Flower Mound is an

incorporated town An incorporated town is a town that is a municipal corporation. Canada Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government. United States An incorporated town o ...

located in Denton and Tarrant counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 northwest of

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 ...

and northeast of

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 ...

adjacent to Grapevine Lake, the town derives its name from a prominent mound located in the center of town. After settlers used the site for religious camps during the 1840s, the area around Flower Mound was first permanently inhabited in the 1850s; however, residents did not incorporate until 1961. Although an effort to create a

planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

failed in the early 1970s, Flower Mound's population increased substantially when

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas region, in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Airlines, which is headquartere ...

opened to the south in 1974. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 75,956, reflecting a 17% increase over the 64,669 counted in the 2010 census. Of the Texas municipalities that label themselves "towns", Flower Mound has the largest population. Flower Mound was the only town with a population greater than 20,000 in the 2020 census. Flower Mound's municipal government, operating under a council–manager system, has invested in a public park system highlighted by an extensive network of trails. Lewisville Independent School District, which operates public schools, covers the majority of Flower Mound. With its moderately affluent population and proximity to 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 the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States, ...

, Flower Mound has used a

smart growth Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl. It also advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood ...

system for

urban planning Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...

, and has recently experienced more rapid light industrial growth to match the growing needs of the primarily residential community.

History

Settlement in the area around Flower Mound began when the Presbyterians established a camp in the area in the 1840s. A log cabin, dated around 1850, was discovered preserved within the walls of a home near Liberty Elementary in 2016, providing further proof of settlement. At first, the group held religious camps for two to three weeks at a time. By 1854, residents had established the Flower Mound Presbyterian Church southwest of Lewisville in an area commonly referred to as "Long Prairie". By 1920, the church had 126 members, and the pine-framed building was expanded in 1937. Early settlers such as Andrew Morriss and David Kirkpatrick are memorialized with street names in the town. The area remained sparsely populated for many decades after its initial settlement. On February 25, 1961, the town voted to incorporate to avoid

annexation Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...

by the City of Irving. William Wilkerson, who became the town's second mayor, led the incorporation effort and helped improve the town's phone service and water supply. In 1970, when Flower Mound had 1,685 residents, Edward S. Marcus and Raymond Nasher began a

project with $18 million in loan guarantees from the

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the secretary of housing and u ...

through their New Community program. Called "Flower Mound New Town", the project included elements of the

new towns movement While purpose-built towns and cities have many precedents in antiquity - the 195 BC iteration of Chang'an providing a case in point - the New Towns ''movement'' refers to an ideologically-driven social campaign. The best-known and possibly most inf ...

, including collaboration with

North Texas State University The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...

(now the University of North Texas) to move the school's administrative offices to Flower Mound and conduct all research for the project. The project was featured in advertisements as late as 1974, but it was abandoned after residents threatened to disannex a portion of the town to thwart the development. The disannexation effort sharply divided the town, and led to a number of strongly contested elections between 1971 and 1976. In 1976, ''

Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. Founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, ''Texas Monthly'' chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the Natura ...

'' awarded the project its "Bum Steer Award" after the project lost its federal loan guarantees. The construction of

south of the town in 1974 sparked a period of rapid growth. Between 1980 and 1990, Flower Mound's population increased from 4,402 to 15,896. It reached 50,702 in 2000, an average annual increase of nearly 13 percent per year during the 1990s, making it the nation's tenth fastest-growing community. Between 2000 and 2002, Flower Mound was the ninth fastest-growing municipality in the United States with a population of more than 50,000, and its population continued to increase by approximately five percent each year between 2000 and 2005. Controlled growth continues in central and western Flower Mound.

