Mesquite is a city in the
U.S. state of
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, located in
Dallas County with portions extending into
Kaufman County. The population was 150,108 at the
2020 census,
and making it the
22nd-most populous city in Texas. Mesquite is positioned at the crossroads of four major highways (
Interstates 30,
635,
20, and
U.S. Route 80), making locations such as
downtown Dallas,
Lake Ray Hubbard,
Dallas Love Field
Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public airport in the neighborhood of Love Field, Dallas, Love Field, northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas., effective April 17, 2025. It was Dallas' main airport until 1974 when Dallas Fort Worth Internation ...
, and
DFW International Airport accessible.
According to legislative action, the city is the "Rodeo Capital of Texas". In 2016, Mesquite received a Playful City USA designation for the fourth year in a row. The city has been named a
Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for over 25 years. The city of Mesquite holds the 10th-longest reign in all of Texas.
Unique to suburbs of Dallas and
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
, the city of Mesquite is served by its own local airport,
Mesquite Metro Airport. Companies and institutions with a major presence in the city are the
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) is an American multinational corporation, multinational package delivery, shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company specializi ...
,
Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...
,
AT&T
AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...
,
Charter Spectrum,
Eastfield College,
Ashley Furniture,
and
FedEx
FedEx Corporation, originally known as Federal Express Corporation, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company specializing in Package delivery, transportation, e-commerce, and ...
.
History
Before settlement
Centuries before American settlers moved into the area, Mesquite was an open
prairie
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
land and a key trading ground for
indigenous peoples
There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
. The Ionies were a western tribe located close to present-day
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
. The Tawakonies were in present-day Dallas. Finally, the
Caddo were the native farmers of the Mesquite land. From 1680 to 1790, after harvest was over, these three tribes held an annual tournament and trading fair.
Settlement
The city of Mesquite was founded on March 14, 1878, on land along the
Texas & Pacific Railway, which ran from Dallas to
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...
. The locals then named the town after Mesquite Creek. The city was officially incorporated on December 3, 1887, after electing Mayor J.E. Russell.
In the city's earliest years, it was known for many outlaws residing in the area. A prominent outlaw was
Sam Bass, historically known for his train robberies in Texas. In 1878, he robbed a train in downtown Mesquite, escaping with only $152. Bass missed the $30,000 hidden by the express agent in the unused pot belly stove.
''The'' ''Mesquiter'', established in 1882 by R.S. Kimbrough, was Dallas County's longest-running newspaper.
Development
Mesquite prospered through the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a farming community, growing
cotton
Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
,
hay,
corn
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
, and
sugarbeets, and using the railroad to ship raw goods. The town remained predominantly
agrarian until after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, when the
suburban
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
boom took root in Mesquite.
In 1946, the
Mesquite Rodeo was founded by Charlie Columbus McNally, and was one of the only rodeos that had a permanent location. By the mid-1980s, the events were being broadcast by
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
.
In 1959,
Big Town Mall opened as the first air-conditioned
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...
in the United States. Portions of the Talking Heads movie 'True Stories' were filmed at this mall. The mall was demolished in the summer of 2006, and
FedEx
FedEx Corporation, originally known as Federal Express Corporation, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company specializing in Package delivery, transportation, e-commerce, and ...
opened a logistics center on the property in 2017.
By 1970, the
LBJ Freeway (I-635) was constructed, connecting Mesquite to its neighbors,
Garland
A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance. In contemporary times ...
to the north and
Balch Springs to the south. Also, in 1971,
Town East Mall was constructed. The mall was used by director
Ron Howard
Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American filmmaker and actor. Howard started his career as a child actor before transitioning to directing films. Over his six-decade career, Howard has received List of awards and nominations r ...
to film portions of the movie ''
Cotton Candy'' in 1978. It can also be seen in drive-by footage in the
Talking Heads movie 'True Stories', by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. The mall's associated traffic and shops would continue to grow the town.
In 1986, the Mesquite Arena opened its doors as the new home for the Mesquite ProRodeo. By 1998, the facility was expanded to include a convention center, exhibition hall, and a
Hampton Inn and Suites.
By the
1990 census, the city had grown to 101,484 people, up from 1,696 residents in
1950
Events January
* January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed.
* January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...
.
In 2011, Mesquite passed a law allowing beer and wine sales in the city. The measure had been considered several times for many years, but was always blocked by strong protest against the proposed sales. It was one of the few cities without beer and wine sales in eastern Dallas County before the law came into effect.
