Mesquite, Texas, United States

🇺🇸 Mesquite is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Dallas County with portions extending into Kaufman County. In 2020, its population was 150,108 making it the 21st-most populous city in Texas. Mesquite is positioned at the crossroads of four major highways (Interstates 30, 635, 20, and U.S. Route 80), making locations such as downtown Dallas, Lake Ray Hubbard, Dallas Love Field, and DFW International Airport accessible.

According to legislative action, the city is the "Rodeo Capital of Texas". In 2016, Mesquite received a Playful City USA designation for the fourth year in a row. The city has been named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for over 25 years. The city of Mesquite holds the 10th-longest reign in all of Texas.

Unique to suburbs of Dallas and Fort Worth, the city of Mesquite is served by its own local airport, Mesquite Metro Airport. Companies and institutions with a major presence in the city are the United Parcel Service, Sears, AT&T, Charter Spectrum, Eastfield College, Ashley Furniture, and FedEx.

History Centuries before American settlers moved into the area, Mesquite was an open prairie land and a key trading ground for indigenous peoples. The Ionies were a western tribe located close to present-day Fort Worth. The Tawakonies were in present-day Dallas. Finally, the Caddo were the native farmers of the Mesquite land. From 1680 to 1790, after harvest was over, these three tribes held an annual tournament and trading fair.

Settlement The city of Mesquite was founded on March 14, 1878, on land along the Texas & Pacific Railway, which ran from Dallas to Shreveport, Louisiana. The locals then named the town after Mesquite Creek. The city was officially incorporated on December 3, 1887, after electing Mayor J.E. Russell.

In the city's earliest years, it was known for many outlaws residing in the area. A prominent outlaw was Sam Bass, historically known for his train robberies in Texas. In 1878, he robbed a train in downtown Mesquite, escaping with only $152. Bass missed the $30,000 hidden by the express agent in the unused pot belly stove. The Mesquiter, established in 1882 by R.S. Kimbrough, was Dallas County's longest-running newspaper.

Development Mesquite prospered through the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a farming community, growing cotton, hay, corn, and sugar, and using the railroad to ship raw goods. The town remained predominantly agrarian until after World War II, when the suburban boom took root in Mesquite.

In 1946, the Mesquite Rodeo was founded by Charlie Columbus McNally, and was one of the only rodeos that had a permanent location. By the mid-1980s, the events were being broadcast by ESPN.

In 1959, Big Town Mall opened as the first air-conditioned shopping mall in the United States. Portions of the Talking Heads movie 'True Stories' were filmed at this mall. The mall was demolished in the summer of 2006, and FedEx opened a logistics centre on the property in 2017.

By 1970, the LBJ Freeway (I-635) was constructed, connecting Mesquite to its neighbors, Garland to the north and Balch Springs to the south. Also, in 1971, Town East Mall was constructed. The mall was used by director Ron Howard to film portions of the movie Cotton Candy in 1978. It can also be seen in drive-by footage in the Talking Heads movie 'True Stories', by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. The mall's associated traffic and shops would continue to grow the town.

In 1986, the Mesquite Arena opened its doors as the new home for the Mesquite ProRodeo. By 1998, the facility was expanded to include a convention centre, exhibition hall, and a Hampton Inn and Suites.

By the 1990 census, the city had grown to 101,484 people, up from 1,696 residents in 1950.

In 2011, Mesquite passed a law allowing beer and wine sales in the city. The measure had been considered several times for many years, but was always blocked by strong protest against the proposed sales. It was one of the few cities without beer and wine sales in eastern Dallas County before the law came into effect.

In June 2015, the Mesquite Arts Center added a Freedom Park exhibit, in memorial of September 11. The park displays a 15-foot (4.6 m) beam that was recovered from the remains of Ground Zero. The Mesquite Fire Department received the beam in 2011.

Geography Mesquite is located in eastern Dallas County at 32°46′58″N 96°36′36″W (32.782878, −96.609862), with a portion extending east into Kaufman County. The city is bordered to the west by Dallas, to the north by Garland, to the north-east by Sunnyvale, to the south by Seagoville and Dallas, and to the south-west by Balch Springs.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 46.2 square miles (119.6 km²), of which 46.0 square miles (119.2 km²) are land and 0.52 square km (0.2 sq mi), or 0.33%, is covered by water. Mesquite is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metroplex, in which one quarter of all Texans live.

Neighborhoods • Lawson • Samuell Farms • Meadow Creek • Parkview • Broadmoor Estates • Old Broadmoor Estates • Crooked Lane • Fuentes • Eastern Heights • Edgemont Park • Creek Crossing • Rutherford • Falcon's Lair • Falcon's Ridge • Pecan Creek • Rollingwood Hills • Skyline • Big Town Estates • Presidential Estates • Pasadena Gardens • Original Town • Melton • Tealwood • Northridge • Quail Hollow • Wildwood • Valley Creek • Idle wood • Meadowview • Palos Verdes • hagan hills • Mesquite Park • Solterra Texas.

Economy Much of Mesquite's economy is tied to the city of Dallas with the exception of local businesses. The largest national corporations operating in Mesquite are United Parcel Service, Sears, AT&T, Spectrum, Ashley Furniture, FedEx, OfficeMax, and GameStop.

