150px|right|thumb|Across from the courthouse is the Ellis County Museum.
Ellis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, its population was estimated to be 192,455. The county seat is Waxahachie. The county was founded in 1849 and organized the next year. It is named for Richard Ellis, president of the convention that produced the Texas Declaration of Independence. Ellis County is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (1.7%) are covered by water.
Lake Waxahachie is located about five miles south of Waxahachie in Ellis County, Texas. Owned and operated by Ellis County Water Control and Improvement District Number One on behalf of the city of Waxahachie, the lake was formed by impounding the Waxahachie Creek in 1956. The water covers about 650 acres and has a maximum depth around 50. The former community of South Prong was located beside the creek before the lake was created. There has been a country club and a two-acre public park with boat ramp since the lake was completed. The lake is a recreational resource for the entire county.
Major highways
- 23px Interstate 35E
- 20px Interstate 45
- 20px U.S. Route 67
- 20px U.S. 77
- 23px U.S. 287
- 20px State Highway 34
- 20px State Highway 342
Adjacent counties
- Dallas County (north)
- Kaufman County (northeast)
- Henderson County (east)
- Navarro County (south)
- Hill County (southwest)
- Johnson County (west)
- Tarrant County (northwest)
Communities
thumb|[[Lake Bardwell|Bardwell Dam and Lake in Ellis County near the town of Ennis]]
thumb|Ellis County Courts building
Cities (multiple counties)
- Cedar Hill (mostly in Dallas County)
- Ferris (small part in Dallas County)
- Glenn Heights (mostly in Dallas County)
- Grand Prairie (mostly in Dallas and Tarrant Counties)
- Mansfield (mostly in Tarrant County and a small part in Johnson County)
- Venus (mostly in Johnson County)
- Ovilla (small part in Dallas County)
Cities
- Bardwell
- Ennis
- Maypearl
- Midlothian
- Oak Leaf
- Pecan Hill
- Red Oak
- Waxahachie (county seat)
Towns
- Alma
- Garrett
- Italy
- Milford
- Palmer
Census-designated place
- Bristol
Unincorporated communities
- Auburn
- Avalon
- Crisp
- Forreston
- Ike
- India
- Rankin
- Rockett
- Telico
- Trumbull