Dallas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,613,539, and was estimated to be 2,656,028 in 2024, the third-most populous city in Texas and the ninth-most populous city in the United States. The county was founded on March 30, 1846 and was possibly named for George M. Dallas, the 11th Vice President of the United States, whom served under President James K. Polk. Dallas County is included in the eleven-county Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, which is the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States.
Municipal expansion within Dallas County has blurred the geographic lines between cities and between neighboring counties.
Geography
thumb|1893 [[United States Geological Survey|USGS map of Dallas County]]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.91%) is water. It is the 177th largest county in Texas by total area. of the county are contained within 21 county-owned nature preserves, which were acquired through the county's Open Space Program.
Lakes
- Lake Ray Hubbard
- White Rock Lake
Adjacent counties
- Denton County (northwest)
- Collin County (northeast)
- Rockwall County (east)
- Kaufman County (southeast)
- Ellis County (south)
- Tarrant County (west)
Climate
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Communities
Cities (multiple counties)
- Carrollton (partly in Denton County and a small part in Collin County)
- Cedar Hill (small part in Ellis County)
- Combine (partly in Kaufman County)
- Coppell (small part in Denton County)
- Dallas (county seat) (small parts in Collin, Denton, Kaufman and Rockwall counties)
- Ferris (mostly in Ellis County)
- Garland (small parts in Collin and Rockwall counties)
- Glenn Heights (partly in Ellis County)
- Grand Prairie (partly in Tarrant County and a small part in Ellis County)
- Grapevine (mostly in Tarrant County and a small part in Denton County)
- Lewisville (mostly in Denton County)
- Mesquite (small part in Kaufman County)
- Ovilla (mostly in Ellis County)
- Richardson (small part in Collin County)
- Rowlett (small part in Rockwall County)
- Sachse (small part in Collin County)
- Seagoville (small part in Kaufman County)
- Wylie (mostly in Collin County and a small part in Rockwall County)
Cities
- Balch Springs
- Cockrell Hill
- DeSoto
- Duncanville
- Farmers Branch
- Hutchins
- Irving
- Lancaster
- University Park
- Wilmer
Towns
- Addison
- Highland Park
- Sunnyvale
Unincorporated areas
Census-designated places
- Bear Creek Ranch
Other communities
- Sand Branch
Historical communities
- Alpha (not incorporated)
- Buckingham (Annexed by Richardson in 1996)
- Cedar Springs (First settled in February 1841. In 1929 the community was annexed by the city of Dallas.)
- Duck Creek (merged into Garland in 1887)
- East Dallas (annexed by the city of Dallas in 1890 but was once a city of its own)
- Embree (merged into Garland in 1887)
- Fruitdale (annexed by Dallas in 1964)
- Hatterville (Merged into Sunnyvale in 1953)
- Hord's Ridge (Merged into Oak Cliff in 1887)
- Kleberg (Absorbed by City of Dallas in 1978)
- La Reunion (Absorbed by City of Dallas in 1860)
- Letot (Northwest Dallas County, annexed by Dallas)
- Liberty Grove
- Lisbon (Absorbed by City of Dallas in 1929)
- Little Egypt
- Long Creek (Merged into Sunnyvale in 1953)
- Meaders
- New Hope (Merged into Sunnyvale in 1953 - not to be confused with the Collin County town of the same name)
- Noel Junction (not incorporated, Addison/Dallas)
- Oak Cliff (Annexed by Dallas in 1903)
- Penn Springs (Annexed by Duncanville in 1947)
- Pleasant Grove (Annexed by Dallas by 1962)
- Preston Hollow (Annexed by Dallas in 1945)
- Renner (annexed by Dallas in 1977)
- Rylie (annexed by Dallas in 1978)
- Scyene
- Trinity Mills (Annexed by Carrollton)
- Tripp (Merged into Sunnyvale in 1953)