almost two million visitors a year, it is the
second most visited state park in Texas. The
7,500-acre lake provides fishing, water
skiing and sailing opportunities.
Cedar Hill also offers more than 20 other
parks totaling 600-acres and amenities
like a swimming pool; softball, soccer,
and football fields; playgrounds; hike and
bike trails, and a 3,000 outdoor square
feet amphitheater. The new Cedar Hill
Recreation Center offers state-of-the-art
fitness and weight equipment, an indoor
running track, gym, youth center, childcare, kitchen and meeting rooms.
The parks department sponsors numerous
special events including Country Day on the
Hill, Old Town Holiday on the Hill, Fiesta
Hispana, Great North Texas Kite Festival,
Music in the Park, fishing events for children, and sports tournaments. An easy 20-
minute drive to downtown Dallas provides
all the excitement and cultural opportunities
of the West End, Deep Ellum and the Arts
District. Highway 67 also allows easy
access to IH- 20, IH- 35 and IH- 45. The
DFW International Airport is less than 30
minutes away, and Executive Airport is only
10 minutes from Cedar Hill.
COPPELL
Population: 38,910
School Districts: Coppell,
Carrollton/ Farmers Branch,
Grapevine/Colleyville and Lewisville
Chamber of Commerce:
972-393-2829;
www.ci.coppell.tx.us
Median Home Price: $282,500
In 1980, Coppell was just a quiet little
town of 3,826. Now, at more than
39,000 residents and growing, it’s continues to be a desirable place to live while
also maintaining its small-town identity.
Coppell is bordered by and offers easy
access to I-635, I- 35 and Highway 121.
To the southeast is Las Colinas and one of
the fastest suburban commuter routes to
downtown Dallas. To the south is Valley
Ranch with the Dallas Cowboys’ and
Dallas Stars’ training facilities.
The many parks, nearby lakes, quiet tree-lined streets and friendly attitude among
the residents are just a few of the reasons
for Coppell’s continuing development.
Residents here find these North Texas
woods with luxury homes, manicured
yards, and rows of trees a good place to
raise a family. Students living in Coppell
attend school in Coppell Independent
School District, Carrollton/Farmers
Branch Independent School District or
Lewisville School District.
City leaders saw the growth potential
years ago. Rather than succumb to the
temptation of overbuilding, they worked
out a plan for the future and laid the
groundwork for a progressive community
that stresses quality of life. As a result,
one-third of the city was set aside for residential development and, with a nod to
the need for a commercial tax base,
another third was set aside for commercial
use, which is experiencing a flood of
corporate relocations. The final third was
set aside for parks, jogging trails, playgrounds and the Riverchase golf course.
DESOTO
Population: 49,375
School District: DeSoto, Cedar Hill,
Dallas, Duncanville, Lancaster
Chamber of Commerce:
972-224-3565;
www.ci.desoto.tx.us
Median Home Price: $107,000
Scenic and unhurried, DeSoto offers an
attractive “quality of life” package. Located
14 miles south of Dallas off I- 20 and I- 35,
this community is peacefully sheltered from
big city congestion and offers a friendly,
pleasant small town atmosphere.
Sometimes referred to as the Hill Country
of North Texas, the National Civic
League All-American City Award named
DeSoto an All-American City Award
Finalist in 2006. One of the oldest settlements in North Texas, present-day DeSoto
is rich in diversity, with friendly neighborhoods, a great school system, parks,
close-by restaurants and shopping to
serve more than 48,000 residents.
DeSoto boasts beautiful open spaces
throughout the city with a network of parks,
recreational areas, athletic fields and jogging trails. The city also boasts a low crime
rate and has a versatile, highly effective,
community-policing unit that meets with
homeowners, businesses and crime watch
groups to better understand and solve problems affecting its residents.
The Town Center municipal complex is
home to city government, the public
library, civic center, recreation center,
chamber of commerce and visitor information center, and the newly completed
Corner Theater. Thorntree Country Club
offers exclusive family club activities and
golf, and nearby Joe Pool Lake provides a
variety of water-related activities.
A leader in innovative teaching techniques,
the DeSoto Independent School District
offers a broad curriculum that includes
vocational training. Nearby colleges
include Cedar Valley College and
Mountain View College, as well as the
University of Texas at Arlington.
DUNCANVILLE
Population: 38,605
School District: Duncanville
Chamber of Commerce:
972-780-4990;
www.ci. duncanville.tx.us
Median Home Value: $93,000
Accessible from I- 20, Highway 67 and
I- 35, Duncanville is only minutes from
