Irving is a city in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
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 ...
. Located in
Dallas County Dallas County may refer to:
Places in the USA:
* Dallas County, Alabama, founded in 1818, the first county in the United States by that name
* Dallas County, Arkansas
* Dallas County, Iowa
* Dallas County, Missouri
* Dallas County, Texas, the nin ...
, it is also an inner ring suburb of
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
. The city of Irving is part of the
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. According to a 2019 estimate from 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 city population was 239,798, making it the
thirteenth-most populous city in Texas, and
93rd most populous city in the U.S.
Irving is noted for its
racial and ethnic diversity, and has been ranked as one of the most diverse cities in the United States.
Irving includes the
Las Colinas mixed-use master-planned community and part 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 ...
.
History
Irving was founded in 1903 by J.O. "Otto" Schulze and Otis Brown. It is believed literary author
Washington Irving
Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...
was a favorite of Netta Barcus Brown, and consequently the name of the town site, Irving, was chosen. Irving began in 1889 as an area called Gorbit, and in 1894 the name changed to Kit.
Irving was incorporated April 14, 1914, with Otis Brown as the first mayor.
By the late nineteenth century the Irving area was the site of
churches, two
cotton gins, a
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...
shop and a general store. The Irving district
public school
Public school may refer to:
* State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government
* Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...
system dates to the 1909 establishment of Kit and Lively schools. Population growth was slow and sometimes halting, with only 357 residents in 1925, but a significant increase began in the 1930s.
By the early 1960s the city had a population of approximately 45,000. A number of
manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...
plants operated in Irving, along with
transportation
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...
,
retail
Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and ...
and
financial businesses. The
University of Dallas
The University of Dallas is a private Catholic university in Irving, Texas. Established in 1956, it is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The university comprises four academic units: the Braniff Graduate School ...
in Irving opened in 1956, and
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...
was completed in 1971 as the home field of the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
. The
Chateau Theater opened in 1964 as part of a chain of premium, dollar, and drive-in theaters that stretched across North Texas and Oklahoma.
Delta Air Lines Flight 191
Delta Air Lines Flight 191 was a regularly scheduled Delta Air Lines domestic service from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Los Angeles with an intermediate stop at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). On August 2, 1985, the Lockheed ...
crashed in Irving on August 2, 1985.
Irving's population reached 155,037 in 1990 and the United States Census Bureau estimated 236,607 residents in 2016, a 3.5 percent population increase over 2013 census estimates.
In 2000, an
Oshman's Sporting Goods store was robbed by the "
Texas Seven
The Texas 7 were a group of prisoners who escaped from the John B. Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas, on December 13, 2000. Six of the seven were apprehended over a month later, between January 21–23, 2001, as a direct result of the television s ...
". In 2011, the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas opened. Four years later high-school student
Ahmed Mohamed was the subject of a
hoax bomb
A bomb threat or bomb scare is a threat, usually verbal or written, to detonate an explosive or incendiary device to cause property damage, death, injuries, and/or incite fear, whether or not such a device actually exists.
History
Bomb threats ...
incident which ignited allegations of
racial profiling
Racial profiling or ethnic profiling is the act of suspecting, targeting or discriminating against a person on the basis of their ethnicity, religion or nationality, rather than on individual suspicion or available evidence. Racial profiling involv ...
and
Islamophobia
Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism.
The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...
from many media and commentators.
In 2019, Irving completed its construction of an entertainment district in Las Colinas with the opening of the Westin Irving Convention Center Hotel.
The entertainment district also includes the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas and the Toyota Music Factory, an entertainment complex with numerous restaurants, an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Texas Lottery Plaza open-air performance stage and the Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory concert venue.
On May 8, 2020, the city's local poultry plant run by
Westfield, Wisconsin-based Brakebush Bros. Inc reported 40 cases of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
among its workers during the
2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic.
Geography
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 city has a total area of , of which of it is land and of it (0.65%) is water.
Developments
Irving includes the
Las Colinas planned community
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
, a
mixed-use development with a land area of more than that is home to many
Fortune 500 companies and the Las Colinas Entertainment District. It also includes part 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 ...
