Located in Texas, United States, Grand Prairie is a city that spans across Dallas, Tarrant, and Ellis counties. As a part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex’s Mid-Cities region, it ranks as the fifteenth most populous city in the state.
In 1877, the first post office in the United States was established with the name “Deckman” instead of “Dechman”. This was because the U.S. Postal Service had difficulty reading the handwriting on the form used to open the post office. Later that same year, there was confusion caused by the T&P Railroad’s use of the name “Grand Prairie”. This name was derived from maps created between 1850 and 1858 that referred to the area between Dallas and Fort Worth as “the grand prairie of Texas”. To address the confusion, the Postal Service decided to name the post office “Grand Prairie”.
Situated on the boundary of Tarrant and Dallas counties, Grand Prairie spans across a limited area that stretches into Ellis County. It is surrounded by Dallas on the eastern side, while Cedar Hill and Midlothian lie to the southeast. Mansfield can be found to the southwest, Arlington to the west, Fort Worth to the northwest, and Irving to the north.
The humid subtropical region includes Grand Prairie.
The city had a population of 196,100 individuals, with 62,679 households and 46,391 families, according to the 2020 United States census.
Grand Prairie city is a willing participant in the North Central Texas Council of Governments organization, which aims to bring together and collaborate with local governments to find regional solutions, reduce duplication, and make joint decisions.
Grand Prairie is where the headquarters of Airbus Helicopt American branch of Airbus Helicopters, is located.
Interesting Places
Lone Star Park, which commenced operations in 1997, hosts the Thoroughbred Meeting annually on Memorial Day, featuring seven stakes races that collectively offer a prize pool exceeding $1 million.
The Grand Prairie Parks and Recreation committee reopened GPX Skate Park in June 2006, after it had closed in 2005. It is located adjacent to Lone Star Park, where the X Games trials for 2001 and 2002 were held.
The Theatre at Grand Prairie, formerly known as The Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie, NextStage, and Nokia Live, is a technologically advanced venue located in Grand Prairie that is capable of hosting concerts and various other events. Additionally, Prairie Lights is a seasonal attraction that spans a distance of 2 miles and showcases over 500 illuminated displays, adorned with an impressive three million lights.
Traders Village, which claims to be Texas’ biggest flea market, was launched in 1973 along Mayfield Road and State Highway 360. It operates every weekend from 7 A.M. until sunset. In May 2007, the Grand Prairie AirHogs minor league baseball team and their stadium, known as The Ballpark in Grand Prairie, were established in Grand Prairie. The team began playing in May 2008 but unfortunately ceased operations after the conclusion of the 2020 season.
Downtown Grand Prairie’s Uptown Theatre is a renowned establishment that hosts theatrical performances and concerts.
At the 2008 NRPA’s Congress and Exposition in Baltimore, the Parks and Recreation Department of Grand Prairie, Texas was honored with the prestigious Gold Medal Award, the highest recognition given by the National Recreation and Parks Association. Grand Prairie, Texas achieved this award in the population category of 100,000-250,000, and also made it as a finalist for the same award in 2016.
Turner Park, situated close to I-30 and Beltline Rd, was established as Grand Prairie’s inaugural Heritage Park in the 1940s. Presently, it boasts one of the finest Disc Golf courses in North Texas.
Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark, one of the biggest indoor waterparks in Texas, is a unique attraction that opened in January 2018, along with a neighboring recreation center that opened later that same year. According to USA Today, this indoor waterpark is ranked as the third best in the entire nation.
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not / Louis Tussaud’s Palace of Wax
The Texas Super Kings, a professional cricket team, and their home field, Grand Prairie Stadium, were founded in Grand Prairie in May of 2022 and began competing in July of 2023.
The majority of students in Grand Prairie, from kindergarten to twelfth grade, go to schools in the Grand Prairie Independent School District. This district serves parts of Grand Prairie in Dallas County. In Tarrant County, the Mansfield Independent School District serves other areas of Grand Prairie and runs six elementary schools within the city limits. There are also sections of Grand Prairie that fall under the jurisdiction of the Arlington, Cedar Hill, Irving, Mansfield, and Midlothian school districts.
Belt Line Road is a significant road that runs in a north-south direction within the city. The part of the road located south of Main Street is also known as FM 1382, and it extends further south, passing by I-20 and continuing all the way to Cedar Hill. On the other hand, the portion of the road located north of Main Street retains its original name, and it continues northward into Irving.
Prominent individuals in Grand Prairie include Larry D. Alexander, an artist and writer, Rodney Anderson, a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Grand Prairie, Wesley Duke, a professional football player, Selena Gomez, a singer, songwriter, and actress, Ruthe Jackson, a council member, Nets Katz, a 2012 Guggenheim Fellow and Professor of Mathematics at Caltech, Jud Larson, an auto racer, Jennifer McFalls, an Olympic gold medalist and American softball coach, Nikki McKibbin, the third place contestant on season 1 of American Idol (deceased in 2020), Billy Miller, an actor and Daytime Emmy winner for The Young and the Restless, Jeff Okudah, a National Football League cornerback for the Detroit Lions, Hayley Orrantia, an actress and singer who was raised in Grand Prairie, Vergil Ortiz Jr., a professional welterweight boxer, Julie Stepan, a racing driver, Charley Taylor, a professional football player, Eric Vale, a voice actor associated with Funimation, and Kerry Wood, a Major League Baseball pitcher.