53-651: Little Elm is a city in Denton County, Texas , United States, and a part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . It is an extended suburb of Denton ; its population was 46,453 as of the 2020 census. In 2000, the census population was at 3,646. By the 2010 census, the city total had jumped to 25,898, making Little Elm one of the fastest-growing municipalities by percentage in Texas since 2000. The July 1, 2022 census estimates Little Elm's population as 55,357. Little Elm
106-587: A North Texas Tollway Authority project, was opened to the public on August 1, 2009. The authority also completed the Dallas North Tollway Extension Phase III in September 2007. Little Elm is not currently served by any public transportation, and it does not border any municipality that has DART service. There is no bus, light rail, or regional rail public transportation. The closest and northernmost Green Line station
159-642: A considerably smaller margin than in 2016. These school districts lie entirely within Denton County: These school districts lie partly within Denton County: These private educational institutions serve Denton County: From around 1997 to 2015, the number of non-Hispanic white children in K-12 schools in the county increased by 20,000 as part of a trend of white flight and suburbanization by non-Hispanic white families. According to
212-445: A curve a bit more and goes northeast. Once it intersects with Hart Rd. Upon intersection, it heads east, and as it goes around Villages of Woodlake (Little Elm community), it curves northeast. While headed northeast, FM 720 splits off and becomes Little Elm Parkway, and Eldorado continues said direction until intersecting with Walker Lane. Once it reaches that street, it continues east and past FM 423 it stays east heading into Frisco and
265-593: A number of extraterritorial jurisdictions that also vote in municipal elections. In June 2021, Little Elm elected its first African American mayor, Curtis Cornelious , who previously served two and a half terms on town council as the at-large council member before resigning to run for mayor. After the 2021 state and federal redistricting, the town of Little Elm is located almost wholly within Texas State House of Representatives district 57 , with tiny portions in district 106 . Likewise, most of Little Elm
318-464: A seating capacity of 7,500 with great wheelchair accessibility, a newly renovated video board at the north endzone, and a three level state-of-the-art press box. Although the intent is to keep the community a one-high-school town, two new middle schools opened for the 2020-2021 school year. Most of the city in LEISD goes to Walker Middle School, while small portions go to Strike Middle School. A portion of
371-405: Is North Carrollton/Frankford station and is just under 19 miles by car from Little Elm City Hall. The closest and northernmost Red and Orange Line station is Parker Road station and is 24 miles by car from City Hall. Alternatively, the closest DCTA station is Highland Village station and is just over 12 miles by car from City Hall. The DCTA A-train connects at Trinity Mills station along
424-411: Is currently represented by Richard Hayes , who was first elected in 2022. The district includes all of Little Elm , Corinth , Lake Dallas , Argyle , and Ponder . District 57 contains a portion of major highway I-35 , while US 380 acts as a northern boundary. The Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge connects the smaller eastern part of the district, to the much larger western part of the district on
477-479: Is home to Cottonwood Creek Marina. Beard Park is the future home of Little Elm's Farmers Market, which in 2013 was set up in the Hobby Lobby shopping center. McCord Park is a wooded, 38-acre park including trails, a disc golf course, a fishing dock, and a playground. The disc golf course was designed by John Houck , a world-renowned disc golf course designer. Through creative planning and zoning, McCord Park
530-741: Is in Little Elm . See FM 423 , FM 720 , DNT , and US 380 The vast majority of Little Elm's residents reside in single family homes, usually in master-planned subdivisions built between the late 1990s and late 2010s. Because central Little Elm is surrounded on three sides by Lake Lewisville, apartments and townhomes have begun establishing themselves in the town's core as the need for denser, walkable housing has become more apparent. In The Lakefront district alone, there are more than 550 apartment units within walking distance to multiple restaurants, shops, and entertainment options, per Apartments.com analysis. Denton County, Texas Denton County
583-526: Is in Little Elm . This street is an east-west road that connects the High School to the rest of town and Eldorado Parkway. It is entirely within Little Elm. It begins at Eldorado Pkwy, and continues west towards Eldorado West. It slights north and continues west right after. After passing by LEHS, it stays west until approaching Hart Road, when it goes northwest as Stardust Trail.The entire route