.
Climate
The warmest month on average is July, and the highest recorded temperature was in 1980. The average coolest month is January, and the lowest recorded temperature was in 1899.
Irving is considered to be part of the
humid subtropical
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
region. May is the average wettest month.
Demographics
At the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2010, there were 216,290 people, 82,538 households, and 51,594 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 3,218.6 people per square mile (1,242.1/km). There were 91,128 housing units at an average density of 1,356 per square mile (523.3/km).
According to 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 256,684 people, 86,023 households, and 57,330 families residing in the city.
Irving has been noted for its racial and ethnic diversity.
A 2012 study by the real estate website
Trulia
Trulia is an American online real estate marketplace which is a subsidiary of Zillow. It facilitates buyers and renters to find homes and neighborhoods across the United States through recommendations, local insights, and map overlays that offer ...
found that Irving's 75038 zip code was the most diverse zip code in the United States,
while Irving was ranked as the ninth-most diverse city in the United States with over 200,000 residents according to a Diversity Index developed by
Brown University's American Communities Project. The same survey said Irving was the eighth-most diverse city at a neighborhood level (again among cities with over 200,000 residents); Irving was the highest-ranked city in Texas at the city level and behind only Garland, TX at the neighborhood level.
According to the 2010 census, the racial makeup of the city was 53.1%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
(30.8%
non-Hispanic white), 12.3%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.9%
Native American, 14.0%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 16.2% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 3.5% from
two or more races
2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spaniards, Spanish and/or Latin Americans, Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include a ...
of any race were 41.1% of the population.
The largest group of Hispanic or Latinos were of
Mexican origin, while those of
Salvadoran
Salvadorans (Spanish: ''Salvadoreños''), also known as Salvadorians (alternate spelling: Salvadoreans), are citizens of El Salvador, a country in Central America. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvad ...
heritage form the second largest group; in 2009 they formed 11.8% of those born outside of the United States. The Hispanic and Latino residents have moved into eastern Irving, which contains older neighborhoods than other areas of Irving.
[Brettell, Caroline B. '"Big D" Incorporating New Immigrants in a Sunbelt Suburban Metropolis' (Chapter 3). In: Singer, Audrey, Susan Wiley Hardwick, and Caroline Brettell. ''Twenty-First Century Gateways: Immigrant Incorporation in Suburban America'' (James A. Johnson metro series). ]Brookings Institution Press
The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in e ...
, 2009. , 9780815779285. Start p
53
CITED:
60
By 2020, the composition of Irving was 21.03% non-Hispanic white, 12.36% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 22.32% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.48% some other race, 2.34% multiracial, and 41.09% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The largest Asian American ethnic group in Irving is the
Asian Indians.
As of 2009 the Indians have mainly settled in proximity to high technology companies,
[Brettell, Caroline B. '"Big D" Incorporating New Immigrants in a Sunbelt Suburban Metropolis' (Chapter 3). In: Singer, Audrey, Susan Wiley Hardwick, and Caroline Brettell. ''Twenty-First Century Gateways: Immigrant Incorporation in Suburban America'' (James A. Johnson metro series). ]Brookings Institution Press
The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in e ...
, 2009. , 9780815779285. Start p
53
CITED: p
61
/ref> into an area in western Irving along Texas State Highway 114
State Highway 114 (SH 114) is a state highway that runs from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex westward across Texas to the state border with New Mexico, where it becomes New Mexico State Road 114, which eventually ends at Elida, New Mexico at US ...
,[Brettell, Caroline B. '"Big D" Incorporating New Immigrants in a Sunbelt Suburban Metropolis' (Chapter 3). In: Singer, Audrey, Susan Wiley Hardwick, and Caroline Brettell. ''Twenty-First Century Gateways: Immigrant Incorporation in Suburban America'' (James A. Johnson metro series). ]Brookings Institution Press
The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in e ...
, 2009. , 9780815779285. Start p
53
CITED: p
6061
To absorb the Indian population, dense condominium and rental properties have opened in western Irving.
