Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

Understand

Dallas/Fort Worth occupies a vast area of North Central Texas. Unlike the densely populated metro areas in the northern U.S., the Metroplex region encompasses 9,286 square miles (24,100 km²), making it larger in land area than the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut combined, though a large portion of this remains undeveloped.

Unlike Minneapolis/St. Paul and other twin cities, Dallas/Fort Worth has an odd rivalry, bordering on childish contempt towards residents of Dallas from the people of Fort Worth and its surrounding suburbs. Don't be surprised if you see bumper stickers that read, "If I die in Dallas, bury my body in Fort Worth". The cities are surprisingly different, in that Dallas has a relatively more progressive and metropolitan feel, and Fort Worth has more of a staunch conservative and religious attitude. Depending on who you meet and where you stay, the difference in politics can be as notable as the differences between California and Mississippi. Locals are fond of saying, "The software companies and science museums are in Dallas and the mega-churches and honky-tonks are in Fort Worth."

There is a very large population of Indian-Americans (from India, not American Indians) in the area, especially in Irving. You can find really great Indian cuisine, markets, theaters and clothing stores. There's even a Diwali festival every year. See the website for times and location.

The Dallas area is also home to a large number of immigrants from East Asia, most residing in the northern suburbs of Richardson, Plano, and Garland. When in this area, you will likely always be within 5-10 minutes of an Asian supermarket or grocery store.

Money and power are flaunted in the DFW area more so than in other parts of the United States. The wealthy elite may not dress any different from common residents, but they will establish their rank in DFW society by owning extremely expensive vehicles and unbelievably huge houses. When driving around suburbs like Frisco or McKinney, you'll see several residents driving high end Italian sports cars, huge Cadillac SUVs or other expensive imports. So if you're in the mood and you have the means, don't be shy and go ahead and rent an expensive sports car and drive around like you're the cock-of-the-walk! Flaunt it like tomorrow isn't coming!

Cities

Dallas area

• Dallas — The ninth largest city in the United States.
• Addison — The self-proclaimed "Restaurant Capital of Texas", on the north edge of Dallas.
• Carrollton — Contains plenty of restaurants, a large Korean population, and several fantastic Asian shops and restaurants.
• Coppell
• Duncanville
• Forney — The "Antique Capital of Texas"
• Frisco — home to the National Videogame Museum, the FC Dallas professional soccer club, and a growing number of other attractions.
• Garland
• Lewisville
• Mesquite — Mesquite Rodeo
• Plano — north of Dallas along US-75, it is rapidly becoming a national business center. Very affluent and mostly very suburban.
• Richardson — Home to Dallas-Fort Worth's largest Chinatown and an impressive number of multinational corporations, including those along the "Telecom Corridor".
• Rockwall
• The Colony

Fort Worth area

• Fort Worth - The U.S.' 12th largest city, "Where the West Begins." Billy Bob's Texas (the world's largest honky-tonk), Texas NASCAR Motorspeedway, Cowtown BMX, Fort Worth Herd (twice-daily cattle drive), Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth Stockyards!
• Mansfield

Mid Cities

• Arlington — Home of Six Flags over Texas, Hurricane Harbor, the Texas Rangers, and the Dallas Cowboys.
• Bedford — along with neighboring cities Hurst and Euless, known for its large selection of chain restaurants and suburban entertainment and shopping options.
• Grand Prairie — located in the center of the Metroplex with something for everyone: horse racing, shopping, outdoor recreation, museums and a variety of restaurants.
• Grapevine — Has a nice historic main street area, numerous wineries, Lake Grapevine, and a large outlet mall. At the north entrance to DFW International Airport.
• Irving — includes the large, upscale Los Colinas development and urban center. Gateway to the massive DFW airport.
• Southlake

Get in

By plane

The Metroplex is served by several airports. The largest one is the vast and perpetually busy Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) (colloquially known as "DFW Airport" or simply "DFW"), which offers flights to and from essentially anywhere in the world. Keep in mind that with the high air traffic, delays are common, so plan well ahead and allow extra time for contingencies.

Those wishing to avoid the headache of DFW Airport might fly into the smaller Dallas Love Field (DAL), which is located minutes north of Downtown Dallas. The selection of carriers and destinations is limited compared to DFW, but it is far smaller and more simply laid out and offers destinations all over the contiguous U.S., as well as tourist hotspots in Mexico some summers.

Love Field was expected to slowly cease serving scheduled passenger flights when DFW opened in the 1970s, but never did thanks to Southwest Airlines' continuous rapid growth since then. Today almost all flights in and out of Love Field are on Southwest, but as of 2025, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines still operate a few flights per day to their main hubs in Atlanta and Seattle, respectively.

By bus

For those traveling by bus, Greyhound operates large terminals in both Dallas and Fort Worth, as well as smaller satellite terminals in the surrounding suburbs. Be aware, however, that the Downtown Dallas station has long been known by locals as a trouble spot and tends to attract transients and vagrants. Panhandling is a common occurrence and while the perpetrators are rarely violent, a high level of vigilance is strongly recommended for anyone who may pass through the terminal. Megabus offers non-stop service to either Grand Prairie or Downtown Dallas from a number of cities in Texas and beyond.

