If you’re visiting the Dallas area, it’s worth making a stop in Carrollton.
With amazing restaurants, clean neighborhoods, famous restaurants, and more, this historic town will give you the inside scoop on what Northeast Texas is all about!
What is the city known for?
Carrollton is a well-known suburb of Dallas that is 37 square miles.
It’s a popular place for families to settle down after living in the city and has a wonderful historic downtown.
It also has a series of well-earned accolades:
In 2006 it was included in America’s Top 100 Places to Live by Relocate America.
That same year, it was chosen as the 19th best place to live in the United States by Money magazine.
In 2008, Money magazine chose it as the 15th best place to live out of all American small cities.
Where exactly is Carrollton, Texas? What cities is it close to?
Carrollton is in the Northeastern part of Texas. It resides in three different counties: Dallas, Denton, and Collin.
The five towns and cities Carrollton is closest to are:
Addison (16,000)
Coppell (41,000)
Irving (240,000)
Double Oak (3,000)
Copper Canyon (1,500)
How far is it from Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, and Austin?
These cities are all relatively close to Carrollton, considering how large Texas is.
Here are the fastest routes to get to each city from Carrollton:
Fort Worth: 34 minutes via TX-183 W
Dallas: 22 minutes via I-35E S
Houston: 3 hours and 40 minutes via I-45 S
Austin: 3 hours and 15 minutes via I-35 S
History
The area was first settled in 1842. It stayed as an agricultural area for a long time, but after the Dallas-Wichita Railroad was built in 1878, it started to transform into a more industrial city.
By 1885, Carrollton had 150 people living there with a school, two churches, cotton gins, and flour mills.
Carrollton was officially incorporated in 1913. By the 1940s it was considered a “grain and gravel” town.
Post- World War II, the population kept growing and growing. By 2010, almost 120,000 people lived there.
Now it has a bustling downtown and is one of the greatest cities to visit or live in Texas!
What is the weather like?
Here are the average lows and highs of Carrollton, organized by season.
Winter: 42-61 degrees F
Spring: 70-88 degrees F
Summer: 71-93 degrees F
Fall: 45-62 degrees F
Is Carrollton, Texas Safe To Visit?
Statistically speaking, Carrollton is a very safe place to visit. In 2020, Carrollton had a violent crime rate of 118.41 per 100,000 people and is one of the lowest crime rates in all of Texas for a city of its size.
Carrollton’s violent crime rate is on par with cities like Irvine, Plano and Virgina Beach.
Carrollton, Texas Crime Stats
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2020 compared to 2019:
In 2020 Carrollton reported 158 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 118.41 per 100,000 people.
The national average for violent crime is 398.5 per 100,000 residents. Carrollton’s violent crime rate is 70% less than the national average.
Carrollton’s violent crime rate is 73% less than the state average.
Year over year violent crime has increased by 26%.
Here’s a map showing you how violent crime has trended in Carrollton over a 30 year period.
Violent crime peaked in 1997 when there were 417 violent crimes reported and the city had a violent crime rate of roughly 409.04 per 100,000 people.
Violent crime has decreased 62% from it’s 30-year high in 1997.
*Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults and the violent crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Carrollton’s Property Crime Stats
In 2020 Carrollton reported 1,755 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 1,315.26 per 100,000 people.
The national average for property crime is 1958.2 per 100,000 residents. Carrollton’s property crime rate is roughly 33% less than the national average.
Carrollton’s property crime rate is 41% less than the state average.
Year over year property crime in Carrollton has increased by 29%.
Carrollton has a similar property crime rate to Chula Vista, Santa Clara and Gilbert.
Here’s a map showing you how property crime has trended in Carrollton over a 17 year period.
Property crime peaked in 1991 when there were 5,401 property crimes reported and the city had a property crime rate of roughly 6,354.12 per 100,000 people.
Property crime has decreased over 68% from it’s 30 year high in 1991.
*Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson and property crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Carrollton’s Murder Stats
In 2020, Carrollton reported 4 homicide and had a homicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people.
In 2019 Carrolton reported 1 homicides. Year over year murder has increased by 300%.
Carrollton’s murder rate is 54% less than the national average.
Carrollton’s murder rate is 55% less than the state average.
Carrollton has a similar homicide rate to cities like San Jose, Garland and Irving.
Carrollton vs Other Texas Cities
Here’s a graph showing you the violent crime rates of the 13 most populous cities in Texas. Carrollton’s violent crime rate had the lowest rate of all the cities.
Carrollton vs The Most Dangerous Cities in the United States
Here’s a list of the top 18 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Carrollton’s violent crime rate is 20x less than Memphis, the most dangerous city on the list.
Each business has a hometown atmosphere, with a wide range of restaurants, services, and shops to choose from.
The American Legion Post 597 is also located here, bringing a feel of patriotism to the area.
The Old Downtown Carrollton Association (ODCA) works with the City of Carrollton to preserve its history and old buildings.
ODCA Address: 1110 W. Main, Carrollton TX
2. A. W. Perry Homestead Museum
This homestead museum offers insight into what life was like in Northeast Texas at the turn of the 20th century.
The museum was built in 1909 and restored in 1976. The foundation stones of the first farmhouse on the land can still be found in the museum’s backyard.
The museum offers tours, traveling trunks to local schools, birthday parties, and virtual tours. There are also opportunities to volunteer.
1509 N. Perry Road, Carrollton TX
3. Carrollton Nob Hill Greenbelt: Blue Trail
The Carrollton Nob Hill Greenbelt: Blue Trail is a heavily trafficked out and back trail that is nearly 8 miles long. It has gorgeous wildflowers and is a great trail no matter what your skill level is.
The trail is mostly used for road biking, bird watching, running, and walking. Dogs are allowed as long as they’re kept on a leash.
The Rainforest section of this aquatic complex has a zero-depth entry pool, two platform levels, spray bars, bubblers, water cannons, water slides, and a 200 foot lazy river.
The Main Pool section is newly remodeled and has a shaded toddler splash pool, a 25-meter lap pool with eight lanes, two 22 foot water slides, and more.
On weekdays, resident entry is $5 and non resident entry is $9. On the weekends, resident entry is $6 and non resident entry is $10.
You can also get season passes, either individual or family.
1334 E Rosemeade Parkway, Carrollton TX
5. Nickel Mania
Nickel Mania is a nickel-operated arcade located in Carrollton with over 125 modern and classic video games to play.
They pride themselves on giving customers more entertainment per dollar since they are based on nickels instead of quarters. They’ll give you cups of nickels when you bring in money- for example, 100 nickels for $5.
They also offer birthday parties, youth group specials, daycare field trips, school field trips, and sports group specials.
Blooms Candy & Soda Pop Shop is a must-visit when passing through Carrollton. They have over 400 retro sodas in stock and love supplying the community with nostalgic candies like bubble gum cigarettes.
Some sodas are really hard to find because certain manufacturers only sell their sodas to local regions and never pass state lines. This shop finds the best sodas available- going as far as a years-long hunt for Grapette glass bottled soda.
Stop by for some soda and treats that will bring you back to childhood!
At first glance, mac & cheese sounds simple. But their mac & cheese includes:
Fontina cream
Provolone
Mozzarella
Parsley
Crispy garlic breadcrumb
The option to add bacon marmalade and white truffle oil
Cane Rosso is the brainchild of owner Jay Jerrier, who fell in love with Italian food when visiting Italy in 1995 for his honeymoon.
When he returned to Texas, he started training with Master Pizzaiolos. After extensive training, he opened Cane Rosso.
1301 S. Broadway, Carrollton, TX
2. Twisted Root Burger Co.
This incredible burger joint is featured on Trips to Discover, and for good reason. They also appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri in 2009.
