Plano, Texas
—  City  —
City of Plano
Flag Logo
Nickname(s): Gymnastic Capital of the World[1]
Location of Plano in Collin County, Texas
Coordinates: 33°03′01″N 96°44′45″W / 33.05028°N 96.74583°W / 33.05028; -96.74583Coordinates: 33°03′01″N 96°44′45″W / 33.05028°N 96.74583°W / 33.05028; -96.74583
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Collin & Denton
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• City council	Mayor Phil Dyer (R) Pat Miner Ben Harris André Davidson Lissa Smith Jim Duggan Pat Gallagher Lee Dunlap
• City manager	Bruce D. Glasscock
Area
• City	71.6 sq mi (185.5 km2)
• Land	71.6 sq mi (185.5 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	675 ft (206 m)
Population (2012)
• City	269,776 (city proper)
• Density	3,820.2/sq mi (1,474.99/km2)
• Metro	6,145,037
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	75000-75099
Area code(s)	214, 469, 972
FIPS code	48-58016[2]
GNIS feature ID	1344166[3]
Website	http://www.plano.gov

Plano (pron.: /ˈpleɪnoʊ/) is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 269,776 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth most populous city in the state of Texas (Corpus Christi is ranked at #8 and Laredo is ranked at #10) and the 70th most populous city in the United States.^[4] Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The city is home to many corporate headquarters: Alliance Data, Cinemark Theatres, Dell Services, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Ericsson, Frito-Lay, HP Enterprise Services, Huawei, J. C. Penney, Pizza Hut, Rent-A-Center, Traxxas, and Siemens PLM Software.

In 2005, 2006, and 2011, Plano was designated the best place to live in the Western United States by CNN Money magazine. In 2006, Plano was selected as the 11th best place to live in the United States by CNN Money magazine.^[5] It was also nominated as the safest city in America in 2011 by Forbes. ^[6] Plano schools consistently score among the highest in the nation.^[7] It has been rated as the wealthiest city in the United States by CNN Money^[8] with a poverty rate of less than 6.4%. In 2008, Forbes.com selected Plano, University Park, and Highland Park as the three "Top Suburbs To Live Well" of Dallas.^[9] The United States Census Bureau declared Plano the wealthiest city of 2008 by comparing the median household income for all U.S. cities whose populations were greater than 250,000.^[10] The annual Plano Balloon Festival and the Plano International Festival are two of the city's premiere cultural and entertainment events. In October 2010, Forbes magazine named Plano the safest city to live in America with a population greater than 250,000.^[11]

History [edit]

Plano, Texas in 1891. Toned lithograph by A.E. Downs, Boston. Published by T. M. Fowler & James B. Moyer. Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas

Settlers came to the area near present-day Plano in the early 1840s.^[12] Facilities such as a sawmill, a gristmill, and a store soon brought more people to the area. Mail service was established, and after rejecting several names for the budding town (including naming it in honor of then-President Millard Fillmore),^[13] the locals suggested the name Plano (from the Spanish word for "flat"), a reference to the local terrain. The name was accepted by the post office.^[13] In 1872, the completion of the Houston and Central Texas Railway helped the city grow, and the city was officially incorporated in 1873.^[13] The population grew to more than 500 by 1874.^[12] In 1881, a fire raged through the central business district, destroying most of the buildings.^[12][13] The town was rebuilt and business again flourished through the 1880s. Also in 1881, the city assumed responsibility for what will eventually become Plano Independent School District (PISD), ending the days of Plano being served only by private schools.^[12]

The population of Plano initially grew slowly, reaching 1,304 in 1900 and increasing to 3,695 in 1960.^[12] By 1970, Plano began to feel some of the boom its neighbors had experienced following World War II. A series of public works projects and a change in taxes that removed the farming community from the town helped increase the overall population of Plano. In 1970, the population reached 17,872,^[12] and by 1980, the population had exploded to 72,000.^[12] Sewers, schools and street development kept pace with this massive increase, largely due to Plano's flat topography, grid layout and planning initiatives.

