Lewisville, TX
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Lewisville ( ) is a city in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, located in
Denton County Denton County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 906,422, making it the seventh-most populous county in Texas. The county seat is Denton. The county, which was named for John B. Denton, was esta ...
with portions extending into Dallas County. As one of the
Mid-Cities The Mid-Cities is a suburban region filling the 30-mile (48 km) span between Dallas and Fort Worth. These communities include the cities of Arlington, Bedford, Colleyville, Coppell, Euless, Flower Mound, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Haltom Cit ...
within 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, ...
, the 2020 census reported a population of 111,822. Originally called Holford's Prairie, Lewisville dates back to the early 1840s. The arrival of the town's first railroad in 1881 engendered its initial growth, and the expansion of the area's transportation infrastructure spurred further development in the early part of the 20th century. Lewisville incorporated in 1925, and when construction of Lewisville Lake was completed in the 1950s, the city began to expand rapidly. Lewisville's proximity to
Lewisville Lake Lewisville Lake, formerly known as Garza-Little Elm Reservoir, is a reservoir in North Texas (United States, USA) on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River (Texas), Trinity River in Denton County, Texas, Denton County near Lewisville, Texas, Lewisvil ...
has made it a recreational hub of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The area's transportation infrastructure has evolved around the
I-35 Corridor Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bord ...
along Interstate 35E. The diversity of its population and industry such as multiple landfills, has created a stable economic climate.
Lewisville Independent School District Lewisville Independent School District (LISD) is a 127-square mile school district based in Lewisville, Texas, Lewisville, Texas (United States, USA) covering all of Lewisville, Texas, Lewisville, The Colony, Texas, The Colony, Highland Village, ...
provides most of the area's public education programs.


History


Settlement

In 1841, the
Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...
chartered the
Peters Colony Peters ColonyHarry E. Wade, "PETERS COLONY," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/uep02), accessed May 15, 2015. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. (Peters' Colony ...
Land Grant Company (named for William Smalling Peters, publisher of the song "
Oh! Susanna "Oh! Susanna" is a folk song by Stephen Foster (1826–1864), first published in 1848. It is among the most popular American songs ever written. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. ...
") to settle the
North Texas North Texas is a term used primarily by residents of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex to refer to a geographic area of Texas, generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, Texas, Abilene, west of Paris, Texas, Par ...
area. In 1844, John W. King and his wife settled on the east side of the prairie, where the city now lies. Baptist settlers from
Platte County, Missouri Platte County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 106,718. Its county seat is Platte City. The county was o ...
, settled on the west side; among them were John and James Holford, who named the area Holford's Prairie. Further south, Presbyterians established a church and called it
Flower Mound Flower Mound is an incorporated town located in Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Located northwest of Dallas and northeast of Fort Worth adjacent to Grapevine Lake, the town derives its name from a prominent mound loca ...
. In the confusion over land ownership after the Hedgcoxe War, Basdeal Lewis purchased Holford's Prairie in 1853 and renamed it after himself. In 1845, the Fox family, which owned about a dozen slaves, buried a slave child called Melinda on the family farm, which eventually became the town's cemetery for black residents. Named Fox–Hembry Cemetery, the plot still exists today. After it had fallen into disrepair, local residents and businesses gathered to restore it in 2011. Though
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
was not on the ballot in the area for the
1860 Presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 6, 1860. The History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party ticket of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin emerged victoriou ...
, residents of Lewisville (listed as "Hollforts" on election results) still gave
John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American politician who served as the 14th vice president of the United States, with President James Buchanan, from 1857 to 1861. Assuming office at the age of 36, Breckinrid ...
only a 44–31 majority over an
electoral fusion Electoral fusion in the United States is an arrangement where two or more United States political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, allowing that candidate to receive votes on multiple party lines in the same election. Electoral fus ...
option. During
Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...
, Lewisville became home to Denton County's first
cotton gin A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); ...
. Built in 1867, it could produce up to three bales per day. The
Thirteenth Texas Legislature The 13th Texas Legislature met from January 14 to June 4, 1873 in its regular session. All members of the Texas House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Texas Senate were elected in 1872. Sessions *13th Regular session: Janua ...
chartered the Dallas and Wichita Railroad (later the Missouri–Kansas–Texas) on terms requiring 20 miles of track to be in running order by July 1, 1875. Lewisville paid the company $15,000 to come to the city, with a promise of another $5,000 on completion. The company fulfilled the deal by completing the railroad tracks to a point just south of Lewisville on the morning of the deadline, and the line began running full-time in 1881. Republicans in the Fourteenth Texas Legislature passed a law on April 30, 1874, prohibiting alcohol within two miles of the town. Many residents ignored the law, however, and the city retained as many as 17 saloons at one point. The population of the unincorporated town was 500 in 1888.


Progress

On January 15, 1925, residents voted by a margin of 17 votes to
incorporate Incorporation may refer to: * Incorporation (business), the creation of a business or corporation * Incorporation of a place, the creation of municipal corporation such as a city or county * Incorporation (academic), awarding a degree based on the ...
Lewisville, which established its official boundaries as a city. By 1930, Lewisville's population had increased to 853, making it the fourth-most populous municipality in Denton County (behind Denton, Sanger, and Pilot Point). Because the city's economy had become diversified before the Wall Street Crash of 1929, Lewisville was relatively well insulated from the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. Many residents, including business leaders, nevertheless supported the
New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...
programs of
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
. By 1936, the
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...
operated a cannery in the city to provide temporary jobs for unemployed residents. As an extension of the
Good Roads Movement The Good Roads Movement occurred in the United States between the late 1870s and the 1920s. It was the rural dimension of the Progressive Era#Good roads, Progressive movement. The movement started as a coalition between farmers' organizations grou ...
, which had been prominent in Denton County since the early 1910s, residents formed the Good Roads Committee of Lewisville to lobby state and federal officials for funding to create better streets. Lewisville celebrated the paving of the
U.S. Route 77 U.S. Route 77 (US 77) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway which extends for in the central United States. As of 2005, Its southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at Veteran's International Bridge on the U.S.-Mexico borde ...
between Denton and
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 ...
in 1931 with a "Coming Out of the Mud" ceremony. The new pavement closed the "Lewisville Gap" between the two cities, a stretch of dirt road through the city that often became too muddy for travel. The new road also led indirectly to the downfall of the area's public transportation system. Between 1925 and 1932, the Texas Interurban Railway, an electric
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
service that ran from Dallas to Denton, operated a station in Lewisville. Business leaders in the Lewisville Chamber of Commerce welcomed the service at the time, proudly citing the city's progressive citizenship. The area's low population density could not sustain the venture, however, and in 1932, the line went out of business and immediately halted service. On April 25, 1934,
Raymond Hamilton Raymond Elzie Hamilton (May 21, 1914 – May 10, 1935) was a member of the notorious Barrow Gang during the early 1930s. By the time he was 20 years old, he had accumulated a prison sentence of 362 years. Early life Raymond Hamilton was born M ...
of the
Barrow gang The Barrow Gang was an American gang active between 1932 and 1934. They were well known outlaws, robbers, murderers, and criminals who, as a gang, traveled the Central United States during the Great Depression. Their exploits were known all over t ...
robbed the First National Bank of Lewisville. Residents chased him to
Howe, Texas Howe is a town in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,571 in the 2020 United States census. It is part of the Sherman, Texas, Sherman–Denison, Texas, Denison Sherman–Denison metropolitan area, metropolitan statist ...
, where he was captured at a roadblock and transferred to Dallas County Jail.


