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Plano ( ) is a city in
Collin County Collin County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Dallas- Fort Worth- Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and a small portion of the city of Dallas is in the county. At the 2020 United States census, the county's popula ...
and
Denton County, Texas 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 establish ...
, United States. It had a population of 285,494 at the 2020 census. It is a principal city of the
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, officially designated Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is a conurbated metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Texas encompassing 11 counties and anchore ...
.


History

European settlers came to the area near present-day Plano in the early 1840s. Facilities such as a
sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
, a
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...
, and a store soon brought more people to the area. A mail service was established, and after rejecting several names for the nascent town (including naming it in honor of then-President
Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...
), residents suggested the name ''Plano'' (from the Spanish word for "flat") in reference to the local terrain, unvaried and devoid of any trees. The post office accepted the name. In 1872, the completion of the Houston and Central Texas Railway helped Plano grow, and it was incorporated in 1873. By 1874, the population was over 500. In 1881, a fire raged through the business district, destroying most of the buildings. Plano was rebuilt and business again flourished through the 1880s. Also in 1881, the city assumed responsibility for what would eventually become Plano Independent School District (PISD), ending the days of it being served only by private schools. At first, Plano's population grew slowly, reaching 1,304 in 1900 and 3,695 in 1960. By 1970, Plano began to feel some of the boom its neighbors had experienced after World War II. A series of public works projects and a change in taxes that removed the farming community from the town helped increase the population. In 1970, the population reached 17,872, and by 1980, it had exploded to 72,000. Sewers, schools, and street development kept pace with this massive increase, largely because of Plano's flat topography, grid layout, and planning initiatives. During the 1980s, many large corporations, including
J. C. Penney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Girl ...
and Frito-Lay, moved their headquarters to Plano, spurring further growth. By 1990, the population reached 128,713, dwarfing the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
,
McKinney McKinney is a city in and the county seat of Collin County, Texas. It is Collin County's third-largest city, after Plano, Texas, Plano and Frisco, Texas, Frisco. A suburb of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, McKinney is about north of Dallas. ...
. In 1994, Plano was recognized as an All-America City. By 2000, the population grew to 222,030, making it one of Dallas's largest suburbs. Plano is surrounded by other municipalities and so cannot expand in area, and there is little undeveloped land within the city limits. But as of July 2012, one large tract of land was being developed: Turnpike Commons at the intersection of Renner Road and the George Bush Turnpike (also bordered by Shiloh Road to the east). The development is expected to feature apartments, medical facilities, restaurants, a Race Trac gas station, and a hotel. On June 15, 2015, after five years of disuse, a 178-foot water tower built in 1985 was demolished to make room for
Legacy West Legacy West is a business and cultural district, a lifestyle center in Plano, Texas, bordered on the south by the curving Legacy Drive and Headquarters Drive, on the north by the Sam Rayburn Tollway, on the east by the Dallas North Tollway, and on ...
.


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 the ...
, Plano has an area of 71.6 square miles (185.5 km2). Plano is about from
Downtown Dallas Downtown Dallas is the central business district (CBD) of Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States, located in the geographic center of the city. It is the second-largest business district in the state of Texas. The area termed "Downtown" has tradit ...
. Plano is in the humid subtropical climate zone. The highest recorded temperature was 118 °F (48 °C) in 1936. On average, the coolest month is January and the warmest is July. The lowest recorded temperature was –7 °F (–22 °C) in 1930. The maximum average precipitation occurs in May.


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 285,494 people, 107,320 households, and 76,211 families residing in the city. , Plano had 259,841 people, 99,131 households and 69,464 families, up from 80,875 households and 60,575 families in the 2000 census. The population density was 3,629.1 people per square mile (1,400.8/km2). There were 103,672 housing units at an average density of 1,448.6 per square mile (559.3/km2). In 2010, the racial makeup of the city was 67%
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 on ...
(58.4%
non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Amer ...
), 7.5%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
, 0.36% Native American, 16.9%
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 ...
(6.5% Asian Indian, 5.2%
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
, 1.2% Vietnamese, 1.2% Korean, 0.6%
Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
, 0.2% Japanese, 1.9% Other), 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, 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 the original p ...
, 3.86% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
made up 14.7% of the population (10.6% Mexican, 0.5% Puerto Rican, 0.2% Cuban, 3.5% Other). By 2020, the racial makeup was 46.3% non-Hispanic white, 8.77% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 24.08% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.47% some other race, 4.0% multiracial, and 16.04% Hispanic or Latino of any race, reflecting nationwide trends of greater diversification. Of the 99,131 households in 2010, 35.8% had children under the age of 18. Married couples accounted for 56.7%; 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. About 24.4% of all households were individuals, and 5.3% 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 3.15. Data indicates that 28.7% of Plano's population was under the age of 18, 7.0% was 18 to 24, 36.5% was 25 to 44, 22.9% was 45 to 64, and 4.9% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $84,492, and the median income for a family was $101,616. About 3.0% of families and 4.3% of the population were living 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 4.6% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those 65 or older. In 2007, Plano had the United States' highest median income among cities with a population exceeding 250,000, at $84,492. As of 2010, Plano had a median income of $103,913 annually. According to crime statistics, there were four homicides in Plano in 2006, the lowest rate of all U.S. cities of 250,000 or more people. Plano also has a substantial
Iranian-American Iranian Americans are United States citizens or nationals who are of Iranian ancestry or who hold Iranian citizenship. Iranian Americans are among the most highly educated people in the United States. They have historically excelled in busine ...
community.


Foreign-born residents

, of the foreign-born residents, 17% were from China, 9% from India, and 4% from Vietnam; a total of 30% of foreign-born residents came from these three countries. That year, 22% of Plano's foreign-born originated in Mexico.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:
61


Chinese Americans

Along with
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, Plano has one of Texas's two major concentrations of
Chinese Americans Chinese Americans are Americans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans along with their ancestors trace lineage from ...
. According to the
2010 U.S. census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, there were 14,500 ethnic Chinese in Plano. Of cities with 250,000 or more residents, Plano has the sixth-largest percentage of ethnic Chinese, making up 5.2% of the city's population. Charlie Yue, the executive vice president of the Association of Chinese Professionals, estimated that about 30,000 Plano residents are Chinese and that many "don't participate in government activities, like the census".Kripke, Pamela Gwyn.
Why 30,000 Chinese People Call Plano Home

Archive
. '' D Magazine''. June 2012. Retrieved on September 27, 2014.
Chinese professionals began to settle Plano by 1991. As of 2011, DFW's Chinese restaurants catering to ethnic Chinese are mainly in Plano and
Richardson Richardson may refer to: People * Richardson (surname), an English and Scottish surname * Richardson Gang, a London crime gang in the 1960s * Richardson Dilworth, Mayor of Philadelphia (1956-1962) Places Australia * Richardson, Australian Cap ...
. Most of the DFW-area Chinese cultural organizations are headquartered in Plano and Richardson. Plano has six Chinese churches and supermarkets, including 99 Ranch Market and zTao Marketplace.


