About Plano, TX

Overview

Plano is located in Collin and Denton Counties, approximately 20 miles north of Downtown Dallas. With a population of approximately 288,000, Plano is the ninth most populous city in Texas.  The city is a hub for many corporate headquarters, including three Fortune 1000 companies, and serves as a major employment center in the Dallas-Fort Worth region with over 210,000 jobs. Quality medical care facilities, superior educational opportunities, and excellent recreational and cultural amenities contribute to the quality of life for Plano's citizens.

This page includes information on:

• Demographic Trends
• Population & Housing
• Land & Development

history

Although there has been no evidence of Native American settlements in Plano, early settlement in the North Texas region likely included the Tonkawa, Wichita, Caddo, and other nomadic tribes.  The first Anglo settlers came as early as 1840 and Downtown Plano emerged as a trade center for nearby farmsteads. Arrival of the railroads in the late 1800s cemented the city's position as a hub commerce and activity.  Officially incorporated in 1873, Plano remained a largely rural community until extension of Central Expressway (US 75) in the late 1950s.

Rapid population growth began in the 1960s with new neighborhoods and shopping centers transforming the city into a suburban community.  Large corporations also began locating their headquarters to Plano in the late 1970s and 1980s, allowing the city to become a major employment hub for the region.  In the early 2000s, Downtown Plano re-emerged as the city's civic and historical core with transit-oriented development (TOD) around the DART Red/Orange Light Rail and the Legacy area became one of the city's first major mixed-use centers.  Today, Plano is mostly developed, shifting its vision to address the needs of a diverse and mature city.  

Learn more by viewing The Plano Story in Preservation Plano 150, the city's Heritage Preservation Plan.