Denton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 662,614; in 2015 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had reached 780,612. Part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, it is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. The county seat is Denton. The county and the city are both named for John B. Denton, who was a preacher, lawyer, and soldier.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 958 square miles, of which 889 square miles is land and 69 square miles (7.24%) is water.
Denton County sits atop a portion of the Barnett Shale, a geological formation believed to contain large quantities of natural gas. The County has benefited from tax revenue related to gas drilling and production, though complaints have arisen that many of the rural roads in the area (which were never designed to handle the heavy equipment used in gas drilling) have been destroyed by drilling companies.
It is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Major Highways
- Interstate 35 (I-35), which splits into I-35 East passing throgh Dallas and I-35 West passing through Fort Worth.
- President George Bush Turnpike
- U.S. Highway 77
- U.S. Highway 377
- U.S. Highway 380
- State Highway 114
- State Highway 121
- Loop 288
Cities and Towns
- Argyle
- Aubrey
- Bartonville
- Bolivar
- Carrollton †
- Coppell †
- Copper Canyon
- Corinth
- Corral City
- Cross Roads
- Dallas †
- Denton
- DISH
- Double Oak
- Elizabethtown
- Flower Mound
- Fort Worth †
- Frisco †
- Hackberry
- Haslet †
- Hebron
- Hickory Creek
- Highland Village
- Justin
- Krugerville
- Krum
- Lake Dallas
- Lakewood Village
- Lewisville
- Lincoln Park
- Little Elm
- Northlake
- Oak Point
- Pilot Point
- Plano †
- Ponder
- Prosper †
- Roanoke
- Sanger
- Shady Shores
- Southlake †
- The Colony
- Trophy Club
- Westlake †
† only a small part of the city extends into Denton County