In 1981 the Plano City Council adopted the City’s official logo based on a design submitted via a community contest by long-time Plano resident James R. (Jim) Wainner, a professional artist and graphic designer. City of Plano Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2, Article I, Section 2-1 (b) states that no person, firm, organization, or corporation other than the city shall adopt, use, display, incorporate, or appropriate the official logo of the city as any part of any material, equipment, or other matter of such person, firm, organization or corporation, without written application to and approval of the city council.

During the 1980s, many large corporations moved their headquarters to Plano, including J. C. Penney and Frito-Lay, which helped the city grow. By 1990, the population reached 128,713,^[12] dwarfing the county seat of McKinney. In 1994, the city was recognized as an All-America City.^[14] By 2000, the population grew to 222,030,^[12] making it one of the largest suburbs of Dallas. Plano is completely locked in by other municipalities and cannot expand in area, and there is little undeveloped land remaining within the city limits. However, one large tract of land is being developed as of July 2012. Turnpike Commons at the intersection of Renner Rd and the George Bush Turnpike (bordered also by Shiloh Rd to the east). The development will feature apartments, medical facilities, restaurants, a Race Trac gas station, and a hotel.

Geography [edit]

Haggard Park, Downtown Plano

	The Colony	Frisco	Allen
	Carrollton		Parker
		Plano
	Dallas	Richardson	Murphy

According to the United States Census Bureau, Plano has a total area of 71.6 square miles (185.5 km²).

Although Plano is named for the flat plains of the area, large trees abound in the city's many parks (Plano's map of big trees). One such tree, estimated to be over 500 years old, resides in Bob Woodruff park near Rowlett Creek on the city's east side (Plano’s Quincentennial Bur Oak).

Climate [edit]

Plano is considered to be in the humid subtropical climate zone. The highest recorded temperature was 118°F (48°C) in 1936. On average, the coolest month is January and the warmest month is July. The lowest recorded temperature was -7°F (-22°C) in 1930. The maximum average precipitation occurs in May.

Transportation [edit]

The tracks and adjacent platforms at the Parker Road DART station in Plano, Texas

Plano is one of 12 suburbs of Dallas that opts into the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) public transportation system. During most of its membership in DART, Plano was lightly served by bus lines, but in recent years, the Red Line of the DART Light Rail project has opened stations in Downtown Plano and at Parker Road, which provide access to commuters traveling to work elsewhere in the Dallas area. Approximately 1% of the city's population uses DART. The Parker Road station began charging for parking for non-member city residents on April 2, 2012. The program is called the Fair Share Parking initiative.

Plano was the first city in Collin County to adopt a master plan for its road system. The use of multi-lane, divided highways for all major roads allows for higher speed limits, generally 40 mph (64 km/h), but sometimes up to 55 mph (89 km/h) on the northern section of Preston Road. Plano is served directly by several major roadways and freeways. Central Plano is bordered to the east by U.S. Highway 75, the west by Dallas North Tollway, the south by President George Bush Turnpike, and the north by Texas State Highway 121. Preston Road (Texas State Highway 289) is a major thoroughfare that runs through the city.

Plano opened a new interchange at Parker Rd. and U.S. 75 in December 2010. The single-point interchange is the first of its kind in Texas. The design is intended to reduce severe congestion at this interchange. According to reports traffic congestion has been reduced 50-75%.

Government [edit]

Local government [edit]

According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s general fund had $194.0.million in Revenues, $212.3 million in expenditures, $277.5 million in total assets, $31.4 million in total liabilities, and $337.2 million in cash and investments.^[15] The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:^[16]

Plano is part of the North Texas Municipal Water District headquartered in Wylie, TX. Lake Lavon is the principal source of raw water for the district.