Growth

Lewisville's rapid growth began when construction of the Garza–Little Elm Dam finished in 1954, expanding the Garza–Little Elm Reservoir into what is now
Lewisville Lake Lewisville Lake, formerly known as Garza-Little Elm Reservoir, is a reservoir in North Texas (United States, USA) on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River (Texas), Trinity River in Denton County, Texas, Denton County near Lewisville, Texas, Lewisvil ...
. The city adopted 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 governance ...
charter for a council–manager style of municipal government in 1963, becoming one of only a few home-rule cities in Texas with a population less than 5,000. In September 1969, 13 days after
Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...
, the city hosted the
Texas International Pop Festival The Texas International Pop Festival was a music festival held at Lewisville, Texas, on Labor Day weekend, August 30 to September 1, 1969. It occurred two weeks after Woodstock. The site for the event was an open field just south and west of th ...
, which drew over 150,000 spectators and featured performances by
Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...
,
B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...
, and
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
. In 2011, the
Texas Historical Commission The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the U.S. state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Histor ...
dedicated a historical event marker at the
Hebron Hebron (; , or ; , ) is a Palestinian city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Hebron is capital of the Hebron Governorate, the largest Governorates of Palestine, governorate in the West Bank. With a population of 201,063 in ...
A-train is a series of business simulation video games developed and published by Japanese game developer Artdink in Japan. The first game in the series was published in 1985. The first release in the United States was ''Take the A-Train II'', publis ...
station in Lewisville to commemorate the event. 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 of the city in 1974 and Vista Ridge Mall opened at the intersection of Interstate 35E and Round Grove Road in 1989, Lewisville began to undergo rapid suburban growth. Its population increased from 24,273 in 1980 to 46,521 in 1990, making it the 40th-most populous city in Texas. In the early 1990s, the Lewisville Chamber of Commerce marketed the city with the slogan "City of Expanding Horizons". Its population reached 77,737 in 2000, 95,290 in 2010, and 111,822 in 2020. In November 2021, the city completed the annexation of the Castle Hills development, located northeast of the city, into its boundaries, adding almost 3000 acres and 18,000 residents.


Geography

Lewisville has a total area of , of which is covered by water. It lies at the southern end of Denton County and the northern end 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 the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States, ...
, in the eastern part of the
Cross Timbers The term Cross Timbers, also known as Ecoregion 29, Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains, is used to describe a strip of land in the United States that runs from southeastern Kansas across Central Oklahoma to Central Texas. Made up of a mix of prairi ...
region of Texas between the Texas Blackland Prairies and the Grand Prairie. Vista Ridge, a small plateau, is in the southeastern corner of Lewisville, and the lowest part of Denton County, at , is found in the city. Lewisville sits above the
Barnett Shale The Barnett Shale is a geological formation located in the Bend Arch-Fort Worth Basin. It consists of sedimentary rocks dating from the Mississippian period (354–323 million years ago) in Texas. The formation underlies the city of Fort Worth ...
, a geological formation containing a large quantity of natural shale gas. Water constitutes about 14% of the city's total area, including Lewisville Lake, the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, and two local tributaries of the Elm Fork - Prairie Creek and Timber Creek. A
riparian zone A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripari ...
encompasses a portion of the city in the southeast. The intersection of the Elm Fork and Lake Lewisville has given rise to a
delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...
at the southern end of the lake, extending south. The
Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
has labeled much of the area surrounding the delta as "Zone AE", meaning the area is subject to
100-year flood A 100-year flood, also called a 1% flood,Holmes, R.R., Jr., and Dinicola, K. (2010) ''100-Year flood–it's all about chance 'U.S. Geological Survey General Information Product 106/ref> is a flood event at a level that is reached or exceeded onc ...
precautions.


Climate

Lewisville's climate is classified as
humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...
. Its
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
is ''Cfa'', which means it has a temperate climate, does not have a
dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...
, and has a hot summer. According to the
United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...
, Lewisville is in a
hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
of 8a. The city is seldom affected by
extreme weather Extreme weather includes unexpected, unusual, severe weather, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Extreme events are based on a location's recorded weat ...
, but
Hurricane Carla Hurricane Carla was the most intense tropical cyclone landfall in Texas in the 20th century. The third named storm of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, Carla developed from an area of squall, squally weather in the southwestern Caribbean Sea ...
in 1961 brought winds and caused swells on Lewisville Lake. During heavy rains, Timber Creek can overflow its banks, and on rare occasions, flood some of the surrounding homes. The
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
defines no official borders for
Tornado Alley Tornado Alley, also known as Tornado Valley, is a loosely defined location of the central United States and, in the 21st century, Canada where tornadoes are most frequent. The term was first used in 1952 as the title of a research project to st ...
, but Lewisville is considered to be in it.