By car

The Metroplex is quite easily accessed by automobile. Interstate Highway 30 bisects the area west to east. Interstate 20 runs west to east along the area's southern edge. Interstate 35 runs north-south through the area, splitting into two branches: IH-35W through Fort Worth and IH-35E through Dallas. Interstate 45 connects Dallas to Houston. The Metroplex is also served by several large U.S. Highways and another score of Texas State highways.

By train

Dallas and Fort Worth are served by Amtrak's Texas Eagle and Heartland Flyer routes. The Texas Eagle runs from San Antonio to Chicago daily with stops in both Fort Worth and Dallas, while the Heartland Flyer runs from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth daily.

See Rail travel in the United States for more information.

Get around

Public transit

The areas around Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton are each served by a separate public transit agency. In Dallas, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, or DART, operates a light rail system connecting downtown to its surrounding suburbs, as well as (beginning October 25, 2025) the Silver Line commuter rail line between DFW Airport in the west and Plano in the northeast. In Fort Worth, Trinity Metro operates TexRail, a commuter rail line that connects downtown Fort Worth to DFW Airport. The Trinity Railway Express, or TRE, a joint venture between DART and Trinity Metro, connects downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth. Finally, the A-Train, operated by the Denton County Transit Authority, connects Denton to the DART network. All three agencies run bus networks as well.

Significant walks may be required in parts of the suburbs and service frequencies vary widely, from once every 10 minutes on the busiest DART bus and train lines to once an hour or less on the farther-flung suburban bus routes, but most of the Metroplex has some level of public transit.

The most notable exception is Arlington, which has the dubious distinction of being the largest U.S. city with no scheduled public transit whatsoever, although the city does operate its own subsidized ride-share service and a couple other on-demand transit services. It is also served by private ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft.

By bike

Most areas are not bicycle friendly and are extremely dangerous to anyone on two wheels! There are some recreational bike trails in the affluent areas and bike lanes in downtown Dallas and Fort Worth, but that's pretty much it. Unless you know your way around and are a seasoned cyclist, seeing the Metroplex on a bike is not recommended.

By car

The Metroplex is notorious for its traffic congestion, so a traveler unfamiliar with the area should leave a significant time for error in learning the area. The worst times to be on the freeways in the D/FW area are the rush hour times, generally between 6-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. Traffic on the weekends is usually fairly pain-free, but it does not take much to cause a significant backup. Pay close attention to local television and radio for backup information.

For those new to the Metroplex, the elaborate highway system can be a bit confusing. Fortunately, the DFW area has long had a tradition of naming numbered highways, e.g. U.S. Highway 75 as Central Expressway. The following is a fairly comprehensive list of the numbered freeways in the Metroplex and their corresponding names.

The various tollways and express lanes can sometimes provide a welcome respite from traffic, though at other times they are just as bad as the rest. In some places there is no freeway alternative.

Many residents of the Metroplex drive huge trucks and SUVs, and they drive them extremely fast and recklessly. So driving around in an economy sized vehicle, especially something like a Smart Car, can be somewhat harrowing at times. If you rent a vehicle and plan to drive in the Metroplex, bigger is better.

= Particularly troublesome spots for drivers =

• 820 Bottleneck - the stretch of IH-820 between TX 121 and U.S. 287. Population growth and inadequate planning has made this part of the interstate a horrendous bottleneck. Traffic is backed up for miles at all times of day and days of the week.
• Dallas' Mixmaster - This brief merger of IH-30 and IH-35E on the southwestern edge of downtown Dallas forms a highly chaotic interchange where many vehicles are constantly changing lanes and frequent crashes back up much of the surrounding area.

Stay safe

As with any large metropolitan area, the DFW Metroplex has its share of "street crime." Safer areas include the more affluent areas including parts of west Fort Worth, most of Arlington, the northern suburbs, and the Park Cities of North Dallas. Areas that warrant some extra caution include South Dallas, parts of downtown Dallas, the areas close to Fair Park, as well as the East and Southeast parts of Fort Worth. Dallas, Fort Worth, and some other cities have interactive crime maps on their web sites.

Go next

The Dallas-Fort Worth area lies roughly near the border between the forested eastern United States and the open prairie of the American plains, with areas east of Dallas being much more heavily forested than those west of Fort Worth.

The area immediately west, northwest, and south of the metroplex is referred to as the Cross Timbers. Listed below are some of the main attractions:

• Denton home to a large music scene. North on I-35 (E and W merge here).
• Weatherford is known for its rodeos and western culture.
• Glen Rose home to Dinosaur Valley State Park.
• Granbury a nice scenic retirement community.

While the area south, east, and north east of the metroplex is referred to as the Blackland Prairie. A list of the main attractions:

• Waco home to Baylor University and some good museums.
• McKinney has a vibrant historic downtown.
• Sherman north on US-75.
• Hillsboro known for its popular outlet mall, South on I-35 (E and W merge here)
• Corsicana south on I-45.