Plano's Water Distribution System:

• 11 Elevated Towers
• 12 Ground Storage Tanks
• 54.5 Million Gallon Water Storage Capacity
• 5 Pump Stations
• 225 Million Gallon Daily Pumping Capacity
• 1,080 Miles of Water Mains
• 65,965 Metered Service Connections

State government [edit]

Plano is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Florence Shapiro District 8, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Van Taylor, District 66 and Republican Jeff Leach, District 67.

Federal government [edit]

At the Federal level, the two U.S. Senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz; Plano is part of Texas' US Congressional 3rd District, which is currently represented by Republican Sam Johnson.

Economy [edit]

Rent-A-Center headquarters office building in Plano, Texas

The Shops at Willow Bend, Plano's upscale shopping mall^[17]

According to the Plano 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[18] the top employers in Plano are:

Approximately 80% of Plano's visitors are business travelers, due to its close proximity to Dallas and the many corporations headquartered in Plano. The city also has a convention center that is owned and operated by the city. Plano has made a concerted effort to draw retail to its downtown area and the Shops at Legacy in an effort to boost sales tax returns. The Shops at Legacy area has apartments, shops, and restaurants constructed with the new Urbanism philosophy.^[19] An experimental luxury Walmart Supercenter is located at Park Boulevard and the Dallas North Tollway.^[20]

Headquarters of major corporations [edit]

Some of the country's largest and most recognized companies have their headquarters in Plano. Tree-lined Legacy Drive in the 75024 ZIP code, between Preston Road and the Dallas North Tollway, has many corporate campuses. The following companies have headquarters or major regional offices in Plano:

Education [edit]

There are 70 public schools, 16 private schools, two campuses of the Collin County Community College District (Collin College), and six libraries in Plano.^[25]

Primary and secondary schools [edit]

Plano West Senior High School

The Plano Independent School District serves most of the city. Student enrollment has increased dramatically over the past few decades. Plano has a unique high school system, in which grades 9-10 attend a high school and grades 11-12 attend a senior high.^[26] There are three senior high schools (grades 11-12) in PISD; Plano East, Plano, and Plano West.^[26] In Newsweek's 2012 list of best national high schools, Plano West was ranked as 63rd, Plano Senior as 108th, and Plano East as 243rd.^[7] Small portions of Plano are served by the Lewisville Independent School District, Frisco Independent School District, and Allen Independent School District. In 2012, Plano Independent School District announced that 128 seniors were selected as National Merit Semifinalists.^[27] Plano has given $1.2 billion in property tax revenue to other school districts through the Texas "Robin Hood" law, which requires school districts that are designated as affluent to give a percentage of their property tax revenue to other districts outside of the county.^[28] In 2008, PISD gave $86 million. Controversy erupted when the salaries of teachers in less affluent districts, like Garland ISD, exceeded the salaries of teachers in districts that had to pay into "Robin Hood".^[29]

In the 2013-2014 school year, Plano ISD will open two four-year high school Academies, one focusing on STEAM (STEM education plus Media Arts) and the other on health science. Additionally, the district will modify its existing International Baccalaureate program to allow freshman and sophomores in the program to be housed at Plano East Senior High School.^[30]

In addition to Catholic primary and middle schools, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas operates John Paul II High School in Plano. Non-Catholic private schools in Plano include Plano Christian Academy, Great Lakes Academy, Prince of Peace Lutheran School, and Prestonwood Christian Academy. In addition, the Collin County campus of Coram Deo Academy is located in the One Church (previously Four Corners Church) facility in Plano.^[31]

Colleges and universities [edit]

Entrance to the Spring Creek campus of Collin College in Plano, Texas

Plano is the home to two campuses of Collin College, one at the Courtyard Center on Preston Park Boulevard and the larger Spring Creek Campus on Spring Creek Parkway at Jupiter.^[32] SMU-in-Plano, formerly SMU-in-Legacy, a branch of Southern Methodist University, is a graduate university serving the needs of 3,000 working professionals.^[33] Its academic programs include business, engineering and computer training, education and continuing education. It also features The Guildhall at SMU, which offers a masters program in video game development.^[34]