In June 2015, the Mesquite Arts Center added a Freedom Park exhibit, in memorial of
September 11. The park displays a beam that was recovered from the remains of
Ground Zero
A hypocenter or hypocentre (), also called ground zero or surface zero, is the point on the Earth's surface directly below a nuclear explosion, meteor air burst, or other mid-air explosion. In seismology, the hypocenter of an earthquake is its p ...
. The Mesquite Fire Department received the beam in 2011.
Geography
Mesquite is located in eastern Dallas County with a portion extending east into Kaufman County. The city is bordered to the west by Dallas, to the north by
Garland
A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance. In contemporary times ...
, to the northeast by
Sunnyvale, to the south by
Seagoville and Dallas, and to the southwest by
Balch Springs.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Mesquite is part of the
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metroplex, in which one quarter of all Texans live.
Neighborhoods
*
Lawson
* Samuell Farms
* Meadow Creek
* Parkview
* Broadmoor Estates
* Old Broadmoor Estates
* Crooked Lane
* Fuentes
* Eastern Heights
* Edgemont Park
* Creek Crossing
* Rutherford
* Falcon's Lair
* Falcon's Ridge
* Pecan Creek
* Rollingwood Hills
* Skyline
* Big Town Estates
* Presidential Estates
* Pasadena Gardens
* Original Town
* Melton
* Tealwood
* Northridge
* Quail Hollow
* Wildwood
* Valley Creek
* Idle wood
* Meadowview
* Palos Verdes
* Hagan Hill
* Mesquite Park
* Casa View Heights
Solterra Texas
Climate
As a part of the DFW area, Mesquite has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
'' Cfa'') characteristic of the
Southern Plains
The Great Plains is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include the mix ...
of the United States. It is also continental, characterized by a relatively wide annual temperature range. Located at the lower end of
Tornado Alley
Tornado Alley, also known as Tornado Valley, is a loosely defined location of the central United States and, in the 21st century, Canada where tornadoes are most frequent. The term was first used in 1952 as the title of a research project to st ...
, Mesquite and the rest of Dallas–Fort Worth are prone to
extreme weather
Extreme weather includes unexpected, unusual, severe weather, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Extreme events are based on a location's recorded weat ...
.
On average, the warmest month is July. The highest recorded temperature in Mesquite was in 1980. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature was in 1989. May is the average wettest month.
Demographics
As of the
2020 census, there were 150,108 people, 50,123 households, and 36,989 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . There were 52,615 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 33.5%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 25.1%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.4%
Native American, 2.9%
Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 19.9% from some other races and 17.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.1% of the population. 28.0% of residents were under the age of 18, 7.4% were under 5 years of age, and 11.4% were 65 and older.
As of the
2010 census, there were 139,824 people, 48,586 households, and 34,641 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . There were 51,952 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 59.0%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 21.8%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.8%
Native American, 3.2%
Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 11.9% from some other races and 3.1% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.6% of the population.
As of the
2000 census, there were 124,523 people, 43,926 households, and 32,900 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was 1,107.3/km² (2,868.1/mi²). There were 46,245 housing units at an average density of 411.2/km² (1,065.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.54%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 13.32%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.60%
Native American, 3.75%
Asian, 0.05%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 6.43% from
other races, and 2.31% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 15.66% of the population.
There were 43,926 households out of which 43.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $50,424, and the median income for a family was $56,357. Males had a median income of $37,756 versus $29,905 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $20,890. About 5.0% of families and 6.8% 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 ...
, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
According to information gathered by
Sperling's BestPlaces, 62.7% claim religious affiliation.
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
is the most prevalent religion in Mesquite. The largest Christian body in the city is the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, served by the
Diocese of Dallas (19.6%), followed by
Baptists
Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
(13.2%),
Methodists (4.8%),
Pentecostals (3.1%),
Presbyterians
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
(1.6%),
Episcopalians (1.0%),
Latter-Day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
(1.0%),
Lutherans
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...
(0.7%), and 12.4% from another Christian faith including the
Oriental Orthodox
The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysitism, Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 50 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches adhere to the Nicene Christian ...
and
Eastern-rite Catholic churches. Mesquite is a center for
Indian Christians
Christianity is India's third-most followed religion with about 28 million adherents, making up 2.3 percent of the population as of the 2011 census. Christianity is the largest religion in parts of Northeast India, specifically in Nagaland, ...
from the
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...
of
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
.
[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, 2009. , 9780815779285. Start p]
53
CITED:
64
Their settlement, one of the earliest of the Indian Americans in the DFW area, was influenced by proximity to Dallas-based hospitals such as
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and
Parkland Hospital, as well as having initial low income and difficulties moving to mostly white northern suburbs.
