Copper Canyon is a town in

Denton County Denton County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 906,422, making it the 7th-most populous county in Texas. The county seat is Denton. The county, which was named for John B. Denton, was establis ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, United States. The population was 1,731 in 2020. Copper Canyon is adjacent to the master-planned

Lantana ''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in ...

residential development.

History

The first European settlement in the area that would become Copper Canyon occurred in the 1840s. One of the more prominent settler families was that of Elisha and Mary Chinn, who came to Texas from their original home in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

in 1852. They helped establish the first church in the area, a log-cabin chapel which eventually became known as the Chinn's Chapel

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

Church. The church is still active on what is now known as Chinn Chapel Road. The town gradually grew with

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

ranching as the mainstay of the local economy. The

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

came to the area in 1881, and the first public school was constructed in 1884. The town apparently got its name from "

Copperhead Copperhead may refer to: Snakes * ''Agkistrodon contortrix'', or copperhead, a venomous pit viper species found in parts of North America * '' Austrelaps'', or Australian copperhead, a genus of venomous elapids found in southern Australia and Ta ...

Canyon," a part of the area formerly known for venomous snakes. Population, never large, generally stagnated or declined in the first half of the twentieth century. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

the area's rural charm slowly began to attract residents from the more crowded parts of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. The town was formally incorporated in 1973. Although still rather sparsely populated, the town has grown as part of the general development of areas north of the

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , also known as DFW Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas Region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Ai ...

. Census Bureau figures tell the story: 465 (1980), 978 (1990), 1,216 (2000), 1,334 (2010). Traditional ranches are still found in the area, but Copper Canyon has become primarily a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

with little commercial development.

Geography

Copper Canyon is located at (33.098814, –97.094646). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.22% is water.

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 1,731 people, 553 households, and 513 families residing in the town.

Local notes

The Town of Copper Canyon is served by the Lewisville and Denton Independent School Districts. The town contracts with neighboring communities for most municipal services, such as fire protection from Argyle Fire Department, police services from Denton County Sheriff's Department, and ambulance service from Lewisville. The town boasts of a low

tax A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...

rate and a number of horse trails maintained for local riders. Copper Canyon is also home to the Old Alton Bridge, a registered national historic site. Purportedly haunted, it is locally known as the "Goatman's Bridge".

Education

Most of Copper Canyon is in the

Lewisville Independent School District Lewisville Independent School District (LISD) is a 127-square mile school district based in Lewisville, Texas ( USA) covering all of Lewisville, The Colony, Highland Village, Copper Canyon, and Double Oak as well as portions of Flower Mound ...

, while a portion to the west is in the

Denton Independent School District Denton Independent School District, sometimes shortened to Denton ISD, is a school district based in Denton, Texas. DISD's superintendent is Jamie Wilson. In 2009, the school district was rated " academically acceptable" by the Texas Educatio ...

. Most of Denton ISD Copper Canyon is zoned to Adkins Elementary School, while small parcels are zoned to Blanton Elementary School. All of the Denton ISD part is zoned to Harpool Middle School, and

Guyer High School John H. Guyer High School is a public high school situated in the city of Denton, Texas, in Denton County, United States and classified as a 6A school by the UIL. It is a part of the Denton Independent School District located in central Denton Co ...

Notable people

Dick Armey Richard Keith Armey (; born July 7, 1940) is an American economist and politician. He was a U.S. Representative from Texas's (1985–2003) and House Majority Leader (1995–2003). He was one of the engineers of the "Republican Revolution" of t ...

, former

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from Texas' (1985–2003) and

House Majority Leader Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are ele ...

(1995–2003)

References

External links

Town of Copper Canyon official website
{{authority control Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex Towns in Denton County, Texas Towns in Texas Populated places established in 1973