Geography

Flower Mound is located approximately northwest of

and northeast of

on the border between Denton and Tarrant counties. The town is located almost entirely in Denton County, however it has areas that extend into Tarrant County. It is situated on the basin of the Trinity River in the Eastern Cross Timbers subregion in Texas. The town borders Lewisville to the east and a number of cities and towns to the north, including Highland Village, Double Oak, and Bartonville. 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 town has a total area of . Land comprises (95.37%) of the total area; Denton County soils include the Silawa, Nawo, Gasil series. Water comprises (5.76%) of the total area; Grapevine Lake and Marshall Creek form much of the town's southern boundary. Flower Mound's climate is classified as humid subtropical; the town averages 233 sunny days per year and 79 days of precipitation. The town encourages conservation development projects to protect and preserve existing open space, vistas, and natural habitats while allowing for controlled growth. Much of the town is located on the Barnett Shale, and drilling for

shale gas Shale gas is an unconventional natural gas that is found trapped within shale formations. Since the 1990s, a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has made large volumes of shale gas more economical to produce, and ...

in close proximity to residential neighborhoods has sharply divided parts of the community. In 1994, amateur fossil collector Gary Byrd discovered a fossilized example of a

Hadrosaurid Hadrosaurids (), also hadrosaurs or duck-billed dinosaurs, are members of the ornithischian family Hadrosauridae. This group is known as the duck-billed dinosaurs for the flat duck-bill appearance of the bones in their snouts. The ornithopod fami ...

dinosaur among black shale rock formations in the southwestern edge of the town, near Grapevine Lake. The fossilized creature from the

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy's (ICS) geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Cretace ...

age was named "'' Protohadros byrdi''" in Byrd's honor.

“The Mound”

Flower Mound was named for a hill approximately in height located close to the intersection of FM 3040 and FM 2499. The formation attracted the attention of early settlers to the area, and is often simply referred to as "The Mound". Part of the Texas blackland prairies, The Mound is typically covered by

big bluestem ''Andropogon gerardi'', commonly known as big bluestem, is a species of tall grass native to much of the Great Plains and grassland regions of central and eastern North America. It is also known as tall bluestem, bluejoint, and turkeyfoot. Taxon ...

, little bluestem, and Indian grasses. During blooming seasons, dozens of varieties of flowers can grow on its slopes, often aided by the water retained by gilgai formations. Though surrounded by commercial and residential development, The Mound is owned and maintained by The Mound Foundation, a non-profit private–public partnership. The group has advocated for a

controlled burn A controlled burn or prescribed burn (Rx burn) is the practice of intentionally setting a fire to change the assemblage of vegetation and decaying material in a landscape. The purpose could be for forest management, ecological restoration, ...

on The Mound for many years, and it expressed relief when an accidental New Year's Eve fire in late 2011 spurred the growth of wildflowers for the first time in years.

Climate

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 64,669 people and 14,269 families residing in 21,570 housing units in Flower Mound. 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 . As of the 2020 United States census, there were 75,956 people, 26,233 households, and 21,954 families residing in the town. In 2010, the racial and ethnic makeup of the town was 83.9%

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 ...

, 3.2%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 8.6% 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 ...

, and 2.2% 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 8.4% of the population. The average household size was 3.072 people. Among the population in 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup was 66.02%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

, 3.37% African American, 0.38% Native American, 14.09% Asian American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.42% some other race, 4.56% multiracial, and 11.11% Hispanic or Latino of any race; these statistics reflected nationwide trends of demographic diversification. According to a 2011

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimate, the median income for a household was $118,763, and the median income for a family was $126,336. Males had a median income of $95,284 versus $56,692 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 town was $44,042. About 2% of families and 3.4% 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 3.5% of those under age 18 and 1.1% of those age 65 or over. The town's population is often noted for its moderately affluent, yet relatively transient residents. Although Flower Mound has the second-highest percentage of residents making over $100,000 in the nation, Journalist Peter T. Kilborn named Flower Mound a "Reloville", a title used to describe suburban communities where management employees often relocate frequently; as of 2006, 57% of residents were born in another state or country.

Economy

The Lewisville Independent School District is the largest employer in the town, employing 1,647 (4.8% of the town's total employment). The Town of Flower Mound employs 455. Between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009, the town experienced job growth of 26.53%. Due to the town's proximity to the

DFW airport Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas region, in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Airlines, which is headquartere ...

and many various major highways, a great number of businesses have recently moved some of their local operations into the town. Adeptus Health was founded in 2002, with its first emergency room located in Flower Mound.