Demographics

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2020, 111,822 people, 39,664 households, and 24,536 families were residing in the city. The 2010 census recorded a population of 95,290 in Lewisville, up from the 77,737 recorded for the 2000 census, making it one of the 25 fastest-growing city populations in the United States. The 2010 population was made up of 37,496 households and 23,417 families. At the 2018-2019
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 ...
estimates, the city of Lewisville had a population of 108,562 and 109,212. Of its estimated population, 46.1% were male and 53.9% were female. There was an average of 85.5 males per 100 females. Its racial makeup in 2010 was 65.3% White, 11.2% African American, 0.7% Native American, 7.8% Asian (including a growing diaspora from
Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
), 11.3% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. At 2010's census, 29.2% of the population was considered to be of
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 origin. Children under 18 lived in 35.5% of the households. The average household size was 2.53 persons and the average family size was 3.21 persons. The median age was 30.9 years. Between 2007 and 2011, the median income for a Lewisville household was $56,811, and per capita income was $28,144. About 9.6% of the population was below the poverty line, as compared to 17% for Texas as a whole. Lewisville's racial and ethnic makeup at the 2018 census estimates were 45.6%
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 ...
, 12.4% Black or African American, 10.9% Asian, 0.7% some other race, 1.6%
two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...
, and 28.3% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. The median age in Lewisville was 34.9. In 2018,
Mexican Americans Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...
made up the largest Hispanic or Latino group within the city limit (22.9%).
Puerto Ricans Puerto Ricans (), most commonly known as Puerto Rico#Etymology, Boricuas, but also occasionally referred to as '':es:Anexo:Gentilicios de Puerto Rico#Lista general, Borinqueños'', '':es:Anexo:Gentilicios de Puerto Rico#Lista general, Borincan ...
(1.2%) were the second-largest single Latin group followed by
Cubans Cubans () are the citizens and nationals of Cuba. The Cuban people have varied origins with the most spoken language being Spanish. The larger Cuban diaspora includes individuals that trace ancestry to Cuba and self-identify as Cuban but are n ...
(0.1%) and other Hispanics or Latinos (4.2%). By the 2020 census, its racial and ethnic makeup was 36.37% non-Hispanic White, 15.45% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 11.21% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.46% some other race, 4.07% multiracial, and 32.06% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. The 41,101 households in 2019 had an average household size of 2.63. The average family size was 3.44. About 76.6% of Lewisville's residents were native-born and 21.6% were foreign-born. Of the immigrant population, 39.7% were
naturalized U.S. citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constit ...
s. The majority of its immigrant population had lived in the city before 2010. Roughly 40% entered after 2010. At home, 34.6% spoke another language other than English. From 2014-2019, the median household income increased to $65,836. Resident households had a mean income of $79,211.


Economy

The city has a diverse commercial tax base. Its top employers include
JPMorgan Chase JPMorgan Chase & Co. (stylized as JPMorganChase) is an American multinational financial services, finance corporation headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. It is List of largest banks in the United States, the largest ba ...
, Lewisville Independent School District, and Nationstar Mortgage. Automobile dealerships and multiple landfills have flourished there, including Huffines Auto Dealerships and Village Auto Group, which was ranked as one of the top "Powerhouses of the New Economy" by ''
Black Enterprise ''Black Enterprise'' (stylized in all caps) is an American multimedia company. A Black-owned business since the 1970s, its flagship product ''Black Enterprise'' magazine has covered African American businesses with a readership of 3.7 mil ...
'' magazine in 2000. Lewisville's lake and the city's location in the DFW metroplex have contributed to the largest boat-sales market in the state by volume in a state second in the nation in overall boat sales. Because of the city's proximity to Dallas and
Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
, a number of food distribution companies have branches in Lewisville, including
Sysco Sysco is an American multinational corporation that sells, markets, and distributes food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, sports stadiums, and other venues that serve food. It also sells foodservice supplies and ...
and Meadowbrook Meat Company (MBM).
Fleming Companies Fleming Companies, Inc. was founded as Lux Mercantile in Topeka, Kansas, in 1915 by O. A. Fleming, Gene Wilson and Samuel Lux. In 1921 the company's name was changed to Fleming-Wilson, and in 1941, the company name was changed again to The Fleming ...
, one of the United States' largest food distribution companies, relocated to Lewisville in 2000, but it filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...
in 2003 after the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...
announced the company had been hiding massive losses. Responsive Education Solutions, which operates
charter schools 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 ...
nationwide, is also headquartered in Lewisville.
Adeptus Health Adeptus Health Inc. was a health care provider based in Irving, Texas. Adeptus Health operates free-standing emergency rooms throughout Texas and Arizona. It is the parent company of the oldest and largest freestanding emergency-room network in t ...
, a health-care provider, and the utility company Texas—New Mexico Power are also headquartered in the city.