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#1732773369283636-649: Is in Texas State Senate district 12 , with some small portions in district 30 . Following the 2021 state and federal redistricting, the town of Little Elm is located entirely within United States Congressional district 26 . Three school districts primarily serve Little Elm: Little Elm ISD , Frisco ISD , and Denton ISD . Generally, the U.S. 380 corridor is served by Denton ISD, the FM 423 corridor and east Little Elm by Frisco ISD, and
689-472: Is located in the U.S. state of Texas . As of the 2020 census , its population was 906,422, making it the seventh-most populous county in Texas. The county seat is Denton . The county, which was named for John B. Denton , was established in 1846. Denton County constitutes part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . In 2007, it was one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. Before
742-636: Is located in the northern part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , about 35 miles south of the border between Texas and Oklahoma . It is drained by two forks of the Trinity River . The largest body of water in Denton County is Lewisville Lake , which was formed in 1954 when the Garza– Little Elm Reservoir was merged with Lake Dallas. The county is on the western edge of the eastern Cross Timbers and also encompasses parts of
795-411: Is reliably Republican in statewide and national elections, although becoming less so since the 2018 election , when Beto O'Rourke earned 45.52% of the county's votes and two Democrats were elected. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win the county was native Texan Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 , the only time since 1952 that the county has been carried by a Democrat. Denton swung rapidly into
848-510: The 2020 census , its population increased to 906,422, representing continued population growth among suburban communities outside of the principal metropolitan cities of Dallas and Fort Worth . Denton County ranked 29th on the U.S. Census Bureau's list of fastest-growing counties between 2000 and 2007, with a 41.4% increase in population. In 2010, the racial makeup of the county was 75% White, 8.4% African American, 0.7% Native American, 6.6% Asian, and 3.0% from two or more races. About 18.2% of
901-640: The Democratic Party in more recent elections. Little Elm became a home rule municipality in 2001. It has a council-manager form of government. The town council consists of a mayor and five city council members, one of whom is elected at-large . The city holds annual municipal elections in March, and run-off elections when necessary in June. Terms for both the offices of the mayor and council are three years, with term limits of three years. The city has
954-524: The 18th-safest in the nation for cities with a population of 25,000 or higher. In 2016, Little Elm was ranked the 13th safest by the FBI in the state of Texas for towns with a population of 10,000 or higher. Little Elm has five major community parks: Little Elm Park, Cottonwood Park, Beard Park, McCord Park, and Union Park. Cottonwood Park, located in the Lakefront district at the southern terminus of Lobo Lane,
1007-649: The American Planning Association honored Little Elm with its Certificate of Achievement for Planning Excellence award for 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. In 2013, the Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council presented Little Elm with its Bronze Leaf Award for its commitment to urban forestry initiatives. In 2013, Little Elm was named the safest city in Texas by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and
1060-476: The City of Denton , the county seat of Denton County . According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it has a total area of 18.6 square miles (48.3 km), of which 14.6 square miles (37.7 km) is land and 4.1 square miles (10.5 km), or 21.83%, is covered by water. Little Elm has an average elevation of 545 feet above sea level. Little Elm has a humid subtropical climate typical for Northeast Texas. Note:
1113-497: The DART Green Line with a 30 minute service interval, reduced Saturday service, and no Sunday service. The A train does not have service after 10:30 pm on weekdays. Alternatively known as the "main street" of Little Elm, this six-lane thoroughfare passes through the center of town and provides connections to Lake Dallas, Lakewood Village, Denton, Frisco, Plano, and McKinney. It also runs as different farm to market roads, and
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#17327733692831166-564: The DNT. The entire route is in Little Elm . This street is primarily a north-south thoroughfare which primarily runs through Little Elm, that also provides access to Frisco via the south side of Witt, and Panther Creek Pkwy which runs after the end of Woodlake. Along with Frisco, it also provides a way of transfer for those in Hackberry, along with McKinney if the City of Frisco expands it to SH 289. It begins at FM 423 as Woodlake Parkway, and
