Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex

A portmanteau of metropolis and complex, the term metroplex is credited to Harve Chapman, an executive vice president with Dallas-based Tracy-Locke, one of three advertising agencies that worked with the North Texas Commission on strategies to market the region. The NTC copyrighted the term "Southwest Metroplex" in 1972 as a replacement for the previously ubiquitous "North Texas", which studies had shown lacked identifiability outside the state. In fact, only 38 percent of a survey group identified Dallas and Fort Worth as part of "North Texas", with the Texas Panhandle also a perceived correct answer, being the northernmost region of Texas. == Geography ==

The United States Census Bureau determined the Metroplex encompasses of total area; is land, and is covered by water. The conurbated metropolitan area is larger in area than the U.S. states of Rhode Island and Connecticut combined, and larger than New Jersey. so named for its fertile black soil found especially in the rural areas of Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, and Rockwall counties. Many areas of Denton, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant, and Wise counties are located in the Fort Worth Prairie region of North Texas, which has less fertile and more rocky soil than that of the Texas blackland prairie; most of the rural land on the Fort Worth Prairie is ranch land. A large onshore natural gas field, the Barnett Shale, lies underneath this area; Denton, Tarrant and Wise counties feature many natural gas wells. Continuing land use change results in scattered crop fields surrounded by residential or commercial development. South of Dallas/Fort Worth is a line of rugged hills that goes north to south about that looks similar to the Texas Hill Country to the south. Metropolitan divisions and counties The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area is formed by a combination of two separate metropolitan statistical divisions. The Dallas–Plano–Irving MDA and Fort Worth–Arlington–Grapevine MDA come together to form one full metropolitan area or conurbation. Fort Worth–Arlington–Grapevine metropolitan division • Johnson • Parker • Tarrant • Wise Climate Dallas–Fort Worth has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa). It is also continental, characterized by a relatively wide annual temperature range for the latitude. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is located at the lower end of Tornado Alley, and can experience extreme weather. In the Metroplex, summers are very hot and humid, although low humidity characteristics of desert locations can appear at any time of the year. July and August are typically the hottest months, with an average high of and an average low of . Heat indexes regularly surpass at the height of summer. The all-time record high is , set on June 26 and 27, 1980 during the Heat Wave of 1980 at nearby Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Winters in the area are cool to mild, with occasional cold spells. The average date of first frost is November 12, and the average date of last frost is March 12. January is typically the coldest month, with an average daytime high of and an average nighttime low of . The normal daily average temperature in January is but sharp swings in temperature can occur, as strong cold fronts known as "Blue Northers" pass through the Metroplex, forcing daytime highs below the mark for several days at a time and often between days with high temperatures above . Snow accumulation is seen in the city in about 70% of winter seasons, and snowfall generally occurs 1–2 days out of the year for a seasonal average of . Some areas in the region, however, receive more than that, while other areas receive negligible snowfall or none at all. The all-time record low temperature within the city is , set on January 18, 1930, however the temperature at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport reached on February 16, 2021, during Winter Storm Uri. == Principal communities ==