Public libraries [edit]

The Plano Public Library System (PPLS) operates public libraries. The system consists of the W.O. Haggard, Jr. Library, the Maribelle M. Davis Library, the Gladys Harrington Library, the Christopher A. Parr Library, the L.E.R. Schimelpfenig Library, and the Municipal Reference Library. The Haggard library houses the system's administrative offices.^[35]

Demographics [edit]

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 259,841 people. in the 2000 census there were 80,875 households, and 60,575 families in Plano. The population density was 3,102.4 people per square mile (1,197.8/km²). There were 86,078 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile (464.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.9% White, (58.4% non-Hispanic White) 7.6% Black, 0.36% Native American, 16.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.86% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.7% of the population.

Of the 80,875 households, 42.0% had children under the age of 18. Married couples accounted for 64.3%; 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. Approximately 20.2% of all households were individuals, and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73, and the average family size was 3.18.

Data indicates that 28.7% of Plano's population is under the age of 18, 7.0% is 18 to 24, 36.5% is 25 to 44, 22.9% is 45 to 64, and 4.9% who is 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females, there are 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.2 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $84,492, and the median income for a family is $101,616.^[36] About 3.0% of families and 4.3% of the population live below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Plano was the highest income place with a population of 130,000 or more in 2000. Plano was ranked the most affluent city with a population over 250,000 in the United States with the lowest poverty rate of 6.3%. Its neighbor to the northwest, Frisco, was ranked the richest city for the population of under 250,000 in the United States with a 2.7% poverty rate. In 2007, Plano had the highest median income of a city with a population exceeding 250,000 in the nation at $84,492.^[37] As of 2010, Plano has a median income of $103,913 annually. According to crime statistics, there were four homicides in Plano in 2006, the lowest homicide rate of all U.S. cities of 250,000 or more population.^[38]

Sister cities [edit]

Plano has six sister cities^[39] designated by Sister Cities International. This program's presence is seen in Plano ISD schools, where representatives from sister cities often meet and tour.

• Ivanovo, Russian Federation
• Brampton, Ontario, Canada
• Marikina, Philippines
• San Pedro Garza García, Mexico
• Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China^[40]
• Port Adelaide-Enfield, Australia

Notable residents [edit]

This is a list with no clear inclusion or exclusion criteria. Please help to improve Wikipedia by ensuring that there is consensus on the inclusion and exclusion criteria on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the section contains only verifiable material. (January 2013)

The following is a list of current residents of Plano, who have become famous outside of the community:

• Cathie Adams, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, worked in a crisis pregnancy center in Plano in the early 1980s
• Spencer Adams, former professional baseball player, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Senators
• Stephen J. Anderson, animated film director
• Florence Shapiro, Republican member of Texas Senate, known for sponsoring "Ashley's Laws"
• Lance Armstrong, former professional cyclist^[41]
• Justin Blalock, Offensive Tackle for the Atlanta Falcons
• Spencer Boldman, actor known for his role as Adam (a bionic superhero with super strength) on Disney XD original series Lab Rats (TV series)
• Kyle Bosworth, national football league, Jacksonville Jaguars
• James Buescher, NASCAR driver. 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion.
• Fred Couples, professional golfer
• Chace Crawford, actor^[42]
• Lyon Sprague de Camp, fantasy writer
• Kenton Duty, actor known for his role as Gunther Hessenheffer on the Disney Channel original series Shake It Up!
• Rashad Hussain, U.S. Special Envoy to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference
• Michael Irvin, former professional football player, Dallas Cowboys
• Jimmy King, former member of the Fab Five.
• John Leake, former professional football player, Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers
• Nastia Liukin, gymnastics, 5-time Olympic medalist including all-around gold and nine-time world medalist
• Hunter Mahan, professional golfer
• Kevin McHale, actor known for his role as Artie in the television series Glee, singer
• Hunter Parrish, actor
• Charlie Peprah, Safety, Dallas Cowboys
• Stéphane Robidas, current member of the Dallas Stars hockey team.
• Boz Scaggs, musician^[43][44]
• Barbara Staff, co-chairman of the 1976 Ronald Reagan Texas presidential primary campaign^[45]
• Alan Tudyk, actor
• Michael Urie, actor known for his role as Marc St. James in the television series Ugly Betty