Economy


Top employers

According to the Plano Economic Development 2017 Leading Employers Report, Plano's top 10 employers were: About 80% of Plano's visitors are business travelers, due to its close proximity to Dallas and the many corporations headquartered in Plano. The city also has a
convention center A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...
owned and operated by the city. Plano has made a concerted effort to draw retail to its downtown area and the
Legacy West Legacy West is a business and cultural district, a lifestyle center in Plano, Texas, bordered on the south by the curving Legacy Drive and Headquarters Drive, on the north by the Sam Rayburn Tollway, on the east by the Dallas North Tollway, and on ...
in an effort to boost
sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...
returns. It has two malls,
The Shops at Willow Bend The Shops at Willow Bend, sometimes referred to as Willow Bend Mall, is a shopping mall located in Plano, Texas, with over 125 stores and three anchor stores. The mall is located at the intersection of West Park Boulevard ( Farm to Market Road 544 ...
and
The Shops at Legacy Legacy West is a business and cultural district, a lifestyle center in Plano, Texas, bordered on the south by the curving Legacy Drive and Headquarters Drive, on the north by the Sam Rayburn Tollway, on the east by the Dallas North Tollway, and on ...
.
Collin Creek Mall Collin Creek Mall was a two-level, enclosed regional mall in Plano, Texas opened in 1981 and closed for redevelopment in 2019. It was located near the intersection of US 75 (Central Expressway) and President George Bush Turnpike. Since September ...
closed in 2019. There is an area that has apartments, shops, and restaurants constructed with the
New Urbanism New Urbanism is an urban design movement which promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighbourhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually inf ...
philosophy. An experimental luxury
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
Supercenter is at Park Boulevard and the
Dallas North Tollway The Dallas North Tollway (DNT, or simply the Tollway) is a controlled-access toll road operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), which runs from Interstate 35E near downtown Dallas, Texas (USA), to U.S. Highway 380, in Frisco, T ...
.


Headquarters of major corporations

Some of the country's largest and most recognized companies are headquartered in Plano. Legacy Drive in ZIP Code 75024, between
Preston Road State Highway 289, known for most of its length as Preston Road, is a north–south Texas state highway. It begins at the intersection of Preston Road and Loop 12/Northwest Highway in Dallas. The Preston Road designation comes from the fact ...
and
Dallas North Tollway The Dallas North Tollway (DNT, or simply the Tollway) is a controlled-access toll road operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), which runs from Interstate 35E near downtown Dallas, Texas (USA), to U.S. Highway 380, in Frisco, T ...
, has many corporate campuses. The following companies have corporate headquarters (Fortune 1000 headquarters) or major regional offices in Plano: * At Home *
Beal Bank Beal Bank is an American bank, which was founded by Texas-based entrepreneur D. Andrew "Andy" Beal. It includes two separately chartered banks, Beal Bank and Beal Bank USA. Each entity is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDI ...
*
Cookies by Design Cookies by Design, also known as Crumb Corps, LLC, formerly Cookie Bouquet, is a producer of baked goods. The company current has about 70 corporate and franchised locations across the United States and had $54 million in sales in 2006. History ...
*
Cinemark Theatres Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (stylized as CineMark from 1998 to 2022 and CINEMARK since 2022) is an American movie theater chain that started operations in 1984 and since then it has operated theaters with hundreds of locations throughout the America ...
* Crossmark *
Denbury Inc. Denbury Inc. is a company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration. It is organized in Delaware and headquartered in Plano, Texas. The company extracts petroleum via enhanced oil recovery (tertiary recovery), which utilizes carbon dioxide to extract p ...
* Diodes Incorporated * FedEx Office * Fogo de Chão * Frito-Lay * Hilti North America * Huawei Device USA'' *
JCPenney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
* Main Event Entertainment * NTT Data Services *
Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert at d ...
* Rent-A-Center *
Ribbon Communications Ribbon Communications US LLC is a public company that makes software, IP and optical networking solutions for service providers, enterprises and critical infrastructure sectors. The company was formed in 2017, following the merger of Genband and S ...
*
Robot Entertainment Robot Entertainment is an American video game development and publishing company created by the founders of the defunct Ensemble Studios, after being shut down by Microsoft. Other members of the company founded another studio, Bonfire Studios. Ro ...
* Siemens Digital Industries Software * Toyota Motor North America *
Tyler Technologies Tyler Technologies, Inc., based in Plano, Texas, is a provider of software to the United States public sector. Tyler Technologies has offices in 17 states and one in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. History Tyler Technologies was founded by Joseph F. M ...
*
Zoës Kitchen Zoës Kitchen is a Mediterranean Style restaurant chain that is a subsidiary of the Cava Group. Their headquarters are located in Plano, Texas, United States. By 2013, the chain grew to include over 200 locations across 17 states; however, the ...
In 2014 Toyota Motor North America announced its U.S. headquarters would move from
Torrance, California Torrance is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the m ...
, to Plano. In 2015, Liberty Mutual announced its plans to build a new corporate campus just a few blocks east of Toyota's, bringing an estimated 5,000 jobs to the community. In January 2016, JP Morgan Chase and mortgage giant Fannie Mae announced they would move their regional operations to Plano, bringing a combined 7,000 new jobs to the community.


Arts and culture

The Plano Public Library System (PPLS) consists of the W.O. Haggard, Jr. Library, the Maribelle M. Davis Library, the Gladys Harrington Library, the Christopher A. Parr Library, the L.E.R. Schimelpfenig Library, and the Municipal Reference Library. The Haggard Library houses the system's administrative offices. The Plano Symphony Orchestra is partially funded by the city, performing regularly at St. Andrew United Methodist Church and the
Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts The Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts and Corporate Presentations is a performance hall which opened in September 2002 in Richardson, Texas. The center is named for local philanthropist, Charles W. Eisemann, in recognition of a US ...
in nearby Richardson.


Historic sites

*
Plano Station, Texas Electric Railway Plano Station, Texas Electric Railway, now known as the Interurban Railway Museum, is a historic train station at 901 E 15th Street in Plano, Texas. It is still served by the Downtown Plano station of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail, whi ...
(1908) *
Heritage Farmstead Museum Heritage Farmstead Museum (also known as the Ammie Wilson House) is a historic farm museum at 1900 West 15th Street in Plano, Texas. The late- Victorian farm-house was built in 1891 on a 365-acre farm belonging to Mary Alice Farrell and her hu ...
(1891)


Parks and recreation

Although Plano is named for the flat plains of the area, large trees abound in the city's many parks. One such tree, estimated to be over 200 years old, is in Bob Woodruff Park, near Rowlett Creek on the city's east side. There are two main open space preserves: Arbor Hills Nature Preserve (200 acres) which contains a
pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...
in honor of Vasil Levski and
Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve is an 800-acre park in Plano, TX and is the largest park in the city. The park has 3.5 miles of concrete trails and 5 miles of soft trails, many of which are located along Rowlett Creek. In the southeastern regi ...
(800 acres). Bob Woodruff Park and Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve are connected by biking trails, making the green space one large uninterrupted park space larger than New York City's
Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
(840 acres).
Go Ape Go Ape! is an outdoor adventure company which runs tree top ropes courses under the names Tree Top Challenge, Tree Top Adventure and Zip Trekking, as well as ground-based Forest Segway Safaris, at locations across the United Kingdom and the United ...
, a family-friendly place with outdoor activities like ziplining and Tarzan swings, is at Oak Point Park and Preserve. The
Plano Balloon Festival Plano Balloon Festival is held each September at Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve in the city of Plano, Texas. It is one of the city's largest celebrations, drawing in excess of 90,000 attendees. Celebrating 40 years of its existence, the festiva ...
, which happens every September, also takes place at Oak Point Park and Preserve. Another open space is Haggard Park, which hosts the annual Plano AsiaFest in May. Acreage of all spaces the Parks Department manages totals 3,830.81. The Plano Master Plan has the acreage growing to 4,092.63 when complete. There are five recreation centers: Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center, Carpenter Park Recreation Center, Oak Point Recreation Center, Liberty Recreation Center, and Douglass Community Center. Carpenter Park Recreation Center, Oak Point Recreation Center, and Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center have an indoor pool, while Liberty Recreation Center has an outdoor pool. Plano Senior Recreation Center is a recreation center dedicated to seniors. There are three swimming pools owned by Plano Parks & Recreation: Harry Rowlinson Community Natatorium, Jack Carter Pool, and Plano Aquatic Center. All the pools are indoor except Jack Carter Pool. Douglass Community Center houses the Boys & Girls Club of Collin County. For pet owners, there are The Dog Park at Jack Carter Park, The Dog Park at Bob Woodruff, and Dog Park at Windhaven Meadows Park. The City of Plano also owns and operates four performing arts venues and a conference center under the auspices of the Parks and Recreation Department: the Courtyard Theater, the Cox Playhouse, the Amphitheater at Oak Point Park, McCall Plaza, and the Oak Point Park Nature and Retreat Center.


Government


Local government

Plano has a council-manager form of government, with a part-time city council that sets city policy and a city manager responsible for city operations. The
Plano City Council The Plano City Council is the governing body of the City of Plano, Texas, United States. The Council operates using the council-manager government. They hold regular meetings at the Plano Municipal Center on the second and fourth Monday of every ...
has eight members elected on a nonpartisan basis in staggered odd-year elections every other May. Council members and the mayor are elected by and serve the city at large. Council members serving in places one, two, three, and four must reside in that district, and the mayor always serves in place six. The mayor receives a yearly stipend of $8,400, and each council member receives $6,000. All council members, including the mayor, serve a maximum of two consecutive four-year terms. The mayor and city council members could serve for a maximum of three consecutive three-year terms until voters approved changes to the city charter in 2011. The 38th
mayor of Plano The Mayor of the City of Plano, Texas is the head of the Plano City Council. The current mayor is John B. Muns, who has served since 2021 and is the city's 39th mayor. Serving as mayor is a part-time job, and most officeholders maintain a full- ...
was businessman
Harry LaRosiliere Harry LaRosiliere (born May 6, 1962) was the 39th mayor of Plano, Texas, the first African-American to hold the office. He was elected in 2013 and served until 2021 after reaching his term limit. LaRosiliere was born in Haiti and grew up in Harle ...
, who was elected the first African-American mayor of Plano in 2013. Plano elected its first African-American city council member, David Perry, in 1990. On December 8, 2014, the
city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
passed an amendment to its
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
act to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected. The ordinance drew the ire of conservative groups such as the Liberty Institute, which argued that it infringed on business owners' religious rights. Many civil rights organizations were not supportive either, such as the Human Rights Campaign, which argued that the policy's exclusion of transgender individuals from being able to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity rendered the ordinance not worth defending. In the 2008 fiscal year Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Plano reported $194 million in revenue, $212 million in expenditures, $278 million in total assets, $31.4 million in total liabilities, and $337 million in cash and investments. Plano 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. In 2020, Police Chief Ed Drain announced the Plano Police Department would no longer make arrests for possession of small amounts of marijuana.


Politics

Dallas's wealthy northern suburbs were solidly Republican and in 2005, the Bay Area Center for Voting Research ranked Plano, the largest of them, the United States' fifth-most conservative city. It has become more competitive in national elections as its population has diversified, shifting toward the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
since 2016, when
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
won the city by a narrow margin. In
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, Beto O'Rourke became the first Democrat to win the city in a statewide election in the 21st century, and in
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, Joe Biden won the city by an even larger margin. But in local and state elections, Plano still leans Republican, voting to reelect Governor Greg Abbott in
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
and narrowly reelecting Republicans to 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 abou ...
and Texas Senate in
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
and
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
.


State representation

Plano is split between the 66th and 67th Districts in 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 abou ...
, and is wholly contained in Texas Senate District 8. Republican Matt Shaheen represents Texas House District 66, and Republican Jeff Leach has represented Texas House District 67 since 2013. Republican
Angela Paxton Angela Paxton is an American politician from the state of Texas. A Republican, she has represented District 8 in the Texas Senate since 2019. Paxton worked as a guidance counselor at Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco, Texas. Paxton is marrie ...
represents Texas Senate District 8.


Federal representation

Republican Congressman
Van Taylor Nicholas Van Campen Taylor (born August 1, 1972), known as Van Taylor,Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997. is an American businessman and Republican politician from Plano, Texas. He is the U.S. representative for Texas's 3rd congressional district, ...
has represented
Texas's 3rd congressional district Texas's 3rd congressional district of the United States House of Representatives is in the suburban areas north and northeast of Dallas. It encompasses much of Collin County, including McKinney, as well as parts of Plano and Frisco, and Pros ...
since 2019. Plano is represented in the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
by Republicans
Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
and John Cornyn.


Education

Plano has 70 public schools, 16 private schools, and two campuses of the Collin County Community College District (Collin College).


Primary and secondary schools

The Plano Independent School District serves most of the city. Student enrollment has increased dramatically over the past few decades. Plano has a unique high school system, in which grades 9–10 attend a high school and grades 11–12 attend a senior high. There are three senior high schools (grades 11–12) in PISD: Plano East, Plano, and
Plano West Plano West Senior High School (commonly West, Plano West, or PWSH) is a public high school in Plano, Texas serving high school juniors and seniors. Plano West is named after its geographic location within West Plano. The school is part of the Pl ...
. Small portions of Plano are served by the Lewisville Independent School District,
Frisco Independent School District Frisco Independent School District is a public school district based in Frisco, Texas, United States. The district covers portions of Denton and Collin counties, including portions of the cities of Frisco, Little Elm, Plano, and McKinney as w ...
, and
Allen Independent School District Allen Independent School District is a public school district based in Allen, Texas (USA). Allen ISD covers most of the city of Allen, as well as portions of the cities of McKinney, Plano, and Parker. The district has a total enrollment of 21 ...
(Commercial Only for Allen ISD). Plano schools graduate more of their students than comparable districts. In 2010, 93% of Plano Independent Student District students graduated from high school, 18 percentage points higher than Dallas ISD's rate. In 2012, Plano Independent School District announced that 128 seniors were selected as National Merit Semifinalists. Plano has given $1.2 billion in property tax revenue to other school districts through Texas's " Robin Hood" law, which requires school districts designated as affluent to give a percentage of their property tax revenue to other districts outside the county. In 2008, PISD gave $86 million. Controversy erupted when the salaries of teachers in less affluent districts—such as Garland ISD—exceeded the salaries of teachers in districts that had to pay into "Robin Hood". In the 2013–14 school year, Plano ISD opened two four-year high school academies, one focusing on STEAM (
STEM education Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mush ...
plus Media Arts) called
Plano ISD Academy High School Plano ISD Academy High School, commonly referred to as Academy High School, is a STEAM, interdisciplinary and project-based learning high school. The school serves students from grades 9-12. This school is not a regular secondary school because t ...
, and the other on health science. Additionally, the district modified its
International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...
program to allow freshmen and sophomores in the program to be housed at Plano East Senior High School. In addition to Catholic primary and middle schools, the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
operates John Paul II High School in Plano. Non-Catholic private schools in Plano include Great Lakes Academy,
Spring Creek Academy Spring Creek Academy is a Dallas-area private school. Located in Plano, Texas, Spring Creek Academy opened in 1996, and currently serves approximately 200 students in grades K-12. It offers all core and academic elective courses required to meet ...
, Yorktown Education, and
Prestonwood Christian Academy Prestonwood Christian Academy (PCA) is a private Christian School that serves more than 1,600 students enrolled at three campuses: PCA Plano in Plano ( Pre-Kindergarten 3 through 12th grade), PCA North in Prosper ( Pre-Kindergarten 3 through 10t ...
. In addition, the
Collin County Collin County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Dallas- Fort Worth- Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and a small portion of the city of Dallas is in the county. At the 2020 United States census, the county's popula ...
campus of
Coram Deo Academy Coram Deo Academy (CDA) is a classical Christian school offering a University-Model or five-day schedule for students in grades Pre-K to 12. CDA has three North Texas campuses located in Collin County, Dallas, and Flower Mound. Academic progra ...
is in the One Church (previously Four Corners Church) facility in Plano.


Colleges and universities

Plano is the home to two campuses of Collin College, one at the Courtyard Center on Preston Park Boulevard and the larger Spring Creek Campus on Spring Creek Parkway at Jupiter. DBU North, a satellite campus of
Dallas Baptist University Dallas Baptist University (DBU) is a Christian liberal arts university in Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1898 as Decatur Baptist College, Dallas Baptist University currently operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Hurst. History Dallas Baptist Uni ...
, is in west Plano, and offers undergraduate and graduate courses and houses the admissions and academic counseling offices.


Infrastructure


Transportation

Plano is one of 12 suburbs of Dallas that opt into the
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 ...
(DART) public transportation system. During its early membership in DART, Plano was lightly served by bus lines, but in 2002, the Red Line of the
DART Light Rail DART Light Rail is the light rail system serving the metropolitan area of Dallas, Texas and is owned and operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). The DART Light Rail system opened June 14, 1996 and serves 65 stations and four lines, cover ...
project opened stations in Downtown Plano and at Parker Road, which provide access to commuters traveling to work elsewhere in the Dallas area. The Orange Line traverses the same route for selected weekday/peak hour trips. The Silver Line is also planned to run through Southern Plano. Approximately 1% of the city's population uses DART. The Parker Road station charged for parking for non-member city residents from April 2, 2012, to April 3, 2014, as a part of the Fair Share Parking initiative. Two DART park-and-ride bus facilities, separate from the rail lines, are in Plano:
Jack Hatchell Transit Center Jack Hatchell Transit Center is a small bus-only station located on 15th Creek Dr. west of Coit in Plano, Texas (U.S.A.). It is owned and operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), whose buses mostly serve Plano-area hospitals such as the Pr ...
and Northwest Plano Park & Ride. Plano was the first city in Collin County to adopt a master plan for its road system. The use of multi-lane, divided highways for all major roads allows for higher speed limits, generally , but sometimes up to on the northern section of
Preston Road State Highway 289, known for most of its length as Preston Road, is a north–south Texas state highway. It begins at the intersection of Preston Road and Loop 12/Northwest Highway in Dallas. The Preston Road designation comes from the fact ...
. Plano is served directly by several major roadways and freeways. Central Plano is bordered to the east by
U.S. Highway 75 U.S. Route 75 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that extends in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is in Noyes, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it once continued as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other sid ...
, the west by
Dallas North Tollway The Dallas North Tollway (DNT, or simply the Tollway) is a controlled-access toll road operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), which runs from Interstate 35E near downtown Dallas, Texas (USA), to U.S. Highway 380, in Frisco, T ...
, the south by President George Bush Turnpike (
Texas State Highway 190 Year 190 (CXC) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Sura (or, less frequently, year 943 ''Ab urbe condita'') ...
(east of Coit Road)), and the north by Sam Rayburn Tollway ( Texas State Highway 121). Preston Road (
Texas State Highway 289 State Highway 289, known for most of its length as Preston Road, is a north–south Texas state highway. It begins at the intersection of Preston Road and Loop 12/Northwest Highway in Dallas. The Preston Road designation comes from the fact ...
) is a major thoroughfare that runs through the city. Plano is Texas's largest city without an
interstate highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
. Plano opened a new interchange at Parker Rd. and U.S. 75 in December 2010. The single-point interchange is the first of its kind in Texas. The design is intended to reduce severe congestion at this interchange. According t
reports
traffic congestion has been reduced by 50-75%. Plano is roughly 30 miles northeast of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the primary airport serving Plano residents and visitors.


Fire department

The
Plano Fire-Rescue Plano ( ) is a city in Collin County, Texas, Collin County and Denton County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 285,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Hist ...
has 386 full-time firefighters who operate out of 13 stations.


Police

The Plano Police Department is an accredited agency and Plano's principal law enforcement agency. The department is led by Chief Ed Drain. The department has authorized staff of 414 sworn officers, 178 full-time civilian employees, and 79 civilian part-time employees. It is a member of the
North Texas Crime Commission North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' i ...
and uses the Crime Stoppers program.


Water

Plano is part of the North Texas Municipal Water District, headquartered in Wylie, Texas.
Lake Lavon Lavon Lake is a freshwater reservoir located in southeast Collin County, Texas, on the East Fork of the Trinity River near Wylie, off State Highway 78. It is commonly called Lake Lavon for commercial and recreational purposes, but Lavon Lake is ...
is the district's principal source of raw water. Plano's water distribution system includes: * 10 elevated towers * 12 ground storage tanks * 54.5 million-gallon water storage capacity * 5 pump stations * 225 million-gallon daily pumping capacity * 1,080 miles of water mains * 65,965 metered service connections


Notable people

*
Kellyn Acosta Kellyn Kai Perry-Acosta (born July 24, 1995) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC and the United States national team. Early life Acosta was raised in Plano, Texas. ...
, soccer player *
Kristin Adams Kristin Nicole Adams, née Holt, is a television personality, entertainment news correspondent, singer, and viral video creator. Adams first rose to public awareness on ''American Idol''. Between 2005 and 2008, Kristin served as the second host ...
, actress and
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
contestant * Jeran Akers, politician *
Anousheh Ansari Anousheh Ansari ( fa, انوشه انصاری ; née Raissyan; born September 12, 1966) is an Iranian American engineer and co-founder and chairwoman of Prodea Systems. Her previous business accomplishments include serving as co-founder and CEO o ...
, engineer and co-founder and chairwoman of Prodea Systems * Bryn Apprill, voice actress affiliated with Funimation * Lance Armstrong, former professional cyclist * Jake Arrieta, Cy Young Award-winning baseball pitcher, Plano East alumnus *
Aaron Aryanpur Aaron Aryanpur is an American stand-up comedian, artist, and voice actor from Dallas, Texas. He has released two comedy albums on Stand Up! Records: 2016's ''In Spite Of'', which reached No. 10 on the Billboard comedy chart, and 2018's ''Employ ...
, stand-up comedian * Laura Bailey, voice actress *
Alyssa Baumann Alyssa Lyn Baumann (born May 17, 1998) is a retired American artistic gymnast, and has competed for the United States at international events as well as for University of Florida team. Baumann is the 2014 and 2015 United States silver medalist on ...
, gymnast *
Andrew Beal Daniel Andrew Beal (born November 29, 1952) is an American banker, businessman, investor, and amateur mathematician. He is a Dallas-based businessman who accumulated wealth in real estate and banking. Born and reared in Lansing, Michigan, Beal i ...
, founder and chairman of Beal Bank *
Justin Blalock Justin Christopher Blalock (born December 20, 1983) is a former American football offensive guard who played eight seasons with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas at A ...
, NFL player *
Spencer Boldman Spencer Boldman (born July 28, 1992) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Adam Davenport on Disney XD's ''Lab Rats'', and for playing Gio in the film '' Cruise''. Personal life Spencer was born in Dallas, Texas, and graduated from P ...
, actor *
Corben Bone Corben Bone (born September 16, 1988 in Plano, Texas) is an American former professional soccer player. Career College and amateur Bone played college soccer at Wake Forest University from 2007 to 2009 where he appeared in 68 games scoring 15 ...
, soccer player * Matt Borne,
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
*
Lauri Bonacorsi Lauri Bonacorsi (born January 17, 1993) is an American Ice dancing, ice dancer currently representing Italy with Francesco Fioretti. With former partner Travis Mager, she is the 2011 United States Figure Skating Championships, 2011 and 2012 Unite ...
, ice dancer *
Kyle Bosworth Kyle Louis Bosworth (born November 21, 1986) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2 ...
, NFL player * Edward Boyden, neuroscientist * Christopher "Big Black" Boykin, TV host * Charlie Bradshaw, NFL player *
Cody Bragg Richard "Cody" Bragg (born June 26, 1980 in San Antonio, Texas) is an American soccer player, currently without a club. Career College Bragg grew up in Plano, Texas, played club soccer for the Dallas Texans and in the Dallas Cup in the U19 Sup ...
, former soccer defender *
Jake Brendel Jacob William Brendel (born September 10, 1992) is an American football center for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCLA. Brendel was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free a ...
, NFL player *
Rebecca Bross Rebecca Marie Bross (born July 11, 1993) is an American former artistic gymnast and six-time World Championship medalist. Personal life Rebecca Marie Bross is the daughter of Terry Bross and Donna Bross. She has one older brother named Benjami ...
, gymnast * Bob Bruce, former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
* James Buescher, former professional
stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
driver *
Rex Burkhead Rex Burkhead (born July 2, 1990) is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Nebraska and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2013 ...
, NFL player * Carl Bussey, soccer player *
Marion Campbell Francis Marion Campbell (May 25, 1929 – July 13, 2016) was an American football defensive lineman and coach. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1949 until 1951, where he was appropriately nicknamed " Swamp Fox" because of ...
, NFL player and head coach *
Danny Cater Danny Anderson Cater (born February 25, 1940) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies at the age of 18, on June 8, 1958. Cater played in ...
, former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...
player *
Caesar Cervin Caesar Cervin is a retired American soccer midfielder. He played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, United Soccer League and Southwest Indoor Soccer League (SISL). He later coached teams in the SISL where he was the 1991 Coach of ...
, soccer forward and coach *
Eve Chalom Eve Chalom (born October 22, 1979) is an American former competitive ice dancer. With Mathew Gates, she is the 1996 Nebelhorn Trophy silver medalist and a two-time (1997, 1999) U.S. national silver medalist. Personal life Chalom was born Octo ...
, a former competitive ice dancer who trained in Plano in the 1990s * Andrew Chandler, actor * Karen Chau, artist, showrunner, and
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
executive *
Jay Chern Jay Chern () is a Taiwanese-American film director, screenwriter and producer. His short film ''Thief'' (''Xiao Tou'') (2011) won a Best Short Film award at the 2011 Golden Horse Film Festival, as well as a Best Directing award at Taiwan's Golde ...
, director *
Arden Cho Arden Lim Cho (born August 16, 1985) is an American actress, singer and model known for portraying Kira Yukimura in the 2011 MTV television series ''Teen Wolf'' and Ingrid Yun in the 2022 Netflix television series ''Partner Track''. Early life ...
, actress *
T. J. Cline Timothy Joseph Cline (born July 22, 1994) is an American-Israeli professional basketball player who last played for MoraBanc Andorra of the Liga ACB and is also a member of the Israeli national basketball team. He played college basketball for th ...
, American-Israeli basketball player *
Blake Coleman Blake Coleman (born November 28, 1991), nicknamed "Pickles", is an American professional ice hockey winger for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the third round, 75th overall, by the New Jersey Devils dur ...
, hockey player * Comer Cottrell, founder, Pro-Line Corp. *
Fred Couples Frederick Steven Couples (born October 3, 1959) is an American professional golfer who has competed on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. A former World No. 1, he has won 64 professional tournaments, most notably the Masters Tournament ...
, professional golfer, formerly lived in Plano *
Chace Crawford Christopher Chace Crawford (born July 18, 1985) is an American actor. He is known for his television portrayals of Nate Archibald on The CW's teen drama series ''Gossip Girl'' (2007–2012), and of The Deep in Amazon Prime Video original series ...
, actor * Tyler Davis, basketball player *
Christopher Dean Christopher Colin Dean, OBE (born 27 July 1958) is a British ice dancer who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics with his skating partner Jayne Torvill. They also won a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics. Early life Dean grew u ...
, retired ice dancer who coached in Plano in the 1990s * Chad Deering, former soccer player *
Rob Dickerman Rob Dickerman is a neurological and spine surgeon from Plano, Texas, who has performed high-profile surgical procedures on professional athletes. Education and professional career Rob Dickerman attended Texas Wesleyan University for his underg ...
, spinal surgeon * Robert Dodd, former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
*
Kenton Duty Jeffrey Kenton Duty (born May 12, 1995) is an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for his recurring role as "Young Jacob" on the final season of the ABC primetime drama, ''Lost'', and for his co-starring role as the flamboyant ...
, actor *
Phil Dyer Phil Dyer (born July 6, 1951) is an American politician and banker who was 38th mayor of Plano, Texas. He was first elected in 2009. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1973. He received his Masters of Bus ...
, politician *
Arlo Eisenberg Arlo Eisenberg (born 1973) is an aggressive inline skater who pioneered street skating. He is considered by many to be an important innovator of the aggressive skating industry. Biography Early life Born in Dallas, Texas on September 7, 1973, Arlo ...
, street skating pioneer * Pat Evans, politician * Tyler Ewing, composer *
Connor Fields Connor Evan Fields (born September 14, 1992) is an American professional BMX racer. He represented the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the men's BMX event and finished 7th overall. He represented the United States again at the 201 ...
, professional BMX racer *
Keith Flowers Keith Duane Flowers (April 24, 1930 – November 12, 1993) was an American football player who played one season in the National Football League (NFL) with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Texans. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the eleventh ro ...
, football player *
Karith Foster Karith Foster (born June 30, 1974) is an American comedian, speaker, television and radio personality, actress, author, and entrepreneur. In 2016, Foster founded the Foster Russell Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which is co ...
, comedian * Alyson Fox, illustrator *
Ben Fricke Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he ...
, NFL player * Kirsten Frisch, ice dancer *
Anson Funderburgh Anson Funderburgh (born James Anson Funderburgh; November 14, 1954) is an American blues guitar player and bandleader of Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets since 1978. Their style incorporates both Chicago blues and Texas blues. Career Funderburg ...
, blues guitarplayer and bandleader of Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets *
Nick Garcia Nick Garcia (born April 9, 1979 in Plano, Texas) is an American former soccer player. Career Youth and College As a junior and senior at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas, Garcia helped his high school win their first 2 TAPPS state boy ...
, soccer player * Mathew Gates, ice dancer who trained in Plano in the 1990s *
John Georgelas Yahya al-Bahrumi (born John Thomas Georgelas, also known as Ioannis Georgilakis and used the '' kunya'' Yahya Abu Hassan; December 2, 1983 – October 2017) was an American jihadist, Islamic scholar, and supporter of the Islamic State (ISIL). Havi ...
, jihadist *
Gene Gibson Eugene F. Gibson (19242007) coached the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team from 1961 to 1969. A former all-conference player for Texas Tech, during his first year as coach, he led the team to the second round of the NCAA tournament. He c ...
, basketball coach * Mónica González, soccer player * Amber Glenn, figure skater * Jack Graham, pastor of
Prestonwood Baptist Church Prestonwood Baptist Church is a Baptist multi-site megachurch, based in Plano, Texas. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. It is one of the largest churches in America, with a membership of over 45,000 and a weekly attendance ...
*
C. H. Greenblatt Carl Harvey Greenblatt (born June 17, 1972) is an American animator, storyboard artist, voice actor, writer, producer and director. He has worked on Nickelodeon's ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and on Cartoon Network's ''The Grim Adventures of Billy ...
, TV writer *
Bob Guccione Robert Charles Joseph Edward Sabatini Guccione ( ; December 17, 1930 – October 20, 2010) was an American photographer and publisher. He founded the adult magazine ''Penthouse'' in 1965. This was aimed at competing with Hugh Hefner's ''Playboy'', ...
, publisher of ''
Penthouse Penthouse most often refers to: *Penthouse apartment, a special apartment on the top floor of a building *Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' (magazine), a British-founded men's magazine *Mechanical penthouse, a floor, typically located directly u ...
'' *
Kerri Hanks Kerri Michel Hanks Petersen (; born September 2, 1985) is an American soccer forward who last played for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer. She is currently the head coach for the Clay County United Soccer Alliance U18 girls' soccer t ...
, soccer forward * Cody Hanson, musician and songwriter * Dick Haugland, biomedical researcher * Brad Hawkins, actor, country singer and martial artist * Sara Payne Hayden, female
test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testing ...
*
Fred E. Haynes Jr. Fred Elmore Haynes Jr. (January 5, 1921 – March 25, 2010) was a United States Marine Corps major general who served in World War II and the Vietnam War. He completed his Marine Corps career as deputy chief of staff for Research, Development an ...
, Marine Corps general *
Marques Haynes Marques Haynes (March 10, 1926 – May 22, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters, notable for his ability to dribble the ball and keep it away from defenders. According to the 1988 film ''Harl ...
, former professional basketball player * Mark "Haz" Hazinski, professional
table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...
athlete *
Lorraine Heath Lorraine Heath is an American author of contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance and young adult novels under multiple pen names, including Rachel Hawthorne, J.A. London, and Jade Parker. She is known for her "beautiful, deep ...
, author *
George H. Heilmeier George Harry Heilmeier (May 22, 1936 – April 21, 2014) was an American engineer, manager, and a pioneering contributor to liquid crystal displays (LCDs), for which he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Heilmeier's work is an ...
, inventor of liquid crystal displays * John Herrington, retired astronaut * John Benjamin Hickey, actor *
Sam Honaker Samuel William Honaker (March 14, 1887 – March 21, 1966) was an American football player and coach and consul general. Early years Honaker was born in Tampa, Florida in 1887 but grew up in Plano, Texas. He spent two years at Bingham Preparator ...
, NFL player and consul general to Turkey *
Elise Hu Elise Hu is an American broadcast journalist who hosts the TED Talks Daily podcast and serves as host-at-large for NPR. From 2015 to 2018, she was the network's first Seoul, South Korea, bureau chief. Life and education Hu was born in St. Louis ...
, broadcast journalist who hosts the TED Talks Daily podcast * Rashad Hussain, associate
White House Counsel The White House counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Of ...
and diplomat *