There were 82,538 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the city, 29% of the population was under the age of 19, 8% was between ages 20 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.
The 2012 median income for a household in the city was $49,303, and the median income for a family was $54,755. Males had an estimated median income of $40,986 versus $36,518 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $26,970. About 13.2% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
According to the city's 2017–2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's top employers are:
Several large businesses have headquarters in Irving, including Nexstar Media Group, Aeroxchange, Caliber Home Loans, Nautilus Hyosung America, Inc., Chuck E. Cheese
Chuck E. Cheese (formerly known as Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza and simply Chuck E. Cheese's) is an American family entertainment center and pizza restaurant chain founded in 1977 by Atari's co-founder Nolan Bu ...
, Cicis, Commercial Metals
Commercial Metals Company is a steel and metal manufacturer headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company operates four divisions: Americas Recycling, Americas Mills, Americas Fabrication, and International Mill, with locations in the U.S., Europe ...
, Envoy Air (formerly American Eagle), ExxonMobil, Gruma
Gruma, S.A.B. de C.V., known as Gruma, is a Mexican multinational corn flour (masa) and tortilla manufacturing company headquartered in San Pedro, near Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. It is the largest corn flour and tortilla manufacturer in t ...
, H.D. Vest, Kimberly-Clark, La Quinta Inns and Suites, Michaels Stores, 7-Eleven, Southern Star Concrete, Inc.
Southern Star Concrete, Inc. or simply Southern Star is a concrete supply business headquartered in Irving, Texas. Southern Star is owned by Cementos Argos S.A., the largest cement producer in Colombia, South America. Cementos Argos is subsidia ...
, Stellar, a global contact center provider, Zale Corporation
The Zale Corporation is an American jewelry retailer, incorporated in Delaware in 1993. The principal executive offices are located in Coppell, Texas.
History
The company began in 1924 in Wichita Falls, Texas, when the two Russian-Jewish imm ...
, Fluor Corporation
Fluor Corporation is an American multinational engineering and construction firm headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a holding company that provides services through its subsidiaries in the following areas: oil and gas, industrial and infrastruc ...
, Flowserve
The Flowserve Corporation is an American multinational corporation and one of the largest suppliers of industrial and environmental machinery such as pumps, valves, end face mechanical seals, automation, and services to the power, oil, gas, ch ...
, NCH Corporation
NCH Corporation is an international marketer of maintenance products. It is one of the largest companies in the world to sell such products through direct marketing channels. NCH has several wholly owned subsidiaries, some of them in the maintena ...
,[NCH Corporation Contact Us](_blank)
ITW Polymers Sealants North America, Celanese Corporation, a leading producer of specialty chemicals, Vistra Energy and its subsidiary TXU Energy
TXU Energy is an American retail electricity provider headquartered in Irving, Texas, serving residential and business customers in deregulated regions of Texas since the deregulation of the Texas electricity market in 2002. A subsidiary of Vis ...
, and LXI Enterprise Storage. In 2022 ExxonMobil announced it would move its headquarters to Harris County, Texas
Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas; as of the 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145, making it the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston, ...
.
The city is also home to the national headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded ...
.
Subsidiaries of foreign companies
The headquarters of Nokia America and NEC Corporation of America
NEC Corporation of America (NECAM) is the principal subsidiary of the multinational IT company NEC in the United States.
NEC Corporation of America was formed on July 1, 2006, from the combined operations of NEC America, NEC Solutions (America) ...
are in Irving. The American headquarters of BlackBerry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy ...
was in Irving.
Perhaps as a result of the Nokia-Irving connection, Irving is twinned with Nokia's headquarters city, Espoo
Espoo (, ; sv, Esbo) is a city and municipality in the region of Uusimaa in the Republic of Finland. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordering the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Nurmijärvi ...
in Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
.
Irving is also the Headquarters of OSG USA INC., which is the North American Subsidiary of OSG Corporation in Japan. OSG is a leading provider of high end cutting tools used in industries such as automotive and aerospace.