1219-708: The Denton County Sheriff's Office, most in the Detention Bureau. The office operates a county jail that houses up to 1,400 prisoners. The office is co-located with the jail at 127 North Woodrow Lane in the city of Denton. As of 2021, the current sheriff is Tracy Murphree, who was first elected in 2016. That election was particularly contentious, with previous sheriff William B. Travis dogged by scandal, and new candidate Murphree making headlines for threatening violence against transgender people. Denton County, like most suburban counties in Texas,
1272-693: The Grand Prairie portion of the Texas blackland prairies . Portions of Denton County sit atop the Barnett Shale , a geological formation believed to contain large quantities of natural shale gas . Between 1995 and 2007, the number of natural gas wells in the county increased from 156 to 1,820, which has led to some controversy over the pollution associated with hydraulic fracturing . American Community Survey 2023 Data The United States Census Bureau estimated that in 2023, Denton County’s population
1325-624: The LLTB. It starts off in Lake Dallas as the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge coming in from Swisher, and bears northeastward through Lewisville Lake. Upon reaching land, it curves north and continues upon that direction. After approaching a middle school, it starts curving again as it enters Oak Grove, as it becomes FM 720 . It continues as it curves and then heads southeast into the lake again in another chunk of land. It does
1378-489: The Lakefront district. It also offers a critical connection point into Frisco's trail system, which is part of a regional master trail system, one day ensuring that Little Elm residents could continually travel to Dallas via trail without interruption. Little Elm has access to the rest of the DFW metroplex via several regionally significant thoroughfares. The Dallas North Tollway is a 5-minute drive east of Little Elm, which opens up
1431-535: The Republican column at the federal level in the 1950s and 1960s as Dallas and Fort Worth's suburbs spilled into the county. In 2018, former State Representative Michelle Beckley became the first Democrat elected to the state legislature from Denton County since 1984. Her district at the time, the former 65th , was located entirely within Denton County, and included significant portions of Carrollton , Highland Village and Lewisville . Beckley stepped down from
1484-923: The Texas Education Code, most of Denton County is assigned to North Central Texas College for community college . However, portions within Celina ISD, Prosper ISD, and the municipalities of Frisco and The Colony are instead assigned to Collin College (formerly Collin County Community College), and portions zoned to Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD are assigned to Dallas College (formerly Dallas County Community College District). These four year higher-education institutions serve Denton County: The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) operates fixed-route bus services, on-demand GoZone service, and ACCESS paratransit service in
1537-489: The U.S. 380 corridor. The U.S. 380 corridor is in the northern part of Little Elm and provides an invaluable regional connection between two of the four county seats of the Metroplex (McKinney and Denton). As of late 2021, TxDOT is planning to expand US 380 to a six-lane divided roadway with grade separations at specific intersections, and is currently at a 95% design phase. Other changes include continuous illumination along
1590-564: The US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. Little Elm's Census population, as of April 1, 2020, was 46,453. Little Elm's build-out population is anticipated to be about 90,000. Historically a Republican-voting town, it has become more competitive in statewide and national elections as its population has diversified and grown in size, shifting toward
1643-549: The area near Eldorado and Main Street, and multiple middle to upper income apartment developments have been completed or are in planning/construction phases. This has created a localized densification effect in a desirable area of the city, a city which is otherwise known for its sprawl and single family zoning patterns. The Arbor Day Foundation designated Little Elm a Tree City USA community for its commitment to urban forestry for three straight years (2011–2013). The Texas Chapter of
Little Elm, Texas - Misplaced Pages Continue
1696-648: The arrival of settlers, various Native American peoples, including the Kichai and the Lenape , infrequently populated the area. The area was settled by Peters Colony landowners in the early 1840s. Until the annexation of Texas , the area was considered part of Fannin County . On April 11, 1846, the First Texas Legislature established Denton County. The county was named for John B. Denton, who