[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, 2009. , 9780815779285. Start p]
53
CITED:
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The second-largest religion in Mesquite is
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
(3.6%) followed by
Judaism
Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
(0.7%), and
eastern faiths including
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
,
Sikhism
Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...
, and
Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
(0.9%).
Economy
Much of Mesquite's economy is tied to the city of Dallas with the exception of local businesses.
A
battery factory opened in 2025.
Top Employers
According to the City's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,
the largest employers in the city are:
Arts and culture
In 2016, the Mesquite Public Library System was presented with a 2016 Achievement of Library Excellence Award by the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association. Of the 548 public library systems in Texas, the Mesquite Public Library was one of only 43 libraries to earn this prestigious honor. The Mesquite Public Library System consists of two branches to serve the community. Both branches offer traditional and non-traditional programs.
Parks and recreation

The city houses 76 parks and four recreation centers. The city has been designated a Playful City USA four years running and opened its Heritage Trail system in 2015. The hike and bike trail system consists of 4.25 miles of concrete trails and sidewalks, three trailheads, and other improvements that connect residents from their homes to the Mesquite Golf Club, schools, recreation centers, sports fields, shopping, and more.
Mesquite Golf Club
Mesquite Golf Club is a , 18-hole golf course for both novice and expert golfers. Operated by the City of Mesquite, the course is open seven days a week and features a pro shop and driving range.
Mesquite Arts Center
The municipal arts facility houses a 494-seat music performance hall, black box theater, rehearsal hall, galleries, and support space. The facility serves as the cultural center for the community and is home to the Mesquite Community Theatre, Mesquite Community Band and the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra.
Government
The city council of Mesquite consists of a mayor and six council members, with Daniel Alemán Jr. serving as mayor and Cliff Keheley as city manager.
The council members of Mesquite's city council are listed below.
Politics
Education
Mesquite Independent School District provides primary and secondary (K–12) education to most areas of Mesquite. A small portion of Mesquite is served by
Dallas Independent School District. While another small area in Kaufman County is within the
Forney Independent School District, the section has no residents. Mesquite also serves an area of Balch Springs.
In addition to 33 public elementary schools and ten public middle schools, Mesquite is served by five high schools:
Mesquite High School,
North Mesquite High School,
West Mesquite High School,
Poteet High School, and
John Horn High School. The private
Dallas Christian School is located in the city limits.
Colleges and universities
The
Texas Legislature
The Texas State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a p ...
defines all of Dallas County (including the vast majority of Mesquite) as being in the
Dallas College (formerly Dallas County Community College or DCCCD) district. The portion in Kaufman County is within the
Trinity Valley Community College district.
[Texas Education Code: Sec. 130.176. DALLAS COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. Sec. 130.205. TRINITY VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.]
/ref> Eastfield College provides undergraduate degrees and continuing-education credits as part of Dallas College.
Higher education also is provided by two other institutions. Columbia College-Mesquite Campus is located on the Eastfield College campus. It is a private, nonprofit institution that was founded in Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is a city in Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1821 as the county seat of Boone County, Missouri, Boone County and had a population of 126,254 as recorded in the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Misso ...
, in 1851. It provides bachelor's and master's degree programs.
Media
Mesquite shares the same television and radio market with Dallas. The Mesquite Independent School District operates KEOM, a high-school sports and classic-hits radio station. The city's newspaper community primarily subscribes to ''The Dallas Morning News
''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
'', ''Al Dia'', and other Dallas-based newspapers. ''The Dallas Morning News'' has a section dedicated to local news in Mesquite. ''Star Local News'' distributes the ''Mesquite News'' newspaper.
Transportation
Mesquite is served by a publicly owned and operated airport, Mesquite Metro Airport. The airport includes a lighted runway with ILS. General aviation accounts for about 75% of daily operations, while commercial aviation accounts for the rest. Mesquite Metro Airport is popular among transient aircraft due to its location near Dallas and favorable fuel prices.
Two other nearby airports, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field
Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public airport in the neighborhood of Love Field, Dallas, Love Field, northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas., effective April 17, 2025. It was Dallas' main airport until 1974 when Dallas Fort Worth Internation ...
, provide regular commercial passenger service to the region. Dallas Love Field is around from Mesquite; DFW Airport is roughly from Mesquite.
Mesquite is not a member of 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 a r ...
, but on April 12, 2011, the DART Board changed its policy to permit DART to contract with nonmember cities for services, such as passenger rail and express service. The city and DART staffs have developed a coordinated plan to have a weekday commuter service in operation between the Hanby Stadium visitor parking lot and the DART's Green Line Lawnview Station. This route opened March 12, 2012. The city also has an optional public transportation service where citizens can schedule specific pickup and drop off times and locations within Mesquite through the STAR Transit service.