The following are cities and towns categorized based on the latest population estimates from the North Central Texas Council of Governments (as of July 1, 2022). No population estimates are released for census-designated places (CDPs), which are marked with an asterisk (*). These places are categorized based on their 2020 census population. Places with more than 100,000 inhabitants . Places designated "principal cities" by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget are italicized. 1,000,000+ • Dallas (1,299,544) • Fort Worth (1,015,045) 200,000–499,999 • Arlington (394,602) • Plano (289,547) • Irving (254,715) • Garland (240,854) • Frisco (219,587) • McKinney (207,507) • Grand Prairie (201,843). 100,000–199,999 • Denton (150,353) • Mesquite (147,899) • Carrollton (133,820) • Lewisville (131,215) • Richardson (118,802) • Allen (111,551). Places with 10,000 to 99,999 inhabitants • Addison • Anna • Azle • Balch Springs • Bedford • Benbrook • Burleson • Cedar Hill • Celina • Cleburne • Colleyville • Coppell • Corinth • Crowley • DeSoto • Duncanville • Ennis • Euless • Fairview • Farmers Branch • Fate • Flower Mound • Forest Hill • Forney • Glenn Heights • Granbury • Grapevine • Greenville • Haltom City • Heath • Highland Village • Hurst • Keller • Lancaster • Little Elm • Mansfield • Melissa • Midlothian • Mineral Wells (partial) • Murphy • North Richland Hills • Princeton • Prosper • Red Oak • Rendon* • Rockwall • Rowlett • Royse City • Sachse • Saginaw • Seagoville • Southlake • Terrell • The Colony • Trophy Club • University Park • Watauga • Waxahachie • Weatherford • White Settlement • Wylie Places with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants • Aledo • Alma • Alvarado • Alvord • Annetta North • Annetta South • Annetta • Argyle • Aubrey • Aurora • Bardwell • Bartonville • Blue Mound • Blue Ridge • Boyd • Briar* • Briaroaks • Bridgeport • Caddo Mills • Campbell • Celeste • Chico • Cockrell Hill • Combine • Commerce • Cool • Cooper • Copper Canyon • Corral City • Cottonwood • Covington • Crandall • Cresson (partial) • Cross Roads • Cross Timber • Dalworthington Gardens • Decatur • DeCordova • Dennis • DISH • Double Oak • Eagle Mountain* • Edgecliff Village • Everman • Farmersville • Ferris • Garrett • Glen Rose • Godley • Grandview • Grays Prairie • Gun Barrel City • Hackberry • Haslet • Hawk Cove • Hebron • Hickory Creek • Highland Park • Hudson Oaks • Hutchins • Italy • Itasca • Josephine • Joshua • Justin • Kaufman • Keene • Kemp • Kennedale • Knollwood • Krugerville • Krum • Lake Bridgeport • Lake Dallas • Lake Worth • Lakeside • Lakewood Village • Lavon • Leonard • Lincoln Park • Lone Oak • Lowry Crossing • Lucas • Mabank (partial) • Maypearl • McLendon-Chisholm • Milford • Millsap • Mobile City • Nevada • New Fairview • New Hope • Newark • Neylandville • Northlake • Oak Grove • Oak Leaf • Oak Point • Oak Ridge • Ovilla • Palmer • Pantego • Paradise • Parker • Pecan Acres* • Pecan Hill • Pelican Bay • Pilot Point • Ponder • Post Oak Bend • Providence Village • Quinlan • Reno • Rhome • Richland Hills • Rio Vista • River Oaks • Roanoke • Rosser • Runaway Bay • Saint Paul • Sanctuary • Sanger • Sansom Park • Scurry • Shady Shores • Springtown • Sunnyvale • Talty • Union Valley • Van Alstyne (partial) • Venus • West Tawakoni • Westlake • Weston • Westover Hills • Westworth Village • Willow Park • Wilmer • Wolfe City Unincorporated Places • Ables Springs • Acton • Avalon • Avondale • Bolivar • Brock • Cash • Copeville • Elizabethtown • Elmo • Floyd • Forreston • Garner • Greenwood • Heartland • Ike • Lantana • Lillian • Merit • Paloma Creek • Peaster • Poetry • Poolville • Rockett • Sand Branch • Savannah • Slidell • Telico • Trumbull • Westminster • Whitt == Demographics ==

{{US Census population Numerically, the Metroplex is the fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S. At the 2020 U.S. census 7,637,387 people lived in the area, and 2,974,805 in 1970. In 2020, the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex's racial composition was 42% non-Hispanic white, 16% Black or African American, 8% Asian, 3–4% two or more races, and 29% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. According to information gathered from the North Texas Commission, the Metroplex's racial and ethnic makeup was 46% non-Hispanic white, 15% Black or African American, 7% Asian American, and 3% from other races in 2017. Ethnically, Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 29% of the metropolitan population. From 2010 to 2017, Hispanics and Latinos increased an estimated 38.9% followed by Blacks and African Americans. The median household income in Dallas–Fort Worth was higher than the state average in 2017, and its unemployment (3.6%) and poverty rate was lower. Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Catholic churches are prominent in many cities and towns in the metropolitan region. The Methodist and Baptist communities anchor two of the area's major private universities (Southern Methodist University and Dallas Baptist University). Non-Christian faiths including Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and contemporary paganism collectively form a little over 4% of the religious population. == Combined statistical area ==

The Dallas–Fort Worth, TX–OK combined statistical area is made up of 20 counties in North Central Texas and one county in South Central Oklahoma. The statistical area includes two metropolitan areas and seven micropolitan areas. The CSA definition encompasses of area, of which is land and is water. The population density was 485 people per square mile according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Micropolitan statistical areas • Athens (Henderson County); population 84,511 (2022 estimate) In 2018 it had an estimated 7,994,963 residents. The American Community Survey determined 18% of the population was foreign-born. The median household income was $67,589 and the per capita income was $34,455. An estimated 11.5% lived below the poverty line. The median age of the DFW CSA was 35.3. Urban areas within At the core of the Dallas–Fort Worth combined statistical area (CSA) lies the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, TX urban area, the sixth-most populous in the United States. Within the boundaries of the CSA the Census Bureau defines 31 other urban areas as well, some of which form the core of their own metro or micro statistical areas separate from the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan statistical area. Urban areas situated primarily outside the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan statistical area but within the CSA are identified with a cross (†) in the table below. == Economy ==

and American Airlines The cities of Dallas and Fort Worth are the two central cities of the Metroplex, with Arlington being a third economically important city; it is a center for sporting events, tourism and manufacturing. Most other incorporated cities in the Metroplex are "bedroom communities" serving largely as residential and small-business centers, though there are several key employers in these regions. Due to the large number of smaller, less well-known cities, Metroplex residents commonly divide the region roughly in half along Texas Interstate 35, which runs north–south, splitting into two 'branches' (I-35E in Dallas and I-35W in Fort Worth) through the Metroplex. They refer to places as being on the "Dallas side" or the "Fort Worth side", or in "the Arlington area", which is almost directly south of the airport; cities in the Arlington area form the Mid-Cities. It is nominally between the two major east–west interstates in the region (I-20, passing to the south of both downtowns, and I-30, connecting Dallas and Fort Worth city centers). Business management and operations play a central role in the area's economy. Dallas and its suburbs have the third-largest concentration of corporate headquarters in the United States. The area continues to draw corporate relocation from across the nation, and especially from the Midwest and the Northeast. From late 2018 to early 2019, both McKesson and Charles Schwab announced they would be relocating from San Francisco to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Later in 2019, San Francisco-based Uber announced a massive corporate expansion just east of Downtown Dallas. Banking and finance play a key role in the area's economy. Dallas/Fort Worth recently surpassed Chicago to become the second-largest financial services hub in the nation, eclipsed only by New York. Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Liberty Mutual, Goldman Sachs, State Farm, Charles Schwab Corporation, and Fidelity Investments maintain significant operations in the area. The Metroplex also contains the largest Information Technology industry base in the state (often referred to as Silicon Prairie or the Telecom Corridor, especially when referring to US 75 through Richardson, Plano and Allen just north of Dallas itself). This area has a large number of corporate IT projects and the presence of numerous electronics, computing and telecommunication firms such as Microsoft, Texas Instruments, HP Enterprise Services, Dell Services, Samsung, Nokia, Cisco, Fujitsu, i2, Frontier, Alcatel, Ericsson, CA, Google, T-Mobile US, and Verizon. AT&T, the second largest telecommunications company in the world, is headquartered at the Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas. McKesson the 9th largest Fortune 500 company by revenue is headquartered in Irving. Fluor, the largest engineering & construction company in the Fortune 500, is also headquartered in Irving. In October 2016, Jacobs Engineering, a Fortune 500 company and one of the world's largest engineering companies, relocated from Pasadena, California to Dallas. Toyota USA, in 2016, relocated its corporate headquarters to Plano. Southwest Airlines is headquartered in Dallas. The airline has more than 53,000 employees as of October 2016 and operates more than 3,900 departures a day during peak travel season. On the other side of the Metroplex, the Texas farming and ranching industry is based in Fort Worth, though the area's economy is diverse. American Airlines, the largest airline in the world, recently completed their new $350M corporate HQ complex in Fort Worth. American Airlines is also the largest employer in the Metroplex. Several major defense manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter Textron, and Raytheon, maintain significant operations in the Metroplex, primarily on the "Fort Worth side". They are concentrated along SH 170 near I-35W, commonly called the "Alliance Corridor" due to its proximity to the Fort Worth Alliance regional airport. Changes in house prices for the Metroplex are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case–Shiller index; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor's and is also a component of S&P's 20-city composite index of the value of the U.S. residential real estate market. == Sports ==

The Metroplex is one of the 12 U.S. metropolitan areas that has a team in each of the four major professional sports leagues. Major professional sports first came to the area in 1952, when the Dallas Texans competed in the NFL for one season. In 1960, major professional sports returned when the Dallas Cowboys began competing in the National Football League and the Dallas Texans began competing in the American Football League. The Dallas Texans later relocated to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. In 1972, MLB's Washington Senators moved to Arlington to become the Texas Rangers, named after the statewide law enforcement agency. The National Basketball Association expanded into North Texas in 1980 when the Dallas Mavericks were added to the league. The fourth sport was added in 1993 when the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League moved to Dallas, becoming the Dallas Stars. The MLS team FC Dallas is based in Frisco, and the Dallas Wings of the WNBA play in Arlington. The area is also home to many minor-league professional teams, and four colleges that compete in NCAA Division I athletics. A NASCAR Cup Series race is hosted annually at Texas Motor Speedway, the AAA Texas 500, and two PGA Tour events are held annually in the Metroplex, the AT&T Byron Nelson and the Colonial National Invitation Tournament. The Metroplex has hosted many premiere sports events on both an annual and one-time basis. Major professional sports teams ^- Indicates year team relocated to the area Other notable professional and amateur teams ^- Indicates year team relocated to the area Division I college athletics The headquarters for both the Big 12 and American Athletic Conference are located in Irving, Conference USA headquarters are in Dallas, the Southland Conference headquarters are in Frisco, and the Western Athletic Conference is headquartered in Arlington. Sports events hosted Note: Venues are listed with their current names, not necessarily those in use when an event took place. The AT&T Stadium in Arlington is set to host the most matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. == Education ==

Notable colleges and universities == Politics ==

The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is the most populous Republican-leaning metropolitan area in the country. However, since 2016 Democrats have been making inroads in the area's suburbs. As of 2024, both the mayor of Dallas (elected as a Democrat) and the mayor of Fort Worth are Republicans, with Dallas being the largest city in the United States to have a Republican mayor. The Republican Party has historically been dominant in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including in presidential elections. Democrats have consistently won Dallas County since 2008. In 2020, Joe Biden narrowly won Tarrant County, whose county seat is Fort Worth, marking the first time since 1964 that the Democratic candidate had carried the county. == Mass media ==

The cities of Dallas and Fort Worth have their own newspapers, The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, respectively. Historically, the two papers had readership primarily in their own counties. As the two cities' suburbs have grown together in recent years (and especially since the demise of the Dallas Times Herald in 1991), many sites sell both papers. This pattern of crossover has been repeated in other print media, radio, and television. Since the 1970s all of the television stations and most of the FM radio stations have chosen to transmit from Cedar Hill so as to serve the entire market, and are programmed likewise. There has been a rise in "80–90 move-ins", whereby stations have been moved from distant markets, in some cases as far away as Oklahoma, and relicensed to anonymous small towns in the Metroplex to serve as additional DFW stations. According to RadioTime, the market had 38 AM stations, 58 FM stations (many of them class Cs), and 18 full-power television stations. Per another study the area has a total of 62 FM stations and 40 AM stations as of 2020. Dallas–Fort Worth is the fifth-largest television market in the United States, behind only New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Two of the Metroplex's AM radio stations, WBAP and KRLD, are 50,000-watt stations with coverage of much of the North American continent and beyond during nighttime hours. The South Asian population (Indian Sub-continent) has increased considerably in the DFW metroplex. They have the FM 104.9 radio channel and 700 AM radio. Recently Sony TV, a subsidiary of Sony TV Asia, launched its FTA (free to Air OTA) channel on 44.2 station in DFW. It was one of the two locations they chose in the United States, the other being New York City, where there is also a large South Asian demographic. Television The following are television stations serving the Dallas–Fort Worth television market. Two asterisks (**) denote a network owned-and-operated station. Full-power • 2 KDTN Denton (Daystar)** • 4 KDFW Dallas (Fox)** • 5 KXAS-TV Fort Worth (NBC)** • 8 WFAA Dallas (ABC) • 11 KTVT Fort Worth (CBS)** • 13 KERA-TV Dallas (PBS) • 21 KTXA Fort Worth (Independent) • 23 KUVN-DT Garland (Univision)** • 27 KDFI Dallas (MyNetworkTV)** • 29 KFAA-TV Decatur (Independent and Estrella TV) • 33 KDAF Dallas (The CW)** • 39 KXTX-TV Dallas (Telemundo)** • 47 KTXD-TV Greenville (Merit Street Media) • 49 KSTR-DT Irving (UniMás)** • 52 KFWD Fort Worth (ShopHQ) • 55 KAZD Lake Dallas (WEST and MeTV)** • 58 KDTX-TV Dallas (TBN)** • 68 KPXD-TV Arlington (Ion Television)** Low-power • 18 KPFW-LD Dallas (Hope Channel) • 20 KBOP-LD Dallas (Infomercial) • 22 KNAV-LD Dallas (Hot TV Network) • 25 K07AAF-D Corsicana (HSN)** • 26 KODF-LD Britton (Guide US TV) • 28 KHPK-LD DeSoto (SonLife) • 31 K07AAD-D Fort Worth (SonLife) • 34 KJJM-LD Dallas & Mesquite (HSN) • 44 KLEG-CD Dallas (TVC+Latino) • 46 KUVN-CD Garland (Univision)** • 51 KHFD-LD Cedar Hill (The Walk TV) Radio stations The following are radio stations serving the Dallas—Fort Worth Metroplex. AM • 540 KDFT Ferris (Religious) • 570 KLIF Dallas (Conservative talk) • 620 KTNO Plano (Christian radio) • 660 KSKY Balch Springs (Conservative talk) • 700 KHSE Wylie (South Asian) • 730 KKDA Grand Prairie (Korean/full-service) • 770 KAAM Garland (Brokered/Christian) • 820 WBAP Fort Worth (Talk radio) • 850 KJON Carrollton (Spanish/Catholic) • 870 KFJZ Fort Worth (Business news) • 890 KTXV Mabank (Punjabi/full-service) • 910 KATH Frisco (Catholic/Guadalupe Radio/EWTN) • 970 KHVN Fort Worth (Black Information Network) • 990 KFCD Farmersville (Brokered/Spanish Christian) • 1040 