The Best Southwest is a term commonly applied to four Dallas suburbs –

Cedar Hill Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

, DeSoto, Duncanville, and Lancaster – in southwestern

Dallas County, Texas Dallas County is the second-most populous county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 2,613,539, making it the ninth-most populous county in the country. Dallas County is included in the Dallas-Arlington-F ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census, the four suburbs had a combined population of 168,960. The term "Best Southwest" was first used when the Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, and Lancaster chambers of commerce formed a partnership to improve cooperation between the cities. They formed the Best Southwest Chamber Partnership in 1986, and it was incorporated in 1990. The four municipalities, which are similar in population and form one of the most demographically diverse regions in the

Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, officially designated Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is a conurbated metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Texas encompassing 11 counties and anchore ...

, frequently work together on local events and projects.

Major highways

Interstate 20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with Interstate 10, I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with Interstate 95, I-95 in Flo ...

* Interstate 35E *

U.S. Highway 67 U.S. Route 67 is a major north–south U.S. highway which extends for 1,560 miles (2,511 km) in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues so ...

* Belt Line Road ( FM 1382)

Demographics

Best Southwest area demographics based on 2000 census data.American FactFinder
- U.S. Census Bureau. Racial makeup Economic characteristics

Population growth history

Education

Colleges and Universities

* Northwood University (Cedar Hill) *

Cedar Valley College Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus (Cedar Valley or CVC) is a public community college in Lancaster, Texas. It opened in 1977 and has an enrollment of more than 6,000 students. It is part of Dallas College. Beginning in the spring of 2004, Cedar ...

(Lancaster) - part of the Dallas College system

Public schools

Four school districts serve most of the Best Southwest area: * Cedar Hill Independent School District''

(2005-2006 enrollment: 7,972) :Cedar Hill ISD serves most of Cedar Hill as well as small portions of Grand Prairie, Texas, Grand Prairie and Ovilla. The district has 14 campuses (two high schools, a ninth-grade center, two middle schools, three intermediate schools, and six elementary schools). *

DeSoto Independent School District DeSoto Independent School District is a school district based in DeSoto, Texas (USA). The district covers most of DeSoto, the Dallas County portion of Glenn Heights, and a section of Ovilla in Dallas County, as well as a small portion of Ce ...

''

(2005-2006 enrollment: 8,409) :DeSoto ISD covers most of DeSoto, the Dallas County portion of Glenn Heights, Texas, Glenn Heights, and a small portion of Ovilla. The district has 12 campuses (one high school, a freshman Ccampus, three middle schools, and seven elementary schools - four in DeSoto and one in Glenn Heights). * Duncanville Independent School District''

(2005-2006 enrollment: 12,327) :The largest of the Best Southwest school districts, Duncanville ISD serves Duncanville, part of northwestern DeSoto, and a significant portion of southwest Dallas. The district has 16 campuses (one Duncanville High School, high school, three middle Sschools, three intermediate schools, and nine elementary schools - six in Duncanville and three in Dallas). *

Lancaster Independent School District Lancaster Independent School District is a public school district based in Lancaster, Texas (USA). The district serves most of the city of Lancaster, a small portion of Dallas, and a small portion of the city of Hutchins. In 2010, the school ...

''

(2005-2006 enrollment: 5,822) :A fast-growing district, Lancaster ISD covers most of Lancaster and a very small portion of Hutchins, Texas, Hutchins. The district has nine campuses (one high school, one middle Sschool, and seven elementary schools). Other school districts that serve parts of the Best Southwest area include the Dallas Independent School Districtbr>
(small portions of Lancaster and DeSoto) and the

Midlothian Independent School District Midlothian Independent School District is a public school district based in Midlothian, Texas, Midlothian, Texas, United States. In addition to Midlothian, the district serves parts of Cedar Hill, Texas, Cedar Hill, Mansfield, Texas, Mansfield, ...

br>
which serves the small Ellis County, Texas, Ellis County portion of Cedar Hill.

References

External links

;Best Southwest
Best Southwest OnlineFocus Daily News
*

Today Newspapers Today Newspapers were a chain of newspapers that served several suburban communities in southern Dallas County, Texas, Dallas County, Texas (United States, USA), including Cedar Hill, Texas, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Texas, DeSoto, Duncanville, Texas, ...

br>
- serving the Best Southwest and Grand Prairie (ceased publication in July 2009). ;Cedar Hill
City of Cedar HillCedar Hill Chamber of CommerceCedar Hill Economic Development Corporation
;DeSoto
City of DeSotoDeSoto Chamber of CommerceDeSoto Economic Development Corporation
;Duncanville
City of DuncanvilleDuncanville Chamber of Commerce
;Lancaster
City of LancasterLancaster Chamber of CommerceLancaster Economic Development Corporation
{{coord missing, Texas Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex Geography of Dallas County, Texas