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...
operates an intermodal facility for its freight rail service as part of the Skyline Industrial Park
An industrial park, also known as industrial estate or trading estate, is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more heavyweight version of a business park or office par ...
. The recent expansion of this intermodal facility won a Silver award in the Industrial Paving Category by the American Concrete Pavement Association.
Highways
* Interstate 20 is a major east–west interstate serving the south side of Mesquite passing through rural and residential areas including the Lawson area. I-20 connects with Balch Springs to the west and Terrell to the east.
* Interstate 30
Interstate 30 (I-30) is a major Interstate Highway in the southern states of Texas and Arkansas in the United States. I-30 travels 366.76 miles from Interstate 20, I-20 west of Fort Worth, Texas, northeast via Dallas, and Texarkana, Texas ...
is a major east–west interstate that passes through the north side of Mesquite. I-30 connects with Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, Arlington, and Fort Worth
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
to the west; Garland
A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance. In contemporary times ...
, Lake Ray Hubbard, and Rockwall to the east.
* Interstate 635 (Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
Freeway) is an auxiliary interstate serving as a partial loop around Dallas and its suburbs. I-635 bisects the city of Mesquite and serves as the main freeway through the city as most of the local businesses and attractions (including Town East Mall and Mesquite Championship Rodeo) are built near or around I-635. The interstate connects with Garland to the north and Balch Springs to the south. I-635 also connects Mesquite with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
*
U.S. Highway 80 is an east–west freeway passing through north Mesquite. US 80 connects with Sunnyvale, Forney, and Terrell to the east. To the west of Mesquite, the highway merges onto I-30.
*
Texas Highway 352 (Military Parkway/Scyene Road) is an east–west highway passing through both west Mesquite and downtown Mesquite. In the downtown area, it is known locally as Main Street on the westbound section and Davis Street on the eastbound section.
* Belt Line Road also passes through Mesquite and serves as a major road. Belt Line Road serves as an outer loop around the Dallas suburbs.
* Planning stages and environmental studies are being conducted to expand President George Bush Turnpike to connect from its current terminus at I-30 in Garland to I-20. The new segment of the toll road
A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the costs of road construction and ...
would pass through Sunnyvale and Mesquite in route to I-20 and would complete the loop around Dallas County.
Notable people
* Dave Abruzzese, ex-drummer for Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
* Quincy Acy, professional basketball player for Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
and New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
* Melissa Archer, actress on ''One Life to Live
''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as ...
''
* Bradlee Baladez, soccer player
* Todd Boatwright, television news anchor
* Joe Bowden, former professional football player
* Craig Wayne Boyd, winner of season seven of NBC's '' The Voice''
* Trevone Boykin, quarterback for NFL's Seattle Seahawks
* Tarell Brown, professional football player for New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
* John D. Carmack, game programmer and co-founder of id Software
id Software LLC () is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: game programmer, programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer T ...
* Ray Cunningham, former professional baseball player for St. Louis Cardinals
* Alyssa Edwards, drag performer and dance instructor
* Terry Fator, singer and ventriloquist, winner of '' America's Got Talent'' in 2007[ Cedar Creek Pilot article]
* Taylor Gabriel, professional football player for Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
* Don Gay
Donald ("Don" or "Donnie") Gay (born September 18, 1953) is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. He won eight Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bull riding world championships; a record as of 2024. His ...
, eight-time PRCA world champion bullrider
* Todd Graham, college football coach; head coach at Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
* Jerry Hall, actress and model, former wife of Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
* Jason Jennings, Major League Baseball player
* Micah Xavier Johnson, perpetrator of 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers
* Ty Jordan, football player
* Taylor Lipsett, gold medalist in sled hockey at 2010 Winter Paralympic Games
* Sean Lowe, MLB player
* Damien Magnifico, MLB player
* Taylor Parks, actress and singer
* Anthony Simonsen
Anthony Walter Simonsen (born January 6, 1997) is an American professional Ten-pin bowling, ten-pin bowler. He has been a member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) since 2014. Simonsen became known in bowling fan circles early in the ...
, professional ten-pin bowler
* Sonny Strait, voice actor, ADR director, comic book/anime writer and illustrator
* Greg Vaughan, actor on ''General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...
''
* Chuck Weber, racing driver
Notes
References
External links
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{{authority control
1878 establishments in Texas
Cities in Texas
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
Populated places established in 1878