Where the West Begins
While it's gone by many nicknames over the years—Cowtown, Panther City and Queen City of the Prairie, to name a few—there's no doubt that Fort Worth truly is "Where the West begins." This sprawling city in northeast Texas has a long history that dates back to frontier days when a treaty established present-day Fort Worth as the dividing line between the Republic of Texas and Native American territory. The city grew over the years as a center for commerce, a stop for cow drovers on the Chisholm Trail and a railroad hub, eventually transforming into the sprawling metropolis of today.
Home to around 935,000 people, Fort Worth makes up the western half of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. The vast growth has turned Fort Worth into a lively and energetic city with the amenities homebuyers would expect, such as popular shopping and dining options, a variety of entertainment, access to major transportation centers and several Fortune 500 companies that call the city home.
An ever-changing real estate market
Homebuyers coming to Fort Worth can find a wide range of housing styles. The city boasts densely populated ranch-style and bungalow homes in neighborhoods like Fairmount or Northside, while others like Monticello and Ridglea feature luxurious Colonial Revival, Spanish-style and contemporary homes on sprawling, tree-covered lots. Suburban neighborhoods with new-build homes tend to be some of the most popular destinations with today's homebuyers. "We have several master-planned communities that offer a family-oriented lifestyle," says Sarah Lyons, an associate broker with Century 21 Judge Fite Company, the No. 1 Century 21 agent in Fort Worth. These communities, like Lost Creek Ranch or Harvest Ridge, often have small parks, community centers, gyms, swimming pools and walking trails.
Like most cities, Fort Worth saw lots of movement on the market in the early 2020s, but things have come slightly back to pre-pandemic levels. "We saw things slow down a little bit, but it's still a strong sellers' market. Inventory is sitting at about three to three-and-a-half months," Lyons says. She says prices have come down since 2020, but not as much as they have in other cities like Austin. Lyons adds that the average home in Fort Worth sells in about 45 days.
Take a trip on the Trinity River
Fort Worth's location along the Trinity River provides residents with plenty of ways to take advantage of the region's natural beauty. The Trinity Trails are a network of more than 100 miles of hiking and biking paths that wind their way along the river. For residents who want to fully experience the river, there are several boat launches throughout the city that can serve as the starting point for a kayaking or canoeing trip. Fishing is also available in the river, with species like catfish, crappie, bluegill and trout all populating the waters. In fact, the city hosts several trout stocking events each year that culminate with Trinity Flyfest, a celebration that features fly-tying demos, casting classes, vendors and open fishing.
The Fort Worth Parks and Recreation Department operates nearly 300 parks and green spaces, making it easy for residents in all corners of the city to find somewhere to enjoy the great outdoors. Some of the parks are large and include several amenities, like the 791-acre Gateway Park. This expansive green space is situated along the river and has sports fields, a disc golf course, mountain bike trails and a dog park. Other parks may be a city square with some trees, benches and a tennis court, but they all offer room for relaxation and recreation.
Always an experience in the city
With a city as big and diverse as Fort Worth, residents have plenty of options for dining out. "Fairmount is the neighborhood with a ton of little mom-and-pop shops and restaurants. The other big spot is Clearfork, which isn't so much a neighborhood as just a big shopping and dining center," Lyons says. The Fairmount neighborhood is just south of downtown and features several locally owned restaurants along Magnolia Avenue. Diners can choose from authentic Texas-style barbecue, artisan pizzerias and upscale wine bars. Clearfork is a large outdoor shopping mall on the west bank of the Trinity River that is home to a movie theater, popular chain retailers and a variety of restaurants.
There is no shortage of things to do in Fort Worth, no matter which neighborhood one chooses to spend time in. The Cultural District west of downtown has several museums, including the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the National Cowgirl Museum. Residents can visit the Fort Worth Stockyards for a trip into the past. This historic district keeps the Wild West tradition alive with several saloons, Western wear stores and a daily cattle drive through the streets.
Live music constantly brings life to Cowtown's streets, with several places to catch a performance throughout the city. Dickies Arena hosts the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, bringing major country artists to town every January. The elegant Bass Performance Hall downtown is the permanent home of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theater and Fort Worth Opera. And, of course, there's always line dancing and country music at the world's largest honky-tonk, Billy Bob's Texas.
Preparing Fort Worth students for future success
Most of Fort Worth is served by the Fort Worth Independent School District, although several other districts in the area allow for more great options. Nearly 75,000 students attend Fort Worth schools, and the district has an overall student-teacher ratio of 17-to-1. Several of the district's high schools offer early college programs, which allow students to earn an associate degree at the same time as their high school diploma. Eight of the schools also offer P-TECH academies, where students can earn industry certifications and relevant work experience during their high school education.
Fort Worth is also home to Texas Christian University (TCU) and Texas Wesleyan University. TCU has a student population of just over 10,000 and is a member of the Big 12 Conference for athletics. The Horned Frogs play their football games at the 53,000-seat Amon G. Carter Stadium. TCU has been ranked as the No. 4 best-run college and the college with the happiest students by the Princeton Review. Texas Wesleyan is home to about 2,600 students and offers 31 undergraduate and five graduate programs.
Crime rates trending down
Fort Worth residents should be aware of crime, as with any major city. However, most statistics from the Fort Worth Police Department show crime rates dropping in the area. Violent crime was down by 13% in 2022 compared to 2021. In the first quarter of 2023, violent crime rates dropped even more compared to the same time period in 2022. Through September of 2023, the murder rate had fallen by 19%, the rate of burglary had fallen by 2.9% and simple assault had fallen by 1.4%. Aggravated assault had risen in the first three quarters of 2023 by 0.3%.
A transportation hub of North Texas
In the early days of Fort Worth, newspaper editor B.B. Paddock envisioned several railroads coming to the city, forming a tarantula-like map of rail lines entering and exiting. While some railroads are still in use, today, the city is served by several major highways. No matter which part of the city one lives in, there is a highway nearby. Interstate 35W cuts straight through the city, taking residents north to Denton or south to Waco and Austin. Interstate 30 passes through downtown Fort Worth and can take residents 32 miles east to downtown Dallas. Interstate 20 also connects Fort Worth to Dallas, although at a point further south. Interstate 820 serves as a loop around Fort Worth, connecting drivers to multiple other highways.
For trips out of town, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is just 25 miles northeast of downtown. The airport serves approximately 625,000 passengers each day across 28 airlines. It is the third-busiest airport in the world by operations and the second-busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger movement. The airport has flights to 51 international destinations and 188 domestic destinations, the most of any airport in the United States.
A center for commerce
A significant part of Fort Worth's growth has been the influx of large corporations moving to the area. "The DFW chamber has worked really hard to bring in Fortune 500 companies and be a pro-business place. There's a lot of different types of businesses here, and I have a lot of relocation clients," Lyons says. Major companies with a presence in Fort Worth include American Airlines, GM Financial and Lockheed Martin. Within the larger Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, companies like Charles Schwab, Fidelity Investments, AT&T, Southwest Airlines and Texas Instruments have either corporate headquarters or large offices.