1749-568: The city is within the Frisco Independent School District. Robertson Elementary, which is in Little Elm, along with Stafford Middle School serve part of Sunset Pointe and Frisco Ranch; with other schools outside the city also serving small portions of the area. Lone Star High School also serves most of the city that is under Frisco ISD. During the summer of 2016, Denton ISD completed construction on its fourth comprehensive high school, Braswell High School , located at
1802-466: The city's boundaries. While Little Elm is often referred to as a " bedroom community ", five companies/entities in the city employ over 100 people, per the Little Elm EDC – Little Elm ISD (853), The Town of Little Elm (311), Kroger (191), Lowe's Home Center (178), and Retractable Technologies (146). The 2019 Retail Trade population was 203,560. The unemployment rate in Little Elm, pre- Covid-19 ,
1855-440: The corridor with the goal to improve nighttime visibility and safety. The primary goal of this project is to simultaneously improve through-traffic from Denton to McKinney (and vice versa) and to provide easier, safer accessibility to businesses and housing developments on either side of the 380 corridor. As of Feb 1, 2022, the plan is currently on a temporary hold due to budget changes from TxDOT. The Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge ,
1908-542: The county that includes Denton, Lewisville, and Highland Village. SPAN Transit covers areas outside of Denton and Lewisville. DCTA also operates the A-train , a commuter rail service that runs from Denton to Carrollton, at which station passengers can switch to the Green Line train owned and operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Passengers can transfer to other DART lines (denominated by different colors) at
1961-529: The county. Denton County, like all counties in Texas, is governed by a commissioner's court , which consists of the county judge (the chairperson of the court), who is elected county-wide, and four commissioners who are elected by the voters in each of four districts. Justices of the peace are county officials with jurisdiction over landlord/tenant issues, small civil claims, certain misdemeanors involving fines only (no jail time), and other matters. The Denton Sheriff's Office employs more than 600 people, for
2014-745: The downtown Dallas DART station. The county is home to the Denton Municipal Airport and the Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke . Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is located a few miles south of the county. 33°12′N 97°07′W / 33.20°N 97.12°W / 33.20; -97.12 Texas%27s 57th House of Representatives district The Texas House of Representatives 57th district represents central and southern portions of Denton County , ranging from west to east. The district
2067-402: The east, The Colony and Hackberry to the south, Prosper , Aubrey , Savannah , and Providence to the north, and Oak Point , Cross Roads , Hickory Creek , Lake Dallas , and Lakewood Village to the west. The city is about 33 miles north of the City of Dallas , 53 miles north of the City of Fort Worth , 23 miles north of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , and 20 miles east of
2120-734: The greater north Dallas region to residents, including several large employment and shopping hubs. DFW Airport is about 30 minutes away by car, and Love Field is about 35 minutes by car. Eldorado Parkway, a six-lane E/W thoroughfare through most of Little Elm, functions as the city's main street. Eldorado provides a critical connection to the region by linking U.S. 75 and I-35E, including the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge. FM 423 serves as Little Elm's eastern boundary, although it crosses east of FM 423 in several places. This six-lane thoroughfare connects SH 121 in The Colony to
2173-522: The population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. The 2020 census determined the racial and ethnic makeup was 53.58% non-Hispanic white, 10.52% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 10.23% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.43% some other race, 4.60% multiracial, and 20.16% Hispanic or Latino American of any race, reflecting state and national demographic trends of greater diversification. A Williams Institute analysis of 2010 census data found about 5.2 same-sex couples per 1,000 households in
Little Elm, Texas - Misplaced Pages Continue
2226-421: The rest of Little Elm by Little Elm ISD. A small portion of land in city boundaries is also served by Aubrey ISD . The Little Elm Independent School District serves most of the original parts of Little Elm. Little Elm ISD is one of the fastest-growing in Denton County. The school district finished building its athletic stadium in 2006 located at the intersection of Hart Road and Eldorado Parkway. The stadium has
2279-552: The seat in 2022 to run for Lieutenant Governor , and ultimately it was won back by the Republican nominee. Also in 2018, Christopher Lopez was elected to Justice of the Peace, Precinct 6, and became the first Democrat elected at the county level since 2004; Lopez held the JP6 position until a Republican challenger unseated him in 2022. Despite a Republican advantage, Denton County has trended leftward, as Joe Biden managed to win 45.2% of
2332-427: The southeast corner of Navo Road and U.S. 380, to serve the fast-growing University Drive corridor, which is part of Little Elm. Along with Braswell, other Denton schools serve the northern area of the city. Navo Middle School and Union Park Elementary are located in the city; while Bell Elementary, Paloma Creek Elementary, Providence Elementary, and Rodriguez Middle School serve portions of Little Elm despite being out of
2385-429: The southern portion of the county, by the early 1880s. The Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square was built in 1896, and currently houses various government offices, as well as a museum. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 953 square miles (2,470 km ), of which 878 square miles (2,270 km ) are land and 75 square miles (190 km ) (7.8%) are covered by water. Denton County
2438-538: The street before that is Panther Creek Pkwy in Frisco. It begins westward, but almost immediately starts curving through the Sunset Point neighborhood. Once finished, it intersects with Walker Ln and continues south. It continues as so for most of the route with some slight curves here and there. South of Eldorado is known as Witt Road. Once reaching Old Witt Rd, it exits Little Elm and enters Frisco. The entire route
2491-519: The town came in 1970, which recorded 363 persons. On the second of March 2023, a very powerful storm came through north Texas. It caused damages across the area but most notably, a supermarket's facade was completely torn off, covering several automobiles parked in the parking lot. Little Elm is generally located along the northern and eastern shores of Lewisville Lake at the crossroads of Eldorado Parkway, FM 720 , and FM 423 , and includes stretches of U.S. Highway 380. Its neighbors include Frisco to
2544-471: The vote share (compared to Donald Trump 's 53.3%) in the 2020 presidential election, the best result for a Democrat since 1976. Many other suburban Texas counties, including its immediate neighbors in Collin and Tarrant Counties, as well as those around Houston and Austin , showed similar swings between 2016 and 2020. However, in 2024 many of these swung back toward Trump, though Trump carried Denton County by
2597-425: Was 1,007,703. It was also estimated that the county was 20.5% Hispanic or Latino, 52.9% NH White, 11.8% NH Black, 11.9% NH Asian, 0.4% NH Native American, 0.1% NH Pacific Islander, 2.4% NH Multiracial. According to the 2010 United States census , there were 662,614 people, 224,840 households and 256,139 housing units in the county. The population density was 754.3 people per square mile (291.2 people/km ). By
2650-424: Was 3.7%. Little Elm residents work in a variety of sectors, including retail trade (13.9%), finance/insurance (11.6%), professional/scientific/technical services (10.8%), construction (8.6%), and educational services (8.5%). The original downtown area of Little Elm, commonly known as "The Lakefront", has seen much investment in recent years. Multiple restaurants and entertainment options have established themselves in
2703-435: Was donated to the city and constructed by the developers of the luxury multifamily projects adjacent to it. The total value of the land and park improvements was estimated to be over $ 5 million, all of which was paid for by the developer. Vital to the city's master hike and bike trail plan, McCord Park provides an invaluable link from FM 423 to Veteran's Memorial Bridge on Witt Road and eventually westward along Lewisville Lake to
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#17327733692832756-456: Was established along Lewisville Lake by C.C. "Kit" King, son of John and Delilah King, in 1844. King named the community after the creek banks where it was located. King helped organize mail service for the area and in 1852 was named the postmaster of Denton County 's first post office. The population was very low throughout the first half of the 20th century, but in 1966 the community was able to officially incorporate. The first official census for
2809-698: Was killed while raiding a Native American village in Tarrant County in 1841. Originally, the county seat was set at Pinckneyville. This was later changed to Alton , where the Old Alton Bridge currently stands, and then moved finally to Denton. By 1860, the population of the county had increased to 5,031. On March 4, 1861, residents of the county narrowly voted for secession from the Union , with 331 votes cast for and 264 against. The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad reached Lewisville , located in
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