Economy: Top Employers 1 Mesquite Independent School District; 2 Town East Mall; 3 United Parcel Service; 4 Baker Triangle; 5 City of Mesquite; 6 Eastfield College; 7 Dallas Regional Medical Center (formerly Mesquite Community Hospital); 8 Walmart; 9 Pepsi-Cola Metro Bottling Co.; 10 Ashley Furniture.

Arts and culture In 2016, the Mesquite Public Library System was presented with a 2016 Achievement of Library Excellence Award by the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association. Of the 548 public library systems in Texas, the Mesquite Public Library was one of only 43 libraries to earn this prestigious honor. The Mesquite Public Library System consists of two branches to serve the community. Both branches offer traditional and non-traditional programs.

Parks and recreation The city houses 76 parks and four recreation centers. The city has been designated a Playful City USA four years running and opened its Heritage Trail system in 2015. The hike and bike trail system consists of 4.25 miles of concrete trails and sidewalks, three trailheads, and other improvements that connect residents from their homes to the Mesquite Golf Club, schools, recreation centres, sports fields, shopping, and more.

Mesquite Golf Club Mesquite Golf Club is a 154-acre (62 ha), 18-hole golf course for both novice and expert golfers. Operated by the City of Mesquite, the course is open seven days a week and features a pro shop and driving range.

Mesquite Arts Center The 36,700-square-foot (3,410 m²) municipal arts facility houses a 494-seat music performance hall, black box theater, rehearsal hall, galleries, and support space. The facility serves as the cultural centre for the community and is home to the Mesquite Community Theatre, Mesquite Community Band and the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra.

Education: University The Texas Legislature defines all of Dallas County (including the vast majority of Mesquite) as being in the Dallas College (formerly Dallas County Community College or DCCCD) district. The portion in Kaufman County is within the Trinity Valley Community College district. Eastfield College provides undergraduate degrees and continuing-education credits as part of Dallas College.

Higher education also is provided by two other institutions. Columbia College-Mesquite Campus is located on the Eastfield College campus. It is a private, nonprofit institution that was founded in Columbia, Missouri, in 1851. It provides bachelor's and master's degree programs.

Media Mesquite shares the same television and radio market with Dallas. The Mesquite Independent School District operates KEOM, a high-school sports and classic-hits radio station. The city's newspaper community primarily subscribes to The Dallas Morning News, Al Dia, and other Dallas-based newspapers. The Dallas Morning News has a section dedicated to local news in Mesquite. Star Local News distributes the Mesquite News newspaper.

Transport Mesquite is served by a publicly owned and operated airport, Mesquite Metro Airport. The airport includes a 6,000-foot (1,800 m) lighted runway with ILS. General aviation accounts for about 75% of daily operations, while commercial aviation accounts for the rest. Mesquite Metro Airport is popular among transient aircraft due to its location near Dallas and favorable fuel prices.

Two other nearby airports, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field, provide regular commercial passenger service to the region. Dallas Love Field is around 15 miles (24 km) from Mesquite; DFW Airport is roughly 30 miles (48 km) from Mesquite.

Mesquite is not a member of Dallas Area Rapid Transit, but on April 12, 2011, the DART Board changed its policy to permit DART to contract with nonmember cities for services, such as passenger rail and express service. The city and DART staffs have developed a coordinated plan to have a weekday commuter service in operation between the Hanby Stadium visitor parking lot and the DART's Green Line Lawnview Station. This route opened March 12, 2012. The city also has an optional public transportation service where citizens can schedule specific pickup and drop off times and locations within Mesquite through the STAR Transit service.

Union Pacific Railroad operates an intermodal facility for its freight rail service as part of the Skyline Industrial Park. The recent expansion of this intermodal facility won a Silver award in the Industrial Paving Category by the American Concrete Pavement Association.

Transport: Road • Interstate 20 is a major east–west interstate serving the south side of Mesquite passing through rural and residential areas including the Lawson area. I-20 connects with Balch Springs to the west and Terrell to the east. • Interstate 30 is a major east–west interstate that passes through the north side of Mesquite. I-30 connects with Dallas, Arlington, and Fort Worth to the west; Garland, Lake Ray Hubbard, and Rockwall to the east. • Interstate 635 (Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway) is an auxiliary interstate serving as a partial loop around Dallas and its suburbs. I-635 bisects the city of Mesquite and serves as the main freeway through the city as most of the local businesses and attractions (including Town East Mall and Mesquite Championship Rodeo) are built near or around I-635. The interstate connects with Garland to the north and Balch Springs to the south. I-635 also connects Mesquite with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. • U.S. Highway 80 is an east–west freeway passing through north Mesquite. US 80 connects with Sunnyvale, Forney, and Terrell to the east. To the west of Mesquite, the highway merges onto I-30. • Texas Highway 352 (Military Parkway/Scyene Road) is an east–west highway passing through both west Mesquite and downtown Mesquite. In the downtown area, it is known locally as Main Street on the westbound section and Davis Street on the eastbound section. • Belt Line Road also passes through Mesquite and serves as a major road. Belt Line road serves as an outer loop around the Dallas suburbs. • Planning stages and environmental studies are being conducted to expand President George Bush Turnpike to connect from its current terminus at I-30 in Garland to I-20. The new segment of the toll road would pass through Sunnyvale and Mesquite in route to I-20 and would complete the loop around Dallas County.