They describe themselves as “a flip flop and baseball cap burger joint where the locals know the only thing we take seriously is our food!”
They started cooking gourmet burgers before the industry’s boom with half-pound, fresh ground burgers and a list of impressive toppings. They make their own condiments and pickles, all toppings are made in house, and they source local buns.
If you’re looking for the best burger of your life and want to eat like a local, look no further!
This superb restaurant opened up almost two decades ago, and has been going strong ever since.
You can find traditional Southern favorites here like fried chicken, chicken fried steak, biscuits, and pineapple upside down cake.
The wait staff is wonderful, the owner often makes his rounds to say hi, the food comes quickly (without sacrificing quality!) and the portions are huge.
For a true Southern meal, stop at Babe’s Chicken Dinner House.
1006 W Main St, Carrollton, TX
4. Cuban Dulceria
Sisters Sara and Rita continue the tradition of Cuban Dulceria, which was founded over 30 years ago by their parents.
They are a boutique bakery that also serves Cuban delicacies like authentic Cuban sandwiches, made with their famous Cuban bread that they press to perfection.
They’ve made it onto many magazine’s “best of” lists, most notably in the Observer as one of the 100 Favorite Dishes of Dallas.
They have over 25 years of experience, using only the freshest ingredients and best Mexican recipes.
Their tortillas are homemade and their menu has everything ranging from traditional tacos to house specialties.
For true Tex-Mex, this is the place to be.
2810 E Trinity Mills Rd #197, Carrollton, TX
The Maverick
The Maverick had to make its way onto our list as the favorite local bar.
Open daily from 11am-2am, they offer burgers, sports, music, and drinks. Their honorable mentions include their bacon wrapped jalapenos and their chicken wings.
They have events almost every night with treasured weekly recurrences like karaoke and Pub Poll.
With a 200-inch TV screen, 30 other TVs throughout the bar, poker, billiards, darts, ping-pong, and more, you’ll never have a bad time at The Maverick.
1616 W Hebron Pkwy, Carrollton, TX
What do residents think about Carrollton?
Carrollton is a safe place to live with lots of different neighborhoods to choose from. Over the past decade it has gone from a standard city to a fantastic place to live and visit.
Although Carrollton itself doesn’t have a large nightlife, the close proximity to Dallas more than makes up for that.
Its location allows for day trips to other large cities, which keeps residents happy when they want to take a little vacation.
The many cultures that make up Corrollton result in a diverse population and all different kinds of cuisine. Carrollton is a very open and accepting city.
Final Thoughts
If you’re passing through Northeast Texas, Carrollton is a must-see.
The people who live there are chock-full of Southern hospitality and you’ll feel right at home no matter where you’re from. Walk into any establishment and you’ll be greeted like family.
Be careful stopping by, though- you might want to move in!
Quick Facts About Carrollton, Texas
Fact
Carrollton city, Texas
United States
Population, Census, April 1, 2020
133,434
331,449,281
Population, Census, April 1, 2010
119,097
308,745,538
Persons under 5 years, percent
6.0%
6.0%
Persons under 18 years, percent
22.6%
22.3%
Persons 65 years and over, percent
11.2%
16.5%
Female persons, percent
51.4%
50.8%
Black or African American alone, percent
10.1%
13.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent
0.4%
1.3%
Asian alone, percent
15.1%
5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent
0.1%
0.2%
Two or More Races, percent
2.6%
2.8%
Hispanic or Latino, percent
32.7%
18.5%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent
40.1%
60.1%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2015-2019
27.7%
13.6%
Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2015-2019
59.3%
64.0%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019
$238,300.00
$217,500.00
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2015-2019
$1,785.00
$1,595.00
Median gross rent, 2015-2019
$1,236.00
$1,062.00
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019
87.1%
88.0%
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019
39.2%
32.1%
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019
72.9%
63.0%
Median household income (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019
$78,306.00
$62,843.00
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019
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