Tarrant

Formed January 1, 1849 (80^th county)

Tarrant County (2,110,608), Fort Worth (918,937)

Every large city in the United States should look to Fort Worth for how to preserve the classic courthouse while serving the needs of a large population.  The outstanding red granite courthouse was built in 1895 at Houston and Weatherford streets and enlarged in 1956.  The site is 15 blocks west of Interstate Highway 35 West and 15 blocks north of Interstate Highway 30 as they pass through the city.  Gunn & Curtis designed this Texas Renaissance Revival facility.  A Justice Center built in 1990; a Criminal Courts Building built in 1962; an Administration Building built in 1983; a Family Law Center in 2005; and a Civil Courts Building built in 2015 all augment the courthouse.  Six courthouses have been in Fort Worth since the January 1, 1849 organization of the county, the previous one dating from 1878, although Birdville was designated as the first county seat.  The county was taken from Navarro County as the 80^th county.  Tarrant County is named for General Edward H. Tarrant, military leader and Texas Ranger.  Fort Worth got its name from Mexican War General William Jenkins Worth. 

The area of the county is 864 square miles.  It is 181 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 3 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2442.8 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 254 in the state.  Tarrant County has 97.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 20 crosses east to west from Dallas County to Parker County.  Interstate Highway 30 enters from Dallas County and terminates in the county.  Interstate Highway 35 West goes north to south, Denton County to Johnson County.  United States Highway 81 enters from the northwest (Wise County) and terminates in Tarrant County.  United States Highway 287 crosses diagonally jointly with United States Highway 81 from Wise County (northwest), continues after United States Highway 81 terminates, and goes into Johnson County (southeast.)  United States Highway 377 goes diagonally from the northeast, Denton County, to the southwest, Parker County.  The county is square with the Trinity River and a number of its tributaries crossing through the county.  Fort Worth city limits extend into Denton, Parker, and Wise counties but the heart of the city is in the center of the county.  Fort Worth is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 43.5% of the county population. 

Tarrant County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  Twenty-two District Court Judge and Twenty County Court Judges serve Tarrant County.  Dallas, Texas lies east of the county, which is in the southwest part of the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Metroplex.  The county is in north central Texas.  The county center is in Fort Worth 2.1 miles Northeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Denton, Dallas, Ellis, Johnson, Parker, and Wise counties.  The county is pronounced TAER-RANT.  This county is in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area.