Arts and cultural life


Lewisville Grand Theater

The Lewisville Grand Theater, known informally as The Grand, is on the east side of Interstate 35E in Lewisville's Old Town. It is a hub for the arts in Lewisville, able to show films, host meetings, and provide a venue for various kinds of artistic performances. The project began in 2004 and aimed to fulfill a long-term goal of building an arts center to coincide with the 2011 opening of the Old Town Station. The facility opened in January 2011 with a series of performances, children's shows, concerts, and exhibits, and the Greater Lewisville Arts Alliance presented the theater with a $25,000 contribution to begin their fundraiser to place a
Steinway Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway (), is a German-American piano company, founded in 1853 in New York City by German piano builder Henry E. Steinway, Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Henry E. Steinway). The company's growth le ...
piano in the theater. In 2011 and 2012, ''The Flower Mound Connection'' newspaper named the MCL Grand the best events venue in Denton County. The facility originally was called Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater as part of a 10-year naming-rights agreement with the local hospital. It later changed name to Medical City Lewisville Grand Theater when the hospital was rebranded. The naming rights agreement with Medical City Lewisville ended in December 2020 and the facility was renamed Lewisville Grand Theater.


Libraries

The city government created the Lewisville Public Library in 1968, naming Cindy Bennett as its first director. A structure was built where the city hall now stands. A new library facility was built in 1986 as part of the municipal building on Main Street. In 2001, Lewisville voters approved a 4B tax package, part of which was dedicated to building a new library facility, the children's wing of which was dedicated to Bennett. The $11 million renovation opened in 2006, and it received the Achievement of Excellence in Libraries Award in that year and again in 2009. Lewisville was also the temporary home of the
George W. Bush Presidential Library The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which opened on April 25, 2013, is a complex that includes former United States President George W. Bush's presidential library and museum, the George W. Bush Policy Institute, and the offices of the Geor ...
until 2013.


Media

Lewisville is served mainly by media from the Dallas area, but a number of niche publications focus on local news. ''The Lewisville Enterprise'' merged with ''The Lewisville Leader'' in 1962. The paper's publisher and editor at the time, U.O. Clements, was a staunch conservative, but vociferously supported the racial integration of
Lewisville Independent School District Lewisville Independent School District (LISD) is a 127-square mile school district based in Lewisville, Texas, Lewisville, Texas (United States, USA) covering all of Lewisville, Texas, Lewisville, The Colony, Texas, The Colony, Highland Village, ...
, for which he received many anonymous threats from members of the
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...
. Clements sold the paper to Harte-Hanks Community Newspapers in 1971. Star Newspapers, which owned the ''Leader'', was purchased by 1013 Communications in 2012. The newspaper is based in
Plano, Texas Plano ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "flat surface" /'plano/) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, where it is the largest city in Collin County, Texas, Collin County. A small portion of Plano is located in Denton County, Texas, Denton Count ...
. In 2011, the Lewisville City Council designated the Lewisville portion of '' Neighborsgo'', a weekly section of ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
'', as the city's official newspaper of record.


Parks and recreation

The city of Lewisville operates public recreation facilities, including parks, two recreation centers, and approximately of trails. The $20 million Railroad Park was built in 2009 using the revenue from a quarter-cent sales tax increase; it was the largest capital project in the city's history at the time. It was renamed Toyota of Lewisville Railroad Park in 2010 in a deal worth $1.5 million. The park has a baseball/softball complex, a football complex, eight lighted soccer fields, two concession buildings, a perimeter walking/jogging trail, three man-made lakes, a
dog park A dog park is a park for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners. Description Dog parks have varying features, although they typically offer a fence, separate double-gated entry an ...
and the
Scion Scion may refer to: Horticulture *Scion (grafting), in horticulture, the upper part of a combined plant Arts, entertainment, and media Characters *Atlantean Scion, a device in the ''Tomb Raider'' video game series *Scion, avatar of the warrior en ...
Skate Park A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairsets, quarter pipe ...
. Since 2010, the skate park has hosted the Scion Regional Amateur Tour, part an annual series of six skateboarding competitions held across the country. In 2012, the venue hosted its first annual
triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...
event benefiting the
Court Appointed Special Advocates Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a national association in the United States that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children. CASA are volunteers from the community who complete training that ha ...
(CASA) of Denton County. Lewisville Lake Park comprises , which the city leases from 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 ...
. The park includes various amenities, including athletic fields and designated campgrounds. The Lewisville Fishing Barge, an indoor–outdoor fishing facility that opened in 1958, is on the lake. The park also hosts the Rick Neill Memorial, a cross-country running meet the
Lewisville High School Lewisville High School is a public high school in Lewisville, Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The oldest of five high schools in the Lewisville Independent School District, it was opened in 1897, making it the only school in the district t ...
track and field team organizes each year. In February 2013, the city began to review a development proposal to build a resort hotel and convention center on a parcel of land next to the lake. Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) is a nature preserve managed by the city in partnership with Lewisville ISD and
UNT UNT or University of North Texas is a state university in Denton, Texas. UNT or Unt may refer to: * Unt (surname), an Estonian-language surname * Unt (album), ''Unt'' (album), a 2024 album by Pinhead Gunpowder * ("A New Era"), a political party in ...
. It has over 7 miles of hiking trails as well as opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. LLELA serves as the centerpiece for the city's Green Centerpiece Master Strategy, which aims to preserve the natural spaces around Lake Lewisville and establish the city as a major recreation destination within the DFW metro area. Lewisville is also a major hub of the Northern Golf Corridor of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Located on the city's southeast edge, the Lakes at Castle Hills is a Jay Morrish-designed course which opened in the late 1990s; critics have rated the course highly, praising its amenities and difficulty level. Lake Park Golf Course, near Lewisville Lake, is noted for its beginner-friendly design. The nine-hole, Lake Park Executive course opened in 1994. Lewisville is also home to professional golfer
Chad Campbell David Chad Campbell (born May 31, 1974) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, where he has won four times. He also notably finished as a runner-up at the 2009 Masters, after losing in a sudden-death playoff. Early life ...
, winner of the 2003
Tour Championship The Tour Championship (stylized as the TOUR Championship) is a golf tournament that is part of the PGA Tour. It has historically been one of the final events of the PGA Tour season; prior to 2007, its field consisted exclusively of the top 30 ...
. In 2011, the Lewisville Park Board proposed a new master plan for the city's parks and recreation facilities. It specifies a major overhaul of the city's trail system, including of off-street trails, of enhanced sidewalks, of bicycle routes, a paddling trail down the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, and 31 major and minor trailheads throughout the area, many of which would connect to other trail networks. The plan includes numerous crossings of Interstate 35E for pedestrian and bicyclist safety. In March 2012, the Park Board began reviewing a new master plan to address the next ten years of park development in the city.


Education

Lewisville Independent School District Lewisville Independent School District (LISD) is a 127-square mile school district based in Lewisville, Texas, Lewisville, Texas (United States, USA) covering all of Lewisville, Texas, Lewisville, The Colony, Texas, The Colony, Highland Village, ...
operates the area's public school system, including
Lewisville High School Lewisville High School is a public high school in Lewisville, Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The oldest of five high schools in the Lewisville Independent School District, it was opened in 1897, making it the only school in the district t ...
. Four of the district's middle schools feed into two high school feeder campuses; since the 2011–2012 school year, the
Killough Killough ( ; ) is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the Irish Sea shore near Ardglass, five miles southeast of Downpatrick. It is a conservation area notable for its sycamore-lined main street. In the 2001 Cen ...
and Harmon campuses have served the city's ninth- and tenth-grade students, while the main campus at the intersection of FM 1171 (Main Street) and Valley Parkway is used primarily for eleventh- and twelfth-grade students. The district also operates the Technology Exploration and Career Center, with two locations (East and West), along with conducting a night high school in Lewisville. According to
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 ...
results from 2007 to 2011, 86.7% of the city's population aged 25 or older had graduated from high school, 29.7% held a bachelor's degree or higher, and 8.4% held a graduate or professional degree. The survey estimated that 24,879 Lewisville residents over the age of three were enrolled in schools. In addition there are two private schools located in Lewisville: Explorations Preparatory School and Lakeland Christian Academy. Founders Classical Academy, a
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 ...
operated by Lewisville-based ResponsiveEd, is also located in Lewisville.


Government

Since 1963, the City of Lewisville has operated as 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 ...
city with a council–manager style of municipal government. Residents elect six
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 serve on the City Council, including a mayor. Council elections in Texas are nonpartisan. Members are elected to three-year terms and are not term-limited. The mayor does not vote on issues that come before the council except in the case of a tie. There were three female mayors between 1985 and 2000, but no woman has served on the City Council since 2001. In 2011, the
Fitch Group Fitch Ratings Inc. is an American credit rating agency. It is one of the three nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSRO) designated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and is considered as being one of the " Big ...
upgraded the city's
general obligation bond A general obligation bond is a common type of municipal bond in the United States that is secured by a state or local government's pledge to use legally-available resources, including tax revenues, to repay bondholders. Most general obligation pl ...
rating from "AA+" to "AAA". Lewisville has the lowest municipal property tax rate in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. In the fiscal year 2012–2013, the city government's operating funds totaled $124,845,436. The Lewisville Police Department had 27 sworn police officers in 1977, and the number had increased to 136 by 2007. As of 2015, the department included 229 full-time employees, four of whom were administrators. The Lewisville Fire Department included 146 full-time employees, six of whom were administrators. After the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, the fire department and its then chief, Rick Lasky, attracted national attention when they raised a large amount of donations for victims' families. As a reward,
John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He began acting in television before transitioning into a leading man in films. List of awards and nominations received by John Travolta, His accolades include a Primetime Em ...
,
Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Rafael Phoenix ( ; ; born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. Widely described as one of the most preeminent actors of his generation and known for Joaquin Phoenix filmography, his roles as dark, unconventional and eccentric charact ...
, and
Robert Patrick Robert Hammond Patrick (born November 5, 1958) is an American actor. Known for portraying villains and authority figures, Patrick is a Saturn Award winner with four other nominations. Patrick dropped out of college when drama class sparked his ...
visited the department in 2004 to promote the release of the film ''
Ladder 49 ''Ladder 49'' is a 2004 American disaster thriller film directed by Jay Russell and written by Lewis Colick. The film follows Baltimore firefighter Jack Morrison, who is trapped inside a warehouse fire, and his recollection of the events that ...
''. In May 2011, Lewisville residents approved a sales tax increase to create two public safety districts. The revenue from the increase will fund investments in the city's police and fire departments, including new officers and vehicles, as well as a new fire station in the eastern part of the city. Lewisville is in the 26th Congressional district in Texas, which is represented in the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
by Michael C. Burgess. As of 2023, the city is represented in
District 12 District 12 may refer to: * District 12 (Ho Chi Minh city), Vietnam *Schwamendingen, Zürich, Switzerland, also known as District 12 * District 12, an electoral district of Malta * District 12 (Hunger Games), fictional district in the Hunger Games ...
of the
Texas Senate The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature, with the Texas House of Representatives functioning as the lower house. Together, they form the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the state of Texas. The Senate ...
by
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 ...
. The city is split between two
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. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...
districts: District 63, represented by Ben Bumgarner, and District 65, represented by
Kronda Thimesch Kronda Thimesch (' ') is an American politician from Texas who is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Texas's 65th House of Representatives district, District 65, which spans the southern portion of Denton County, Texa ...
. Lewisville 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. As of 2023 its ranks currently include 16 counties, 169 cities, towns, and villages, 19 school districts, and ...
, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions.


Transportation

The primary freeway running through Lewisville is Interstate 35E, which runs north–south through the city. Before it was built, US Highway 77 (now Mill Street) was the main through route, connecting the city with Denton to the north and Dallas to the south. In 1998, the
Texas Department of Transportation The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a Texas state government agency responsible for construction and maintenance of the state's immense Texas state highway system, state highway system and the support of the state's maritime trans ...
carried out a
Major Investment Study The vast majority of passenger travel in the United States occurs by automobile for shorter distances and airplane or railroad for longer distances. Most cargo in the U.S. is transported by, in descending order, railroad, truck, pipeline, or bo ...
to examine the possibility of expanding the section of Interstate 35E between Interstate 635 and
U.S. Route 380 U.S. Route 380 (US 380) is an east–west United States highway. The highway's eastern terminus is in Greenville, Texas at an intersection with Interstate 30, of which the easternmost 3–4 miles are concurrent with US 69 in a loop around ...
, the primary focus being an stretch from
Texas State Highway 121 State Highway 121 (SH 121) is a state highway angling from southwest to northeast through north central Texas. It runs from Cleburne, Texas at US 67 to SH 78 in Bonham, Texas, just north of a junction with US 82. Between Fort Worth and ...
to the bridge crossing Lewisville Lake. The project is scheduled to add one general-purpose lane in each direction, in addition to a managed toll lane. The project is expected to allow the city to substantially renovate its portion of the
I-35 Corridor Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bord ...
. Construction on the first phase of the project is projected to begin in summer 2013 and finish in late 2016. Texas State Highway 121, which runs along the
Sam Rayburn Tollway The Sam Rayburn Tollway (formerly the State Highway 121 Tollway) is a controlled-access toll road operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority that runs from Grapevine to McKinney. Its frontage roads are signed SH 121. The original portion ...
, intersects with Interstate 35E in the southeastern edge of the city. Farm to Market Road 1171, known in the city as Main Street, runs east–west across the middle part of the city from Interstate 35E to Interstate 35W.
Farm to Market Road 407 Farm to Market Road 407 (FM 407) is a farm to market road in Wise and Denton counties, Texas. Route description FM 407 begins in Wise County, at US 81 / US 287 in New Fairview. The route travels east into Denton County and ...
runs east–west across the northern part of the city. Lewisville also encompasses most of
Farm to Market Road 3040 A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...
, which runs east–west towards Carrollton and Flower Mound. Lewisville residents voted in a special election held on September 13, 2003, to become a full member of the
Denton County Transportation Authority The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is the transit authority that operates in Denton County, Texas. It operates transit service in three cities within Denton County, as well as the A-train, a regional commuter rail line to Carroll ...
(DCTA). The authority began running a regional bus service in November 2006. In 2011, the
Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...
,
Hebron Hebron (; , or ; , ) is a Palestinian city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Hebron is capital of the Hebron Governorate, the largest Governorates of Palestine, governorate in the West Bank. With a population of 201,063 in ...
, and Highland Village/Lewisville Lake stations opened as commuter stops along the route of the DCTA's
A-train is a series of business simulation video games developed and published by Japanese game developer Artdink in Japan. The first game in the series was published in 1985. The first release in the United States was ''Take the A-Train II'', publis ...
. The route continues north to Denton and south to Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton, where it connects with 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 r ...
(DART) Green Line to Dallas. DCTA also owns a Rail Operation and Maintenance Facility in Lewisville. In September 2021, DCTA launched GoZone, an on-demand transit service in partnership with Via Transportation, throughout Denton County. In December 2021, fixed-route Lewisville Connect bus services ceased operating, with GoZone in place to cover transit throughout the city.


Notes


References

Academic articles * * * * * *
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* Books * * * * *
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* * * * * * * * * Encyclopedias and almanacs * * * * Magazine articles * * * Maps * * * * * * Miscellaneous (speeches, interviews, videos) * * * Newspaper articles * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Press releases * * * * Reports * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Websites * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* * * * *


External links


City of Lewisville

Lewisville interactive maps

Lewisville Convention & Visitors Bureau

Lewisville Chamber of Commerce

Greater Lewisville Arts Council

''The Lewisville Texan Journal''
{{authority control Cities in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex Cities in Texas Cities in Denton County, Texas Cities in Dallas County, Texas Articles containing video clips