Fort Worth started out as a military camp, named after General William Worth, during the closure of the Mexican War. Fort Worth was once a stop along the Chisholm Trail; It became the center of the cattle drives, and later, the ranching industry. Fort Worth is portrayed as more old-fashioned than Dallas is.
As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 534,694 with approximately 1,000,000 in the suburban area surrounding the city. It is the county seat of Tarrant County6.
American Airlines, Radio Shack, and Pier 1 Imports are headquartered in Fort Worth.
Many large buildings in the city are accompanied by Victorian-style structures. Fort Worth's downtown has the Sundance Square, named after the Sundance Kid. The Sundance Square is a 16-block entertainment center for the city. The Square has buildings with tall windows, as well as brick-paved streets and sidewalks, and landscaping that many consider to be very delightful. Many restaurants, nightclubs, boutiques, museums, live theatres, and art galleries are in the Square.
Located adjacent to Irving, and between Dallas and Fort Worth lies the largest aviation facility in Texas, the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
The Tandy Center Subway, based in the Tandy Center, operated in Fort Worth from 1963 to 2002. The 0.7-mile long subway was the only privately operated subway in the United States.
Fort Worth houses the Fort Worth Cats, a Central Baseball League Minor league baseball team.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 774.1 km² (298.9 mi²). 757.7 km² (292.5 mi²) of it is land and 16.4 km² (6.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.12% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 534,694 people, 195,078 households, and 127,581 families residing in the city. The population density is 705.7/km² (1,827.8/mi²). There are 211,035 housing units at an average density of 278.5/km² (721.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 59.69% White, 20.26% African American, 0.59% Native American, 2.64% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 14.05% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. 29.81% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 195,078 households out of which 34.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% are married couples living together, 14.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% are non-families. 28.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.67 and the average family size is 3.33.
In the city the population is spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $37,074, and the median income for a family is $42,939. Males have a median income of $31,663 versus $25,917 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,800. 15.9% of the population and 12.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 21.4% are under the age of 18 and 11.7% are 65 or older.
See also: Calvary Cathedral International