Arts and culture
Attractions
The Irving Arts Center, owned by the city, is a home for the arts, housing 10 resident arts organizations. Resident Organizations provide cultural programs for the community, and opportunities to participate in the creative process. Community members can play a role in front of the curtain as musicians, actors, and artists, or behind the scenes as planners, technicians, directors and more. The Irving Arts Center is a Smithsonian Affiliate.
The city owns and operates four historical museums: The Jackie Townsell Bear Creek Heritage Center, The Ruth Paine House Museum, and The Mustangs of Las Colinas Museum. A fourth historical museum, the Irving Archives and Museum, opened in February, 2020.
Sports
Irving serves as the headquarters city for two college athletics
College athletics encompasses non-professional, collegiate and university-level competitive sports and games.
World University Games
The first World University Games were held in 1923. There were originally called the ''Union Nationale des ...
conferences: the Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
and American Athletic Conference
The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...
.
Irving Independent School District
Irving Independent School District is a school district based in Irving, Texas ( USA). The district, which covers , serves most of the city of Irving, except for Valley Ranch and a portion of Las Colinas. The district also serves small porti ...
(IISD) high schools play football and other sports at the Joy and Ralph Ellis Stadium (formerly Irving Schools Stadium). The stadium is located between Lee Britain Elementary School and Bowie Middle School at 600 E 6th St.
History
Irving was the home of Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...
, the former home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
. The stadium was demolished on April 11, 2010. The city was also formerly the site of the Cowboys training facility for over 30 years. The National Football League's Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
played in Irving at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...
from 1971 to 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, and the team maintained its headquarters in Irving's Valley Ranch neighborhood from 1985 to 2016.
Government and infrastructure
Local government
Prior to the November 2008 elections, Irving banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in stores, making it the largest in population dry suburb in North Texas. In 2004 the pro-alcohol measure failed with 63% of voters opposing the measure. In 2006, 52% voted against the measure. On the third attempt, with heavy monetary backing by retailers, voters narrowly voted in favor of the measure in 2008. People in favor of changing Irving's liquor laws saw the interest in the 2008 United States Presidential Election
The 2008 United States presidential election was the 56th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. The Democratic ticket of Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, and Joe Biden, the senior senator f ...
as a catalyst for changing the laws in their favor.
In 2009 Irving had a city council that was entirely at-large. While Irving has a large population of racial minorities, the entire city council and the mayor's office, was entirely non-Hispanic White. Manny Benavidez, a resident of Irving, filed a lawsuit against the city in federal court in November 2007, saying that the voting system was not in compliance with the 1965 Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movemen ...
. On July 15, 2009, a federal judge ruled that Irving is required to create a new electoral system so that racial minority representatives may be voted into office. In 2010 elections, which included one at-large seat and two district-seats, three new council members were elected, replacing two incumbents and adding a newly created seat. Among the three new council members were two minority council members.
* Otis Brown, 1914–1917
* C. G. Miller, 1917–1919, 1925–1927
* P. H. Lively, 1919–1921
* W. F. Miller, 1921–1923
* M. R. Price, 1923–1925
* John Haley, 1927–1933
* F. M. Gilbert, 1933–1937
* C. P. Caldwell, 1937–1943
* E. J. Johnson, 1943–1947
* Hans Smith, 1947–1951
* C. B. Hardee, 1951–1957
* Paul C. Laird, 1957–1959
* Lynn Brown, 1959–1967
* Robert Power, 1967–1971
* Dan Matkin, 1971–1977
* Marvin Randle, 1977–1981
* Bobby Joe Raper, 1981–1987, 1993–1995
* Bob Pierce, 1987–1991
* Roy Brown, 1991–1993
* Morris Parrish, 1995–1999
* Joe Putnam, 1999–2005
* Herbert Gears, 2005–2011
* Beth Van Duyne
Elizabeth Ann Van Duyne ( ; born November 16, 1970) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 24th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, she was mayor of Irving from 2011 to 2017. She was an ...
, 2011–2017
* Rick Stopfer, 2017–present
The city of Irving is a voluntary member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments
The North Central Texas Council of Governments or NCTCOG is a voluntary association of governments in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Its ranks currently include 230 member governments including 16 counties, numerous cities, school districts, ...
association, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions.
County government
The Parkland Health & Hospital System (Dallas County Hospital District) operates the Irving Health Center.
Federal representation
The United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
operates post offices in Irving. The Irving Main Post Office is at 2701 West Irving Boulevard. Other post offices in the city include Central Irving, Las Colinas, and Valley Ranch.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Public
The Irving Independent School District
Irving Independent School District is a school district based in Irving, Texas ( USA). The district, which covers , serves most of the city of Irving, except for Valley Ranch and a portion of Las Colinas. The district also serves small porti ...
(IISD) serves most of Irving. Other areas are served by the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District
Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFBISD) is a school district based in Carrollton, Texas, United States.
The district covers most of the cities of Carrollton and Farmers Branch and parts of Addison, Coppell, Dallas, and ...
(CFBISD), Coppell Independent School District
The Coppell Independent School District is a school district based in Coppell, Texas ( USA).
The district includes most of Coppell and small parts of Grapevine, Irving (including a portion of Valley Ranch), Dallas and Lewisville.
In 2009, t ...
(CISD), and Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District
Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (GCISD) is a public school district based in Grapevine, Texas, USA. The district serves most of the cities of Grapevine and Colleyville and includes small portions of Euless, Hurst, and Southla ...
.
The major high schools that serve Irving are:
*Irving High School
Irving High School is a public high school in Irving, Texas. It was the first high school established in the Irving Independent School District.
Irving High School includes, like all the other Irving ISD high schools, wireless internet in the c ...
(IISD)
* MacArthur High School (IISD)
* Nimitz High School (IISD)
* Jack E. Singley Academy (IISD) formerly The Academy of Irving ISD
*Ranchview High School
Ranchview High School is a public high school located in Irving, Texas, (USA). The school opened in 2002 as part of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFBISD). Ranchview serves students in Irving (including portions o ...
(CFBISD)
*Coppell High School
Coppell High School is a public high school located in Coppell, Texas. It is part of the Coppell Independent School District located in extreme northwest Dallas County. In 2015, the school was rated " Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agenc ...
(CISD).
In 2014, 3,821 of CFBISD's 26,239 students resided in Irving.
In 2019 the Dallas Independent School District
The Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD or DISD) is a school district based in Dallas, Texas ( USA). It operates schools in much of Dallas County and is the second-largest school district in Texas and the seventeenth-largest in the ...
(DISD) opened North Lake Early College High School North Lake Early College High School, also known as North Lake Collegiate Academy, is a public high school located in Dallas County, Texas and operated by the Dallas Independent School District (DISD). It has a campus for 9th and 10th grade students ...
, which has a campus for students in grades 9–10 at North Lake South. The school is not within DISD's boundaries but DISD is allowed to operate it as such under Texas law.
Uplift Education, a charter school operator, has its administrative offices in Irving. Uplift has two charter school campuses in Irving: Infinity Preparatory (K–12) and North Hills Preparatory (K–12).
Winfree Academy Charter School and Manara Academy Elementary are in Irving.
Private
Irving is home to Cistercian Preparatory School
Cistercian Preparatory School is a private school for young men located in Irving, Texas, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas. Serving grades five through twelve (though previously having a 4th grade pre-form), the school has a population ...
, a university-preparatory school
A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher educatio ...
for boys, grades 5 through 12. Irving is also home to The Highlands School, a university-preparatory school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
One Catholic Pre-K–8th grade school, Holy Family Catholic Academy, is in Irving. Irving is also home to the Islamic School of Irving (Pre-K–12). The Sloan School (Pre-K–5) and StoneGate Christian Academy (K4–12) are Christian private schools in Irving.
Colleges and universities
The city is the site of the University of Dallas
The University of Dallas is a private Catholic university in Irving, Texas. Established in 1956, it is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The university comprises four academic units: the Braniff Graduate School ...
and North Lake College
Dallas College North Lake Campus (often referred to as North Lake or NLC) is a public community college in Irving, Texas. It is part of Dallas College. It opened in 1977 and enrolls about 5,000 credit students and an additional 3,000 continuin ...
, a campus of Dallas College
Dallas College is a public community college with seven campuses in Dallas County, Texas. It serves more than 70,000 students annually in degree-granting, continuing education, and adult education programs.
Dallas College offers associate degr ...
. In addition, DeVry University
DeVry University () is a private for-profit university with its headquarters in Naperville, Illinois. It was founded in 1931 by Herman A. DeVry and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. DeVry is predominantly an online educator but ...
has a campus in Irving.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Several highways transverse Irving. The Airport Freeway, SH 183, runs east-west in the city center, while LBJ Freeway or I-635 Interstate 635 may refer to:
* Interstate 635 (Kansas–Missouri), a connector highway between Interstate 35 in Overland Park, Kansas and Interstate 29 in Kansas City, Missouri, signed as the Harry Darby Memorial Highway
* Interstate 635 (Texas)
I ...
crosses the city's northern edge in the same direction. John Carpenter Freeway, SH 114, and the President George Bush Turnpike
The President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) is a toll road running through the northern, northeastern and western suburbs, forming a partial loop around Dallas, Texas, United States. It is named for the late George H. W. Bush, the 41st president ...
create an X running northwest-to-southeast and southwest-to-northeast respectively. The Las Colinas area is centered near the intersection of 114 and the Bush turnpike.
Irving is one of 13 member-cities of the Dallas region's transit agency, Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a transit agency serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex of Texas. It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and twelve of its suburbs. In , the system had ...
(DART). Currently, Irving is served by numerous bus routes and has two stops along the Trinity Railway Express
The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) is a commuter rail line in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It was established by an interlocal agreement between Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Trinity Metro. Each transit authority owns a 50% stake in ...
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...
route. In addition, DART's through runs through Irving and Las Colinas to DFW Airport. This connects northern Irving with Dallas through rail in addition to bus routes.
In 2015, 4.5 percent of Irving households lacked a car, which increased to 4.9 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Irving averaged 1.75 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8 per household.
The Las Colinas Urban Center is served by the Las Colinas APT System
The Las Colinas Area Personal Transit System is a people mover system that serves the Las Colinas area of Irving, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. The system has four passenger stations and a maintenance & control center, and is run by two cars, one ...
, a people-mover that connects businesses and entertainment areas.
Notable people
* "Gentleman" Chris Adams, English-born pro wrestler
* Larry D. Alexander, artist/writer
*Akin Ayodele
Akinola James Ayodele (; born September 17, 1979) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Jacksonville J ...
, professional football player
* Frank Beard, drummer for musical group ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sou ...
*Jim Beaver
James Norman Beaver Jr. (born August 12, 1950) is an American actor, writer, and film historian. He is most familiar to worldwide audiences as Bobby Singer in ''Supernatural''. He also played Whitney Ellsworth on the HBO Western drama series ...
, actor/writer
*Brian Bosworth
Brian Keith Bosworth (born March 9, 1965), nicknamed "The Boz," is an American former football linebacker and actor who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. A two-time Dick Butkus Award winne ...
, professional football player
* Demarcus Faggins, professional football player
* David Garza, musician
* Paul Hill, Director of Mission Operations, NASA
*Michael Huff
Michael Wayne Huff, II (born March 6, 1983) is a former American football safety. He last played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, and was recognized as a conse ...
, professional football player
*Gary Lakes
Gary Lakes (born September 26, 1950) is an American opera heldentenor.
Lakes was born in Woodward, Oklahoma, and raised in Irving, Texas. He made his professional debut with the Seattle Opera in the role of Froh in 1981 in Richard Wagner, Wagn ...
, opera singer
*Les Lancaster
Lester Wayne (Les) Lancaster (born April 21, 1962) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1987–1993 and later managed in the minor leagues.
Along with fellow reliever Mitch Williams, Lancaster helped lea ...
, professional baseball
* Peter MacNicol, actor
* Taylor Mays
Taylor Mays (born February 7, 1988) is a former American football safety. He won Washington state titles in track in both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash as a high school sophomore, before leaving track and field to dedicate himself to fo ...