KGGR Dallas (Urban gospel) • 1080 KRLD Dallas (Talk radio) • 1110 KVTT Mineral Wells (South Asian) • 1140 KHFX Cleburne (Spanish/Christian) • 1160 KBDT Highland Park (Vietnamese/full-service) • 1190 KFXR Dallas (Conservative talk) • 1220 KZEE Weatherford (Brokered/South Asian) • 1270 KFLC Benbrook (Spanish/Sports) • 1310 KTCK Dallas (Sports) • 1340 KAND Corsicana (Country) • 1360 KMNY Hurst (Spanish Christian) • 1390 KBEC Waxahachie (Texas country) • 1420 KPIR Granbury (Classic country) • 1440 KEXB University Park (Catholic/Relevant Radio) • 1460 KCLE Cleburne (Vietnamese) • 1480 KNGO Dallas (Vietnamese/full-service) • 1540 KAMM University Park (Indie rock) • 1570 KPYK Terrell (Adult standards) • 1600 KRVA Cockrell Hill (Vietnamese) • 1630 KKGM Fort Worth (Black Information Network) • 1700 KKLF Richardson (Tejano) FM • 88.1 KNTU McKinney (College/Alternative/University of North Texas) • 88.3 KJRN Keene (Christian adult contemporary) • 88.5 KEOM Mesquite (Classic hits/Community/Mesquite Independent School District) • 88.7 KTCU-FM Fort Worth (College/Texas Christian University) • 89.1 KSQX Springtown (Christian radio) • 89.3 KNON Dallas (Community, Variety) • 89.5 KYQX Weatherford (Classic country) • 89.7 KAWA Sanger (Christian contemporary/WayFM) • 90.1 KERA Dallas (Public radio/NPR) • 90.5 KTXG Greenville (Christian/AFR) • 90.9 KCBI Dallas (Christian) • 91.3 KDKR Decatur (Christian) • 91.7 KKXT Dallas (Public/AAA) • 92.1 KXEZ Farmersville (Classic country) • 92.5 KZPS Dallas (Classic rock) • 93.3 WBAP-FM Haltom City (Talk radio) • 93.7 KNOR Krum (Regional Mexican) • 94.1 KLNO Fort Worth (Regional Mexican) • 94.5 KZMJ Gainesville (Urban adult contemporary) • 94.9 KLTY Arlington (Christian contemporary/K-Love) • 95.3 KHYI Howe (Country/Americana) • 95.9 KFWR Jacksboro (Texas country) • 96.3 KSCS Fort Worth (Country) • 96.7 KTCK-FM Flower Mound (Sports radio) • 97.1 KEGL Fort Worth (Mainstream rock) • 97.5 KLAK Tom Bean (Adult contemporary) • 97.9 KBFB Dallas (Rhythmic contemporary) • 98.3 KBOC Brideport (Spanish adult contemporary) • 98.7 KSPF Dallas (Classic hits) • 99.1 KFZO Denton (Regional Mexican) • 99.5 KPLX Fort Worth (Country) • 100.3 KJKK Dallas (Adult hits) • 100.7 KWRD-FM Highland Village (Christian) • 101.1 WRR Dallas (Classical music) • 101.7 KYDA Azle (Christian worship/Air1) • 102.1 KDGE Fort Worth & Dallas (Adult Contemporary) • 102.9 KDMX Dallas (Hot adult contemporary) • 103.3 KVDT Allen (Christian/VCY America) • 103.7 KVIL Highland Park (Alternative rock) • 104.1 KTCG Sanger (South Asian) • 104.5 KKDA-FM Dallas (Urban contemporary) • 104.9 KZMP-FM Pilot Point (South Asian) • 105.3 KRLD-FM Dallas (Sports) • 105.7 KRNB Decatur (Urban adult contemporary) • 106.1 KHKS Denton (Contemporary hits) • 107.1 KESS-FM Benbrook (Contemporary hits/Latin pop) • 107.5 KMVK Fort Worth (Regional Mexican) • 107.9 KDXX Lewisville (Contemporary hits/Latin pop) ==Transportation==

Air travel Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (IATA airport code: DFW), located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, is the largest and busiest airport in the state of Texas. At of total land area, DFW is also the second-largest airport in the country and the sixth-largest in the world. It is the third-busiest airport in the world in terms of aircraft movements and the world's seventh-busiest by passenger traffic, transporting 62.9 million passengers in FY 2014. Based in Fort Worth, American Airlines' headquarters are adjacent to DFW. Recently having regained the title as the largest airline in the world in terms of both passengers transported and fleet size, American is a predominant leader in domestic routes and operations. Dallas Love Field Airport (IATA airport code: DAL) is located in Northwest Dallas. Based in Dallas, Southwest Airlines is headquartered next to Love Field. Freeways The Dallas–Fort Worth area has thousands of lane-miles of freeways and interstates. The Metroplex has the second-largest number of freeway-miles per capita in the nation, behind only the Kansas City Metro Area. As in most major metropolitan areas in Texas, most interstates and freeways have access or frontage roads where most of the businesses are located; these access roads have slip ramps allowing traffic to transition between the freeway and access road. North–south interstates include I-35 and