Duncanville, Texas | History and Resources

🏙️ History of Duncanville, Texas

Settlement & railway + naming

• Land around present-day Duncanville was first purchased in 1845 by Crawford Trees.

• In 1880, the Chicago, Texas and Mexican Central Railway built Duncan Switch, a railroad station named after a rail foreman.

• In 1882 Charles P. Nance became first postmaster and renamed the town Duncanville; the post office opened October 1, 1882 (Wikipedia).

Early growth & incorporation

• By 1904 population was ~113; by 1933 it rose to over 300.

• During WWII, a flight training field was built nearby; later repurposed as Duncanville Air Force Station, part of the Nike missile defense network (1952–1964) (Wikipedia).

• Duncanville officially incorporated on August 2, 1947, and adopted home‑rule city charter in 1962 when population reached ~5,000 (Wikipedia).

Post‑war boom

• Population climbed to ~13,000 in 1970 and over 31,000 by 1988. After 2000 growth slowed; peak was ~40,526 in 2020, then a slight decline to 39.9 K by 2023 (–1 %) (Wikipedia).

👥 Population, Demographics & Income

Population Trends

• 2020 Census: 40,706 residents (Wikipedia)

• 2023 estimate: ~39,879, down ~1 % from the year before (Data USA)

Racial / Ethnic Composition (2020)**

• White (non‑Hispanic): ~21–23%

• Black or African American: ~29–30%

• Hispanic or Latino: ~44–45% (Data USA)

Median Age & Income (2023)**

• Median age: ~37.2 years

• Median household income: ~$71,381

• Per capita income: ~$44,709

• Poverty rate: ~9.94% (Data USA, World Population Review)

🛠️ Economy, Industry & Employment Opportunities

• Duncanville has a mix of municipal services, retail businesses, light industry, and education jobs.

• Employment openings in city government (e.g. at City Hall, Parks & Rec, utilities): see City’s Human Resources job portal (Duncanville, TX).

• Healthcare: RN/LVN/CNA and allied roles available, DFW metroplex hospitals nearby (Nursa).

• Museums & tourism: Intern/guest services, event staff at International Museum of Cultures and nearby Dallas museums (Indeed).

🏫 Education: Schools, Colleges & Sports

Duncanville Independent School District (DISD)**

• DISD serves Pre‑K through Grade 12 across 18 schools with ~11,761 students and a student‑teacher ratio ~15.8 (Wikipedia).

• Duncanville High School: grades 9‑12 (~4,600 students 2023–24), second‑largest high school campus in the U.S. by land area (Wikipedia).

Athletics & Activities

• DHS sports teams known as Panthers have won multiple UIL state championships in football, basketball (girls: 12 titles, boys recently in 2025), baseball, volleyball, soccer, and track (Wikipedia).

• Band, choir & journalism programs are nationally recognized: e.g., DHS Marching Band won UIL state titles (1986, 1990, 2002); choir honored as 2022 GRAMMY Signature School; journalism has won Columbia Scholastic Gold and Silver Crowns (Wikipedia).

Higher Education

• Residents zoned to Dallas College, the community college system serving Dallas County.

🎉 Culture, Shopping & Recreation

Festivals & Annual Events

• BloomFest Music & Arts Festival, held each spring, showcases local artists, music, food & vendors (~May 2025) (Wikipedia, Dallas News).

• Monthly DuncanSwitch Market on Main Street each third Saturday, named after the original railroad switch station from 1880s (Duncanville, TX).

Museums & Historic Sites

• International Museum of Cultures (411 US 67 Frontage Rd). Small but unique museum celebrating global cultures and heritage (Yelp).

• Duncanville Historical Park within Armstrong Park includes historic structures from the old Air Force Station and community music room monuments (Wikipedia).

Shopping & Hotels

• Retail clusters along U.S. Route 67 include grocery, apparel, service shops, restaurants.

• Nearby hotels located just outside city limits along I‑20 and U.S. 67 corridors for business & leisure.

🚗 Transport & Access

• Easy access via Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway 67.

• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) ~20 minutes north, Dallas Love Field ~25 minutes north.

• No direct passenger train station; Dallas and Fort Worth offer Amtrak and Trinity Railway Express commuter rail service.

☀️ Climate & Weather

• Typical North Texas subtropical climate: hot summers, mild winters.

• Summer temperatures regularly exceed 100°F; winters rarely drop below freezing.

• Spring and fall are pleasant and ideal for outdoor events.

🧑‍🏫 Notable People from Duncanville

• Greg Abbott – Governor of Texas, graduated from DHS in 1976 (Wikipedia, Wikipedia)

• Tamika Catchings – WNBA star, 4× Olympic gold medalist, DHS Class of 1997 (Wikipedia)

• Brigetta Barrett – Olympic high‑jump silver medalist (2012), world champs medalist (2013) (Wikipedia)

• Greg Ostertag, Perry Jones, Ron Holland – NBA players;

• Dashaun Phillips, Barry Foster, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. – NFL players;

• Steven Romo, Jonathan Majors, Priscilla Shirer, Ariel Atkins, among others (Wikipedia, Wikipedia).

🔮 Future Growth & Development

• Population peaked ~2020, slight decline afterward; projected to stabilize or grow modestly as DFW metro continues expanding.

• Duncanville is part of the “Best Southwest” partnership with Cedar Hill, DeSoto & Lancaster, fostering regional cooperation in economic development and services (Duncanville, TX).

• Continued investment in public infrastructure, parks, recreation, and community programming.

📄 Quick Links & City Services

• City of Duncanville Official Site

• City Hall & Services – 203 E. Wheatland Rd

• Duncanville Recreation Center & Parks

• Duncanville Independent School District

✅ Summary at a Glance