About the Area 

Plano is a vibrant, popular city of 254,411 approximately 20 miles north of Dallas. This pristine city offers a safe environment, top-notch recreational and cultural opportunities, award-winning schools, a thriving economy, easy access to metro areas and nationally rated parks. Plano is a progressive and culturally diverse city, and an interesting mix of business and family atmosphere. What a great place to live and work and play. 

Location 

Plano is located in Collin County, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area of Texas. Although it is mostly in Collin County, Denton County, just to the west of Collin, contains 3.1 square miles of the city.  

Plano is within the Dallas/Plano/Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington metropolitan area, referred to as the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.  

Geography/Terrain 

Plano has an area of 71.6 square miles, of which 71.5 square miles is land and 0.1 square miles, or 0.08%, is water.  

It sits at an altitude of 674 feet, and has a notably flat terrain. 

Distance to 3 closest major cities 

Plano is located 41 miles east of Fort Worth, 199 miles north of Austin and 238 miles northwest of Houston. It is 174 miles west of Shreveport, Louisiana. 

Jobs 

Plano�s economy is based on manufacturing, research, and development in the fields of information technology and telecommunications. Research and production of oil and natural gas contribute to the prosperity of the area. Publishing and printing, banking, government employment, insurance, real estate and diverse manufacturing offer a wide variety of opportunities. The city has a strong retail, wholesale and service industry base. It has attracted some of the nation�s top Corporate 500 companies and the best small businesses in the region. It is the corporate headquarters for some of the country's largest and most-recognized companies, such as; Electronic Data Systems, JC Penney, Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Frito Lay and Cinemark Theatres. Plano also has a large number of semiconductor and telecommunications companies such as Alcatel, Raytheon and Texas Instruments.
Tourism also contributes to the economy, as Plano is a frequent destination for business travelers, due to its proximity to Dallas, as well as the corporations it is home to.
Plano was ranked the highest income place with a population of 130,000 or more in 2000. Almost 75% of Plano households earn two incomes, drawing a family income of $66,840. Median household income is $ 83,262 and the average per capita income is $32,458. Recent job growth in the city is 2.34% and the unemployment level is 4.3%. The average time to travel to work in Plano is 27.5 minutes. 

Housing 

Plano has a delightful variety of housing, from pristine waterfront properties to horse and cattle estates. Housing in Plano is luxurious and well priced, and there is a good supply of beautiful homes available in the over $500,000 price range. 

Right now there is a rather low inventory of homes for sale, and little land left to build single-family homes. There are some new townhouses and condos being developed as well as a new "Over 55 Community�. 

The average selling price for a single-family home is $253,970, and homes are staying on the market for an average of 54 days.  

Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf 

Plano�s Parks and Recreation Department is a three-time recipient of the national Gold Medal for Excellence and the first city in Collin County to develop its neighborhood around parks. The city has 80 park sites encompassing approximately 3,008 acres of beautiful land and 40 miles of trails. Outstanding recreational programs provide activities for all ages, with facilities including five swimming pools, skating rinks, a tennis center, a bowling alley, 6 recreational facilities and an 86,400 square foot convention center. Lake Lavon is just east of Plano, a perfect site for fishing, boating, camping and water sports. 

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve encompasses 200 acres of natural beauty for outdoor activities such as jogging, hiking, and orienteering. Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve is Plano's largest park, covering 800 acres along Rowlett Creek. Equipped with permanent sound and light systems and an entertainment roof structure, it provides a natural setting for music and performing arts. Connemara Conservancy is a 700-acre area of open land for running, walking and relaxing.  

For golf enthusiasts, Plano offers several top-notch courses. Chase Oaks is a public course with an outstanding regulation eighteen-hole layout and a challenging nine-hole layout. In 1994, the "Dallas Morning News" rated Chase Oaks� eighteen-hole course top in the State by for overall playability. The other courses in Plano include Gleneagle Country Club, a 36-hole private course; Los Rios Country Club, a semi-private 18-hole course; and two public courses, Pecan Hollow and Ridgeview Ranch. 

Special Attractions/Events 

Plano has no shortage of cultural opportunities. The Art Center of Plano is a renovated historic downtown building where you can catch a play or enjoy a vocal performance in the ArtCentre Theatre, which houses the Plano Repertory. You can browse through the art galleries for displays of local artists and national shows. For historical enjoyment, visit Fairview Farms Marketplace, a unique development that takes you back farm life years ago. Or Heritage Farmstead, a four-acre museum, which preserves a way of life lived during the height of farm prosperity in the early 1900's. The Interurban Railway Museum brings transportation history back to life. 

The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary is a 289-acre outdoor preserve and nature museum located 5 miles north of Plano in McKinney.
An enjoyable hangout for older kids is the 6,000 square foot Whirly Ball/Laser World Center. 

Plano also has a large convention center, which hosts arts and craft shows, as well as vacation, leisure and trade shows. 

Plano is locally famous for its annual Hot Air Balloon Festival held in late September, and the Blackland Prairie Festival is celebrated in April.  

For shopping Plano has Collin Creek and The Shops at Willow Bend Malls, as well as 60 retail centers dispersed throughout the city. The city boasts three luxurious country clubs, Gleneagles, Prestonwood and Los Rios. Plano is known for its great entertainment and tasty restaurants. Movie theaters include the Angelika Film Center, a stylish boutique cinema devoted to independent films. 

Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places 

The first permanent settlers arrived in Plano in 1846. A post office was established in 1850. The name "Plano" was given to the post office by Dr. Henry Dye, who believed the word was Spanish for "plain".  

The city was incorporated in 1873. In 1881 a fire raged through the central business district and destroyed 51 buildings. However, the town rebuilt itself and flourished in the following years. The arrival of the railroad brought prosperity as the town became a trade center for the surrounding agricultural community. Dramatic growth occurred after World War II. In 1952 there were 2,126 residents, in 1970 there were17,872, and in 1980 there were 72,331. During the 1980�s several large corporations moved their headquarters to Plano, including JC Penney and Frito-Lay. The city continued to grow as more people desired to live closer to where they worked. By 1990, the population had reached 128,713, and by 2000, the population was 222,030, making Plano one of the largest suburbs in the Dallas area.
In 2002, Ladies' Home Journal rated Plano No. 9 on the "Best Cities for Women" list for small cities, and Money Magazine designated Plano America's hottest town in the West in March 2005. The North Texas Clean Air Coalition recognized the city as one of the "2005 best Workplaces for Commuters", and in 2004, CNN Money gave Plano first place for cities to live in the Western United States.
Plano was the filming location for TV series, "Dallas".
Well-known residents have included: Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France winner; L Sprague de Camp, science fiction writer; Stephen Katz, television and film writer; Scott Mechlowicz, Eurotrip star; H. Ross Perot, businessman and presidential candidate; and Alan Tudyk, actor.
Plano East Senior High has been given �The Best School in Texas� award by Redbook magazine almost every year since 1993. Plano Senior High has received recognition for giving more advanced placement exams than any other school in the county. Twenty-two Plano schools have been awarded the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence honor, given by the U.S. Department of Education. School Match, a national research firm, has chosen Plano ISD for many consecutive years for the "What Parents Want Award."