(born 1988), American NFL football player
*Gus Malzahn
Arthur Gustavo Malzahn III (; born October 28, 1965) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Central Florida ( UCF). He was the head football coach at Auburn University from 2013 to 2020. During the 20 ...
, Former Auburn Coach
*Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald (October 18, 1939 – November 24, 1963) was a U.S. Marine veteran who assassinated John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, on November 22, 1963.
Oswald was placed in juvenile detention at the age of 12 fo ...
, suspected assassin of U.S. President John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
* Play-N-Skillz, record production duo
*Matt Rinaldi
Matthew Daniel Rinaldi (born April 11, 1975) is an American attorney and politician serving as the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. Rinaldi was a member of the Texas House of Representatives for district 115 in Dallas County from 2015 ...
, attorney, Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Dallas County, and Irving resident
*Yaser Abdel Said
Yaser Abdel Said ( ar, ياسر عبد السعيد; born January 27, 1957) is an Egyptian-American former taxi driver and convicted murderer. For 12 years, Said evaded arrest for the January 1, 2008, fatal shootings of his two daughters, Amina ...
, Egyptian fugitive on the FBI Ten Most Wanted List, wanted for the murder of his two teenage daughters
*Gwyn Shea
Gwyn Clarkston Shea (born August 3, 1937) is an American politician from Texas. A member of the Republican Party, she served as the Texas State Representative for the 98th district from 1983 to 1993. Shea also served as the 103rd Secretary of Sta ...
, former Texas secretary of state
The Secretary of State of Texas is one of the six members of the executive department of the State of Texas in the United States. Under the Constitution of Texas, the appointment is made by the governor of Texas, with confirmation by the Texas ...
(2002–2003) and a member of the Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...
(1983–1993)
*Odyssey Sims
Odyssey Celeste Sims (born July 13, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). An AP and WBCA All-American, Sims was born in Irving, Texas and graduated from ...
, professional basketball player
*Trevor Story
Trevor John Story (born November 15, 1992) is an American professional baseball second baseman and shortstop for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies. He made his MLB debut ...
, professional baseball player
*Tyson Thompson
Tyson Calvin Thompson (born May 21, 1981) is a former American football running back/kick return specialist in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at San Jose State University.
Early years
Thompson at ...
, professional football player
*Rex Tillerson
Rex Wayne Tillerson (born March 23, 1952) is an American engineer and energy executive who served as the 69th U.S. secretary of state from February 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018, under President Donald Trump. Prior to joining the Trump administ ...
, CEO Exxon Mobil, 69th United States Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
* Beth Van Duyne
Elizabeth Ann Van Duyne ( ; born November 16, 1970) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 24th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, she was mayor of Irving from 2011 to 2017. She was an ...
, Congresswoman from Texas' 24th congressional district, former mayor of Irving, Texas, and former HUD official
*Jeremy Wariner
Jeremy Matthew Wariner (born January 31, 1984) is a retired American track athlete specializing in the 400 meters. He has won four Olympic medals (three gold, one silver) and six World Championships medals. He is the fourth fastest competitor in ...
, 400m sprinter, three-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time world champion
*Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees.
Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rook ...
, professional baseball player
Sister cities
Irving's sister cities
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inter ...
are:
* Boulogne-Billancourt, France
* Darkhan, Mongolia
* Espoo
Espoo (, ; sv, Esbo) is a city and municipality in the region of Uusimaa in the Republic of Finland. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordering the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Nurmijärvi ...
, Finland
* León, Mexico
* Marino, Italy
* Merton, England, United Kingdom
See also
* TXU Energy
TXU Energy is an American retail electricity provider headquartered in Irving, Texas, serving residential and business customers in deregulated regions of Texas since the deregulation of the Texas electricity market in 2002. A subsidiary of Vis ...
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links
*
*
*
Historic Images from the Irving Archives, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau
{{Authority control
Cities in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
1903 establishments in Texas
Cities in Dallas County, Texas
Cities in Texas
Populated places established in 1903
Washington Irving