Lakeside Business District

The town of Flower Mound recognizes two major areas of current economic development: the Lakeside Business District and the Denton Creek District. The Lakeside Business District includes plots of land zoned for various commercial and residential uses at the southern edge of town near the Grapevine Lake. The project filed for bankruptcy in the year 2010, but in February of the year 2012, the company Realty Capital unveiled a $1 billion and two dollar plan for a

mixed-use development Mixed use is a type of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning classification that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions ...

project within the district. The members of the Flower Mound town council voted to approve the project in November of the year 2012, and development of the project was scheduled in six phases. Construction on the first phase, which includes of commercial space, 170 loft apartments, and 170 home lots, began in April 2013.

Denton Creek District

In 2006, the town began to consider mixed-use development plans for the Denton Creek District at the western edge of the town. In 2010, the town began to provide infrastructural support to the area. Additionally, developers broke ground on a mixed-use riverwalk project in August 2013. Residents were scheduled to vote on whether to approve public funding for the district for the 2013 general election.

Parker Square

''The University of Las Colinas'' (2020) filmed at a shopping mall, the 2003 Society of American Registered Architects Design Award winning, David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc. designed, ''Parker Square'', "a compact neighborhood center" "inspired by the traditional developments of American “main streets” and Texas small towns".

Top employers

According to Flower Mound's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top private sector employers in the town were:

Parks and recreation

The Town of Flower Mound operates 54 public parks and recreation facilities on of space, nine of which (comprising ) are undeveloped as of 2012. In June 2008, the town held the grand opening for its new $13.825 million community activity center, which includes meeting rooms, a day care facility, weight lifting equipment, an outdoor pool, and a competition indoor pool. In honor of Lance Corporal Jacob Lugo, the first military serviceman from Flower Mound to die in the line of duty, the town renamed Hilltop Park to Jake's Hilltop Park in 2008. Jake's Hilltop Park is made up of baseball/ softball fields. In 2016 Flower Mound completed and opened its first dog park, a 5-acre Hound Mound Dog Park, costing over $1 million. In 2018 the Town of Flower Mound opened a 2000 sq. ft. splash pad as part of an addition to Heritage Park.

Trail system

In 1976, in response to environmental concerns and automobile traffic congestion, Flower Mound residents proposed adding a system of recreational bike paths around the town. Initially, funding proved elusive, but by 1989 the first of multi-use trails had been constructed, partly funded by a grant from the

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitat (ecology), habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state park, state's parks and historical ar ...

. In 2010, the town maintained of paved hiking and bicycling paths and of equestrian trails. The Purple Cone Flower trail starts in Stone Creek Park and is used by runners, walkers and dog walkers and bikers. Additionally, the

United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...

maintains of natural surface trails and of equestrian trails within the town limits, most of which are located around Grapevine Lake. The North Shore trail starts at Rock Ledge Park and travels west through Murrell Park and Twin Coves Park. (now owned by Flower Mound). A dirt and rock surface trail used predominantly by mountain bikers, hikers, trail runners and dog walkers.

Government

The Town of Flower Mound has been a

home rule Home rule is the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governan ...

municipality since 1981, and it has operated under a council–manager type of municipal government since 1989. Residents elect five

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

members to the Flower Mound Town Council and one

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

. Members serve two-year terms. In 1999, the town adopted a Strategically Managed And Responsible Town (SMART) Growth Program to manage both the rate and character of development in the community, and in 2000, the town officially adopted its SMARTGrowth management plan. The program's goal was to create environmentally sensitive development and to mitigate the effects of

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city". Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted ...