Historic sites [edit]

• Plano Station, Texas Electric Railway (1908)
• Heritage Farmstead Museum (1891)

See also [edit]

	Geography portal
	North America portal
	United States portal
	Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex portal

• List of Plano Mayors
• Plano City Council

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Find more about Plano, Texas at Wikipedia's sister projects
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks
	Travel information from Wikivoyage

• Official website
• Plano Economic Development
• Plano Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Living in Plano & Collin County, TX
• Plano from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Plano, Texas at the Open Directory Project
• Tourism Guide to Plano, Texas

v t e Municipalities and communities of Collin County, Texas, United States County seat: McKinney Cities Allen Anna Blue Ridge Carrollton‡ Celina‡ Dallas‡ Farmersville Frisco‡ Josephine‡ Lavon Lowry Crossing Lucas McKinney Melissa Murphy Nevada Parker Plano‡ Princeton Richardson‡ Royse City‡ Sachse‡ Van Alstyne‡ Weston Wylie‡ Towns Fairview Hebron‡ New Hope Prosper‡ St. Paul CDP Rhea Mills * Westminster Unincorporated communities Branch, Copeville, Culleoka Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v t e Municipalities and communities of Denton County, Texas, United States County seat: Denton Cities Argyle Aubrey Carrollton‡ Celina‡ Coppell‡ Corinth Dallas‡ Denton Fort Worth‡ Frisco‡ Grapevine‡ Haslet‡ Highland Village Justin Krugerville Krum Lake Dallas Lakewood Village Lewisville‡ Oak Point Pilot Point Plano‡ Roanoke Sanger Southlake‡ The Colony Towns Bartonville Copper Canyon Corral City Cross Roads DISH Double Oak Flower Mound‡ Hackberry Hebron‡ Hickory Creek Lincoln Park Little Elm Northlake Ponder Prosper‡ Providence Village Shady Shores Trophy Club‡ Westlake‡ CDPs Lantana Paloma Creek Paloma Creek South Savannah Unincorporated communities Alliance‡ Bolivar Navo Ghost towns Alton Elizabethtown Mustang Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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v t e Mayors of cities with populations exceeding 100,000 in Texas     Annise Parker (Houston) Julian Castro (San Antonio) Mike Rawlings (Dallas) Lee Leffingwell (Austin) Betsy Price (Fort Worth) John Cook (El Paso) Robert Cluck (Arlington) Nelda Martinez (Corpus Christi) Phil Dyer (Plano) Raul G. Salinas (Laredo) Glen Robertson (Lubbock) Ronald E. Jones (Garland) Beth Van Duyne (Irving) Debra McCartt (Amarillo) Tony Martinez (Brownsville) Charles England (Grand Prairie) Johnny Isbell (Pasadena) John Monaco (Mesquite) Richard F. Cortez (McAllen) Ron Branson (Carrollton) Jim Bush (Waco) Bill Whitfield (McKinney) Mark Burroughs (Denton) Timothy L. Hancock (Killeen) Norm Archibald (Abilene) Becky Ames (Beaumont) Wes Perry (Midland) Alan McGraw (Round Rock) Dean Ueckert (Lewisville) Bill Keffler (Richardson) Lanham Lyne (Wichita Falls) Larry Melton (Odessa) Other states AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY