America.
Segregation and Jim Crow era After the Civil War, "Freedmen Settlements" were started throughout the South. One Freedman Settlement, Quakertown, thrived just south of what is now Texas Woman's University until around 1920, when the city government forcibly removed the residents to make way for a park. Quakertown's Black children were served separately from white children by the Frederick Douglass School. Originally scheduled to open in September 1913, it was mysteriously burned down the night before its scheduled opening. It was rebuilt and in 1949 renamed the "Fred Moore School".
Postwar growth Denton's population grew from 26,844 in 1960 to 48,063 in 1980. Its connection to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex via I-35E and I-35W played a major role in the growth, and the opening of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 1974 led to a population increase. In the 1980s, heavy manufacturing companies like Victor Equipment Company and Peterbilt joined older manufacturing firms such as Moore Business Forms and Morrison Milling Company in Denton. The population rose from 66,270 in 1990 to 80,537 in 2000. In May 2006, Houston-based real estate company United Equities purchased the 100-block of Fry Street and announced that several of the historic buildings would be demolished and the businesses displaced to accommodate a new mixed-use commercial center. Some residents, who sought to preserve the area as a historic and cultural icon, opposed the proposal. The Denton City Council approved a new proposal for the area from Dinerstein Cos in 2010.
Timeline
1857 Seat of Denton County relocated to Denton from Alton First Methodist Church founded. County Courthouse built. 1858 – Union Baptist Church founded 1866 – Town of Denton incorporated 1868 – Denton Monitor newspaper began publication 1869 – J.B. Sawyer became mayor. (Timeline) 1870 – Denton (and Texas) readmitted to the Union after the American Civil War, per Reconstruction Acts 1880 – Population: 1,194 1881 – Railroad began operating 1882 Denton Chronicle newspaper began publication Fire station built 1890 – North Texas Normal College opened 1894 – City Hall built 1896 Streetcar began operating Denton County Courthouse rebuilt. 1899 – Denton Record and Chronicle newspaper in publication 1900 – Population: 4,187 1903 – Girls' Industrial College established 1907 Trolley began operating Rector Road Bridge built. 1914 – City of Denton incorporated 1916 – College's Campus Chat newspaper begins publication 1920 – City police department and Rotary Club established 1921 – Denton County League of Women Voters formed 1923 – Public park created in Quakertown 1927 – Denton City Hall built 1930 – Population: 9,587 1933 – Public library opened 1939 – KDNT radio began broadcasting 1941 – Little Chapel in the Woods built 1947 – Denton Municipal Airport began operating 1950 – Population: 21,372 1954 – Federal Civil Defense Administration regional office relocated to Denton from Dallas. 1959 – Council-manager form of government adopted 1960 – Denton State School established 1961 – North Texas State University active 1966 Civic Center built Denton joined the North Central Texas Council of Governments (approximate date) 1969 – Denton Community Theatre active 1974 – Dallas–Fort Worth Regional Airport operating in vicinity of Denton 1979 – Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum opened 1980 Golden Triangle Mall in business Population: 48,063. 1987 – North Texas State University Press headquartered in Denton 1988 – North Texas State University renamed University of North Texas 1996 – City website online (approximate date) 2000 – Population: 80,537 2003 Public swimming pool opened Michael C. Burgess became U.S. representative for Texas's 26th congressional district 2010 – Population: 113,383 2011 – Downtown Denton Transit Center and University of North Texas' Apogee Stadium opened 2014 – Chris Watts became mayor. 2015 – Friendship City relationship formalized with Santa Rosa de Múzquiz, Mexico. 2020 – Gerard Hudspeth became Denton's first African-American mayor. 2024 - 164,096 estimated population
Geography Denton is on the northern edge of the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. These three cities form the area known as the "Golden Triangle of North Texas". According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and is covered by water. The city lies in the northeast edge of the Bend Arch–Fort Worth Basin, which is characterized by flat terrain. Elevation ranges from . Part of the city is atop the Barnett Shale, a geological formation believed to contain large quantities of natural gas. Lewisville Lake, a man-made reservoir, is south of the city.
Climate
With its hot, humid summers and cool winters, Denton's climate is characterized as humid subtropical and is within USDA hardiness zone 8a. The city's all-time high temperature is , recorded in 1954. Dry winds affect the area in the summer and can bring temperatures of over , although the average summer temperature highs range from between June and August. The all-time recorded low is , set on February 16, 2021, and the coolest month is January, with daily low temperatures averaging . Denton lies on the southern end of what is commonly referred to as "Tornado Alley"; the National Weather Service occasionally issues tornado watches, but tornadoes rarely form in the city. The city receives about of rain per year. Flash floods and severe thunderstorms are frequent in the spring. Average snowfall is similar to the Dallas–Fort Worth average of per year.
Demographics
Along with much of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Denton has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 21st century, becoming the seventh-fastest growing city in the U.S. with a population over 100,000 between 2010 and 2011.
Racial and ethnic composition
+Denton city, Texas – racial and ethnic compositionRace / ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop. 2000Pop. 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)55,58570,19076,53269.02%61.91%54.72%Black or African American alone (NH)7,25511,37015,4159.01%10.03%11.02%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3805696240.47%0.50%0.45%Asian alone (NH)2,7254,5976,0303.38%4.05%4.31%Pacific Islander alone (NH)421041520.05%0.09%0.11%Some other race alone (NH)1281554970.16%0.14%0.36%Mixed-race or multiracial (NH)1,2342,3276,1661.53%2.05%4.41%Hispanic or Latino (any race)13,18824,07134,45316.38%21.23%24.63%Total80,537113,383139,869100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Denton had a population of 139,869, 54,092 households, and 28,430 families residing in the city. The median age was 30.2 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.7 males age 18 and over.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 85,580 61.2% Black or African American 15,910 11.4% American Indian and Alaska Native 1,373 1.0% Asian 6,121 4.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 177 0.1% Some other race 12,413 8.9% Two or more races 18,295 13.1% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 34,453 24.6%
Of those households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.6% were married-couple households, 22.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 58,085 housing units, of which 6.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.3%.
96.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.7% lived in rural areas.
The median income for a household was $60,018 in 2020. The per capita income was $29,109. About 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line. Denton fares above the national average with 90.4% of the population high school graduated or higher and 38.9% with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Denton's population made it the 197th largest city in the United States and the 20th largest in Texas per the 2020 census.
The United States Census Bureau defines an urban area of northern Dallas-area suburbs that are separated from the Dallas–Fort Worth urban area, with Denton and Lewisville as the principal cities: the Denton–Lewisville, TX urban area had a population of 429,461 as of the 2020 census, ranked 96th in the United States.
Economy