. Political scientist Allan Saxe and attorney Terrence S. Welch have used Flower Mound's program as an example of a municipality attempting to slow growth. In 2013, the town amended the portion of the plan pertaining to public schools; the changes spurred public debate between candidates for town council. According to the town's 2013–2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the town's various funds had $114.6 million in revenues, $101.8 million in expenditures, $513.3 million in total assets, $155.9 million in total liabilities, and $68.1 million in cash and investments.Town of Flower Mound 2013-14 CAFR
Retrieved July 2, 2015 The structure of the management and coordination of town services is led by a town manager, deputy town manager and other roles.Town of Flower Mound FY2014-15 Budget
Retrieved July 2, 2015

Education

The town is mostly served by the Lewisville Independent School District. the western portion of Flower Mound is divided between the Argyle, Denton and

Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

Independent School Districts and the portion of Flower Mound that falls into Tarrant County is in the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District. The town is home to three separate high schools, Edward S. Marcus High School, Flower Mound High School, (both part of the Lewisville district) and Argyle ISDs new Argyle High School campus. Private schools in the town include such educational facilities as: * Coram Deo Academy * Lewisville Christian School * Grace Christian Academy * Temple Christian AcademyTemple Christian Academy
/ref> ResponsiveEd, the Lewisville-based

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

operator, operates a Founders Classical Academy in Flower Mound; the campus is located in west Flower Mound at FM1171 (Cross Timbers) and Flower Mound Road. North Central Texas College has a

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

branch campus within Parker Square in the town of Flower Mound. Midwestern State University has a branch facility, in conjunction with NCTC in the Parker Square location, which will offer master's degree programs amongst other services.

Infrastructure

Transportation

At the western edge of the town, U.S. Route 377 extends north–south parallel to Interstate 35W towards Denton and Fort Worth. Two of the major thoroughfares in the town of Flower Mound are

farm-to-market road In the United States, a farm-to-market road or ranch-to-market road (sometimes farm road or ranch road for short) is a state highway or county road that connects rural or agricultural areas to market towns. These are better-quality roads, usual ...

s: FM 1171, known in Flower Mound as the Cross Timbers Road, which runs east–west across the entire town towards Interstate 35E to the east and Interstate 35W to the west. FM 2499 (which is known locally as Long Prairie) runs north–south and furnishes access to State Highway 121 and Interstate 635, north of DFW Airport. In the June 2012, the members of the Flower Mound Town Council approved a plan to develop and regulate a series of various bike lanes around the town. In the year 2012, the National Motorists Association released a poll listing Flower Mound as the "worst speed trap city" in North America with a population of over 50,002. Locals say it is not one anymore.

Notable people

* Kennedy Baker *

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

, hockey player * Ryan Cabrera, singer * Colleen Clinkenbeard * Sarah Huffman, professional soccer player *

Brandon Jefferson Brandon Jefferson (born 25 November 1991) is an American professional basketball player for JL Bourg of the LNB Pro A. Professional career After going undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft, Jefferson joined the Denver Nuggets for the 2014 NBA Summe ...

, professional basketball player * Moira Kelly * Samuel LeComte * Emma Malabuyo *

Jane Nelson Jane Gray Nelson (born October 5, 1951) is an American businesswoman and former school teacher who serves as the Secretary of State of Texas since 2023. She was a Texas state senator who represented Texas Senate, District 12, Texas Senate Distr ...

* Ryan Pace * Rod Pampling, professional golfer *

Tan Parker Nathaniel Willis "Tan" Parker IV (born May 22, 1971) is an American politician. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he has represented the Texas Senate, District 12, District 12 in the Texas Senate since 2023. He served in the Texas H ...

* Colin Poche, MLB pitcher * Chris Sanders, quarterback *

Brighton Sharbino Brighton Sharbino (born August 19, 2002) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lizzie and Mika Samuels, Lizzie Samuels on the AMC (TV channel), AMC television series ''The Walking Dead (TV series), The Walking Dead''. Early ...

Marcus Smart Marcus Osmond Smart (born March 6, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball, Oklahoma Stat ...

, NBA Player for the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...

* Kaden Smith * Paul Stankowski * Nick Stephens

Notes

Explanatory notes

Footnotes

Citations

General references

Academic articles

* * * *

Books

* * * * * * * * * *

Magazine articles

* * *

Maps

* *

Newspaper articles

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Reports

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Websites

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Official Flower Mound Town Website

Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex Planned communities in the United States Towns in Denton County, Texas Towns in Tarrant County, Texas Towns in Texas