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City Profile

LOCATION AND HISTORY

Fort Worth, incorporated in 1873, is a political subdivision and municipal corporation of the State of Texas, located
in Tarrant, Denton, Parker, Wise, and Johnson Counties. The City covers approximately 358 square miles and serves
a population of 935,370. Situated on the Trinity River, Fort Worth is approximately 75 miles south of the Oklahoma
state line and 270 miles northwest of the Gulf of Mexico. The city is a cultural gateway into the American West.

Fort Worth was established as a frontier army post in 1849 by Major Ripley Arnold and named after General
William Jenkins Worth, who distinguished himself in the War with Mexico. The outpost became a stopping place
on the famous Old Chisholm Trail and a shipping point for the great herds of Longhorn cattle being driven to
northern markets. Progressive city leadership brought the first of nine railroads to Fort Worth in 1876 and with
the subsequent West Texas oil boom, guided the city into a metropolitan county of more than 2.1 million people.
Fort Worth’s economy has always been associated with cattle, oil, finance, and manufacturing. Since World War
II, Fort Worth has also become an aerospace, education, high-tech, transportation, and an industry service center.
For the third time in nearly half a century, Fort Worth was named one of the National Civic League’s All-American
Cities in 2011. Fort Worth also won the award in 1964 and 1993.

GOVERNMENT

Fort Worth operates under the Council-Manager form of municipal government. A mayor voted in by an at-large
popular vote and an eight-member, single-district council is elected to two-year terms. In turn, the Mayor and City
Council appoint the city manager who is the chief administrative and executive officer. The City Council is also
responsible for the appointment of the city attorney, municipal judges, city secretary, and the city auditor.

AREA AND POPULATION
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2011 Census population count for Fort Worth was 764,124 and the official
Census count as of April 1, 2021 for Fort Worth is 935,370. From 2011 to 2021, Fort Worth’s total population
increased by 171,246 persons, equating to a 22% growth over that period. This represents an average annual growth
rate of 2.12% per year. Due to this substantial growth, Fort Worth is now ranked as the 13 largest city in the
th
country, up from 15 largest in 2010. The following chart shows Fort Worth’s population growth over the last
th
decade.

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