I-45. East–west routes include I-30 and I-20. I-35 splits into I-35E and I-35W from Denton to Hillsboro: I-35W goes through Fort Worth while I-35E goes through Dallas. (This is one of only two examples of an interstate splitting off into branches and then rejoining as one; the other such split is in Minneapolis-St. Paul where I-35E goes into St. Paul and I-35W goes through Minneapolis.) I-30 connects Dallas and Fort Worth, and I-45 connects Dallas to Houston. The "multiple-of-5" numbers used for the interstate designations are notable, as these numbers were designed to be used for major multi-state arteries of the U.S. Interstate Highway System. The North Texas region is the terminus for two of them, and I-45 is located only within Texas. HOV lanes exist along I-35E, I-30, I-635, US 67, and US 75. I-20 bypasses both Dallas and Fort Worth to the south while its loop, I-820, goes around Fort Worth. I-635 splits to the north of I-20 and loops around east and North Dallas, ending at SH 121 north of DFW Airport. I-35E, Loop 12, and Spur 408 ultimately connect to I-20 southwest of Dallas, completing the west bypass loop around Dallas. A large number of construction projects are planned or are already underway in the region to alleviate congestion. Due largely to funding issues, many of the new projects involve building new tollways or adding tolled express lanes to existing highways, which are managed by the North Texas Tollway Authority. It was originally established to manage the Dallas North Tollway and oversees several other toll projects in the area. Public transit Public transit options continue to expand significantly throughout the Metroplex. However, it is limited in several outlying and rural suburbs. Dallas County and portions of Collin and Rockwall counties have bus service and light rail operated by DART, covering thirteen member cities. DART's rail network currently sprawls for 93 miles throughout the area. The Red Line extends north to Plano and southwest to Oak Cliff. The Blue Line reaches from Rowlett in the northeast to the University of North Texas at Dallas campus near I-20 in the south. The 28-mile Green Line, which opened in December 2010, connects Carrollton in the northwest through downtown Dallas to Pleasant Grove in the southeast. The Orange Line, which completed expansion in 2014, parallels the Red Line from Plano to Downtown Dallas and the Green Line from downtown Dallas to Northwest Highway before extending through the Las Colinas area of Irving to reach DFW International Airport. Denton County has bus service limited to Denton, Highland Village, and Lewisville (with commuter service to downtown Dallas) provided by the Denton County Transportation Authority. The A-train, a diesel commuter rail line, parallels I-35E to connect Denton, Highland Village, Lewisville, and Carrollton. Several smaller towns along this line, Corinth, Shady Shores, and Lake Dallas, voted to abstain from the Denton County Transportation Authority and do not have stations. There is an across-the-platform transfer in Carrollton to the DART Green Line. A-Train service began June 20, 2011. Tarrant County has bus services operated by Trinity Metro (formerly the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, popularly known as 'The T'), available only in Fort Worth. It additionally operates TEXRail commuter rail, which serves to connect downtown Fort Worth with DFW Airport and the DART Orange Line. The diesel commuter train that serves Fort Worth and its eastern suburbs is operated as the Trinity Railway Express; it connects downtown Fort Worth to downtown Dallas, where it links to the DART light rail system. A station near its midpoint, Centerport, also serves DFW Airport via a free airport shuttle bus. The TRE is jointly owned by FWTA and DART. Amtrak serves two stations in the Metroplex—Dallas Union Station and Fort Worth Central Station. Both are served by the Texas Eagle route, which operates daily between Chicago and San Antonio (continuing on to Los Angeles three days a week), though only Fort Worth is served by the Fort Worth-Oklahoma City Heartland Flyer. As of 2016 the Taiwanese airline EVA Air operates a shuttle bus service from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston to Richardson, so that Dallas-based customers may fly on its services to and from Houston. == See also ==