Michael Irvin Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966) is an American sports commentator and former professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ...
, NFL player * Casey James, singer and
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
contestant * Stephen H. Jecko,
Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...
bishop *
Sam Johnson Samuel Robert Johnson (October 11, 1930May 27, 2020) was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for in Congress from 1991 to 2019. He was a member of the Republican Party. In October and November 2015, he was the acting ...
, former U.S. representative and P.O.W. cellmate of
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
* Tania Joya, former jihadist *
Hunter Jumper Hunter Jumper (born February 28, 1989) is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for National Premier Soccer League club Georgia Storm. College career Jumper played his collegiate career at Virginia. During his four years with the ...
, soccer player * Stephen Katz, TV screenwriter *
Marklen Kennedy Marklen Kennedy is an American actor, producer, film industry executive and founder of In Your Face Productions. Biography Kennedy was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Plano, Texas. He graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dal ...
, actor *
Gerald Ketchum Rear Admiral Gerald L. Ketchum (5 December 1908 – 22 August 1992) was a career officer in the United States Navy. He served during World War II and the Korean War. He was a recipient of the Silver Star and also participated in four expeditions ...
, Antarctic explorer *
Jimmy King Jimmy Hal King (born August 9, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. King played in the NBA and other leagues. He is most famous for his time spent on the famed University of Michigan Wolverines Fab Five along with Ray Jac ...
, NBA player * Madison Kocian, gymnast *
Harry LaRosiliere Harry LaRosiliere (born May 6, 1962) was the 39th mayor of Plano, Texas, the first African-American to hold the office. He was elected in 2013 and served until 2021 after reaching his term limit. LaRosiliere was born in Haiti and grew up in Harle ...
, politician *
Muhammed Lawal Oklahoma State Cowboys Central Oklahoma Bronchos Muhammed Lawal (born January 11, 1981), also known as "King Mo", is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to Major League Wre ...
, MMA fighter, professional wrestler, NCAA wrestler and coach *
Jeff Leach Jeff Alexander Leach (born 12 February 1984) is an English actor, writer and stand-up comedian. He has also worked as a television and radio presenter with shows airing in the UK, USA, Australia and Europe. He is most well known for appearing ...
, politician *
John Leake Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Leake (4 July 1656 – 21 August 1720) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. He then distinguished himself when he led ...
, NFL player *
Brad Leland Brad Leland (born September 15, 1954) is an American film and television actor best known for his role as Buddy Garrity in the NBC/DirecTV series '' Friday Night Lights''. He has appeared in over 100 feature films and television shows and numerou ...
, actor * Ruifeng Li, chess grandmaster *
Will Licon William Andrew Licon ( ; born August 25, 1994) is an American competitive swimmer who specializes in breaststroke and medley events. He currently competes for the professional team LA Current in the International Swimming League. Licon is a thre ...
, American Record-holder in the 200-yard breaststroke *
Per Lindstrand Per Lindstrand (born 8 September 1948) is a Swedish aeronautical engineer, pilot, adventurer and entrepreneur. He is particularly known for his series of record-breaking trans-oceanic hot air balloon flights and, later, attempts to be the first ...
, aeronautical engineer, pilot, adventurer and entrepreneur who set a new world altitude record for hot-air balloons on June 6, 1988, ascending from Plano * Nastia Liukin, gymnast * Valeri Liukin, gymnastics coach *
John S. Loisel Colonel John Simon Loisel (May 21, 1920 – January 20, 2010) was an American air ace, credited with having shot down 11 Japanese aircraft during World War II. Loisel was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and joined the United States Army Air For ...
, World War II
fighter ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
* Bronko Lubich, wrestler *
D'Anton Lynn D'Anton Lynn (born Anthony Ray Lynn II, October 24, 1989) is the defensive coordinator for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference (NCAA). He previously served as the defensive backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens in 2021 before being elevated ...
, former American football cornerback *
Merlyn Mantle Merlyn Mantle (née Johnson; January 28, 1932 – August 10, 2009) was an American author and widow of New York Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle. Early life Mantle was born in Cardin in Ottawa County in far northeastern Oklahoma. She was the fi ...
, author and widow of
Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
* Yevgeny Marchenko, gymnastics coach * Warren Maxwell, ice dancer who coached in Plano in the 1990s * Harold Mayo, former football coach * Kevin McCarthy, radio broadcaster *
Molly McClure Molly McClure (born Mary Ella Karnes; January 19, 1919 – August 15, 2008) was an American film and television actress She appeared in films and televisions series such as '' Daddy's Dyin': Who's Got the Will?'', ''Murphy Brown'', ''Mrs. Doubtf ...
, actress *
Glenn McCuen Glenn McCuen (born February 3, 1991) is an American actor, model and former gymnast, best known for his supporting role as Bodie in the 2010 family film ''Marmaduke'', and for his starring role as the narcissistic surfer, Aloe on the Nickelodeon ...
, actor and gymnast *
Kenny McEntyre Kenny "The Glove" McEntyre (born December 12, 1970) is a former arena football defensive back. He played college football at Kansas State Wildcats football, Kansas State. McEntyre played for the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas Ci ...
, football player * Kevin McHale, actor and singer * Billy McKinney, Major League Baseball outfielder *
Scott Mechlowicz Scott David Mechlowicz (born January 17, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for appearing in the films ''Mean Creek'' (2004), ''EuroTrip'' (2004) and ''Peaceful Warrior'' (2006). Early life and education Mechlowicz was born in New York City, ...
, actor *
Doug Mellard Doug Mellard is a Los Angeles-based United States, American stand-up comedian originally from Texas. He is known for his appearances on ''Last Comic Standing'', ''Live at Gotham'', and his work with comedian Doug Benson. The Austin American-Stat ...
, stand-up comedian * Adam Miller, professional baseball pitcher *
Robert J. Morris Robert John Morris (September 30, 1914 – December 29, 1996) was an American anti-Communist activist who served as chief counsel to the United States Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security from 1951 to 1953 and from 1956 to 1958, was Preside ...
, founder of the now-defunct
University of Plano The University of Plano was an American private liberal arts college located in Plano, Texas that was in operation from 1964 until 1977. The University of Plano received its charter from the State of Texas on May 8, 1964 as a private, coeducationa ...
*
Asif Mujtaba Mohammad Asif Mujtaba (Urdu: آصف مجتبیٰ, born 4 November 1967) is a Pakistani cricket coach and former cricketer who played in 25 Test matches and 66 One Day Internationals from 1986 to 1997. During the, 1994–95 period he briefly ser ...
, cricketer and founder of the Dallas Youth Cricket League * Kevin Murphy, football player *
William Murrah William Ervin "Cap" Murrah (September 5, 1900 – June 1, 1956) was a professional football player who spent two years of the National Football League (NFL) with the Canton Bulldogs and the St. Louis All-Stars. Murrah was a part of the Bulldo ...
, professional football player *
Takudzwa Ngwenya Takudzwa Ngwenya (born 22 July 1985) is a former rugby union player who played on the wing for the United States national rugby union team and Biarritz Olympique in the Top 14. He made his mark in the 2007 Rugby World Cup with tries against Sout ...
, rugby player *
Cody Nickson Cody Lee Nickson (born April 13, 1985) is an American reality television personality, best known for competing in '' Big Brother 19'' and winning ''The Amazing Race 30'' with his then fiancée Jessica Graf. Previously, Nickson served in the Unit ...
, TV personality *
Otho Nitcholas Otho James Nitcholas (September 13, 1908 – September 11, 1986) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in seven games, all in relief, for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. The 36-year-old rookie right-hander stood and weighed . Nitchol ...
, baseball pitcher and first city chief of police * Stefan Noesen, NHL player * Joseph Noteboom, football player *
Katelyn Ohashi Katelyn Michelle Ohashi (born April 12, 1997) is an American former artistic gymnast who competed for the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a six-time All-American and was a four-time member of USA Gymnastics' Junior National Team, t ...
, gymnast *
Toben Opurum Toben Opurum (born November 18, 1990) is a former American football fullback. Opurum played in college at the University of Kansas. Opurum was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs. Opurum has also played for the Houston Te ...
, football player *
Hunter Parrish Hunter Parrish Tharp (born May 13, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing the role of Silas Botwin in the Showtime series '' Weeds'' and for his performances in the Broadway productions of ''Godspell'' in the role of Jesu ...
, actor *
Keaton Parks Keaton Alexander Parks (born August 6, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club New York City FC. Club career Born in Plano, Texas, Parks played soccer three years with Liberty Hi ...
, soccer player *
James Parrish James Herbert Parrish, Jr. (May 19, 1968 – March 10, 2004) was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York ...
, football player * Candice Patton, actress * Drew Pearson, football player *
Charlie Peprah Charles Yaw Peprah (born February 24, 1983) is a former American football safety and current football scout. He played college football at Alabama. Peprah was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also b ...
, NFL player *
Ross Perot Henry Ross Perot (; June 27, 1930 – July 9, 2019) was an American business magnate, billionaire, politician and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems. He ran an inde ...
, founder,
Perot Systems Perot Systems was an information technology services provider founded in 1988 by a group of investors led by Ross Perot and based in Plano, Texas, United States. Perot Systems provided information technology services in the industries of health ...
* Christopher Pettiet, actor *
Billy Phillips Billy Phillips (born August 9, 1956 in Long Island, New York) is a former U.S. soccer goalkeeper who played three seasons in the North American Soccer League, six in the Major Indoor Soccer League and later coached the Dallas Sidekicks for tw ...
, former U.S.
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
*
Paige Pierce Paige Pierce is a professional disc golfer from Plano, Texas. She has won 5 World Championships and 15 total Major Championships, and has been consistently ranked among the top professional women since 2011. In 2018 she broke the record for th ...
, professional disc golfer, five-time
PDGA The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and sustainable growth of disc golf. The PDGA is the global governing body of disc golf. The organization promotes the ...
World Champion *
Patrice Pike Patrice Pike (born August 4, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Sita KC Patrice grew up in Dallas, Texas, playing ukulele and violin. When she was 15, she began attending the Booker T. Washington High School for the Perfor ...
, singer *
Jordan Pugh Jordan Alexander Pugh (born January 29, 1988) is a former American football safety. Pugh most recently played for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M University. He was selected i ...
, football player *
Penny Ramsey Penny Ramsey (25 June 1947 – 11 February 2009) was an Australian character actress. Her work is featured in over three decades of classic Australian TV series. Her credits include ''Prisoner'', '' The Bush Gang'', ''Matlock Police'', '' Ho ...
, contestant on Survivor: Thailand *
Julius Randle Julius Deion Randle (born November 29, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In his second season with the Knicks in 2020–21, he was a first-time NBA All-Star ...
, NBA player * John Henry Rasor, pioneer, cotton farmer, and namesake of many Plano locations * Greg Ray, IndyCar Series driver * Alex Reid, singer * Alan Reuber, football player * Stephen Rippy, composer * Keenan Robinson, football player * Devorah Rose, editor-in-chief of ''Social Life'' magazine, television personality, and entrepreneur * Cameron Rupp, professional baseball catcher * Rusty Russell (American football coach), Rusty Russell, football coach * Chris Sampson, professional baseball pitcher * Boz Scaggs, musician * Bill Sefton, pole vaulter * Meenakshi Seshadri, Bollywood actress * Matt Shaheen, Republican member of
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 abou ...
from Plano; former Collin County precinct commissioner* Howie Shannon, basketball player and coach * Florence Shapiro, Republican member of Texas Senate, known for sponsoring "Ashley's Laws" * Charlie Shepard, Canadian football player * Joseph W. Shepard, pioneer, horse and mule breeder, and namesake of many Plano locations * Abby Smith, soccer player * Billy Ray Smith Jr., NFL player * Brian J. Smith, actor * L. Sprague de Camp, Lyon Sprague de Camp, fantasy writer * Barbara Staff, co-chair of Ronald Reagan's 1976 Texas presidential primary campaign * Russell A. Steindam, Medal of Honor recipient * Jonathan Stickland, member of Texas House of Representatives from Tarrant County; born in Plano in 1983 * Tyson Sullivan, actor * Jordan Tata, professional baseball pitcher * Terry Tausch, football player *
Van Taylor Nicholas Van Campen Taylor (born August 1, 1972), known as Van Taylor,Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997. is an American businessman and Republican politician from Plano, Texas. He is the U.S. representative for Texas's 3rd congressional district, ...
, Republican state senator from Plano; former state representative; Iraq War officer * George Teague, football player * Pat Thomas (defensive back), Pat Thomas, football player * T.J. Thyne, actor * Austin Bennett Tice, journalist kidnapped while reporting in Syria * Travis Tope, actor * Alan Tudyk, actor * Mark Tuinei, football player * Michael Urie, actor * Grant Van De Casteele, soccer player * Vickiel Vaughn, football player * Chris Valletta, co-founder of Mission, a consumer products company, and a contestant on The Apprentice (American TV series), The Apprentice * Michael Viscardi, mathematician * Terrence Wheatley, football player * G. Clifton Wisler, historical novelist * Dudley Wysong, professional golfer * Jeffery Xiong, chess grandmaster * Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker, businessman


Sister cities

Plano's sister cities are: * Hsinchu, Taiwan (2003) * San Pedro Garza García, Mexico (1995) Brampton, Canada, was also a sister city to Plano until 2018.


Notes


References


Bibliography


External links

*
Plano Economic Development
* {{Authority control Plano, Texas, Cities in Collin County, Texas Cities in Denton County, Texas Cities in Texas Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex 1873 establishments in Texas Populated places established in 1873