Irving is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and is an inner city suburb of Dallas. The city had a population of 256,684 according to the 2020 United States census, making it the twelfth-most populous city in Texas, and the 91st most populous in the U.S. Irving includes the Las Colinas mixed-use master-planned community and part of the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
History
Irving was founded in 1903 by J.O. "Otto" Schulze and Otis Brown. It is believed literary author Washington Irving was a favorite of Netta Barcus Brown, and consequently the name of the town site, Irving, was chosen. Irving began in 1889 as an area called Gorbit, and in 1894 the name changed to Kit. Irving was incorporated April 14, 1914, with Otis Brown as the first mayor.
By the late 19th century, the Irving area was the site of churches, two cotton gins, a blacksmith shop and a general store. The Irving district public school system dates to the 1909 establishment of Kit and Lively schools. Population growth was slow and sometimes halting, with only 357 residents in 1925, but a significant increase began in the 1930s.
By the early 1960s, the city had a population of approximately 45,000. A number of manufacturing plants operated in Irving, along with transportation, retail and financial businesses. The University of Dallas in Irving opened in 1956, and Texas Stadium was completed in 1971 as the home field of the Dallas Cowboys. The Chateau Theater opened in 1964 as part of a chain of premium, dollar, and drive-in theaters that stretched across North Texas and Oklahoma.
Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crashed in Irving on August 2, 1985.
Irving's population reached 155,037 in 1990 and the United States Census Bureau estimated 236,607 residents in 2016, a 3.5 percent population increase over 2013 census estimates.
In 2000, a Sports Authority store was robbed by the "Texas Seven". In 2011, the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas opened. Four years later high-school student Ahmed Mohamed was the subject of a hoax bomb incident which ignited allegations of racial profiling and Islamophobia from many media and commentators.
In 2019, Irving completed its construction of an entertainment district in Las Colinas with the opening of the Westin Irving Convention Center Hotel. The entertainment district also includes the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas and the Toyota Music Factory, an entertainment complex with numerous restaurants, an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Texas Lottery Plaza open-air performance stage and the Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory concert venue.
On May 8, 2020, the city's local poultry plant run by Westfield, Wisconsin-based Brakebush Bros. Inc reported 40 cases of COVID-19 among its workers during the 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic.
In 2025, the Irving City Council enacted a slew of restrictions and regulations on apartment buildings in the city with the goal of discouraging increases in apartments.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.65%) is water.
Developments Irving includes the Las Colinas planned community, a mixed-use development with a land area of more than that is home to many Fortune 500 companies and the Las Colinas Entertainment District. It also includes part of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Irving also includes Valley Ranch, a master-planned development.
Climate The warmest month on average is July, and the highest recorded temperature was in 1980. The average coolest month is January, and the lowest recorded temperature was in 1899. Irving is considered to be part of the humid subtropical region. May is the wettest month on average .
Demographics
Irving has been noted for its racial and ethnic diversity. A 2012 study by the real estate website Trulia found that Irving's 75038 zip code was the most diverse zip code in the United States, while Irving was ranked as the ninth-most diverse city in the United States with over 200,000 residents according to a Diversity Index developed by Brown University's American Communities Project. The same survey said Irving was the eighth-most diverse city at a neighborhood level (again among cities with over 200,000 residents); Irving was the highest-ranked city in Texas at the city level and behind only Garland, TX at the neighborhood level.
Racial and ethnic composition
+Irving city, Texas – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)92,44566,55953,98248.25%30.77%21.03%Black or African American alone (NH)19,25425,55031,71410.05%11.81%12.36%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)9058077330.47%0.37%0.29%Asian alone (NH)15,67430,16157,3018.18%13.94%22.32%Pacific Islander alone (NH)1992212500.10%0.10%0.10%Other Race alone (NH)2474341,2270.13%0.20%0.48%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)3,0533,5916,0081.59%1.66%2.34%Hispanic or Latino (any race)59,83888,967105,46931.23%41.13%41.09%Total191,615216,290256,684100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Irving had a population of 256,684, with 95,485 households and 57,330 families. The median age was 32.8 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 8.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.2 males age 18 and over.
99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas.
There were 95,485 households in Irving, of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.7% were married-couple households, 23.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 101,643 housing units, of which 6.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%.
By 2020, the composition of Irving was 21.03% non-Hispanic white, 12.36% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 22.32% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.48% some other race, 2.34% multiracial, and 41.09% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 71,138 27.7% Black or African American 32,484 12.7% American Indian and Alaska Native 3,551 1.4% Asian 57,504 22.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 309 0.1% Some other race 49,263 19.2% Two or more races 42,435 16.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 105,469 41.1%
2010 census
At the census of 2010, there were 216,290 people, 82,538 households, and 51,594 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 91,128 housing units at an average density of .
According to the 2010 census, the racial makeup of the city was 53.1% White (30.8% non-Hispanic white), 12.3% African American, 0.9% Native American, 14.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 16.2% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latinos of any race were 41.1% of the population. The largest group of Hispanic or Latinos were of Mexican origin, while those of Salvadoran heritage form the second largest group; in 2009 they formed 11.8% of those born outside of the United States. The Hispanic and Latino residents have moved into eastern Irving, which contains older neighborhoods than other areas of Irving.Brettell, Caroline B. '"Big D" Incorporating New Immigrants in a Sunbelt Suburban Metropolis' (Chapter 3). In: Singer, Audrey, Susan Wiley Hardwick, and Caroline Brettell. Twenty-First Century Gateways: Immigrant Incorporation in Suburban America (James A. Johnson metro series). Brookings Institution Press, 2009. , 9780815779285. Start p. 53. CITED: p.60.
The largest Asian American ethnic group in Irving is the Asian Indians. As of 2009 the Indians have mainly settled in proximity to high technology companies,Brettell, Caroline B. '"Big D" Incorporating New Immigrants in a Sunbelt Suburban Metropolis' (Chapter 3). In: Singer, Audrey, Susan Wiley Hardwick, and Caroline Brettell. Twenty-First Century Gateways: Immigrant Incorporation in Suburban America (James A. Johnson metro series). Brookings Institution Press, 2009. , 9780815779285. Start p. 53. CITED: p.-61 into an area in western Irving along Texas State Highway 114.Brettell, Caroline B. '"Big D" Incorporating New Immigrants in a Sunbelt Suburban Metropolis' (Chapter 3). In: Singer, Audrey, Susan Wiley Hardwick, and Caroline Brettell. Twenty-First Century Gateways: Immigrant Incorporation in Suburban America (James A. Johnson metro series). Brookings Institution Press, 2009. , 9780815779285. Start p. 53. CITED: p. 60-61. To absorb the Indian population, dense condominium and rental properties have opened in western Irving.
There were 82,538 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the city, 29% of the population was under the age of 19, 8% was between ages 20 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.
The 2012 median income for a household in the city was $49,303, and the median income for a family was $54,755. Males had an estimated median income of $40,986 versus $36,518 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,970. About 13.2% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
According to the city's 2021–2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's top employers are:
# Employer # of Employees 1Citigroup, Inc.6,162 2Vistra Energy5,400 3Allstate Insurance 3,068 4Verizon Communications3,000 5Microsoft2,681 6Irving Mall2,100 7YRC Freight1,941 8Baylor Scott & White Health1,907 9DFW International Airport1,900 10Accenture1,900
Several large businesses have headquarters in Irving, including Nexstar Media Group, Aeroxchange, Caliber Home Loans, Nautilus Hyosung America, Inc., Chuck E. Cheese, Cicis, Commercial Metals, Envoy Air (formerly American Eagle), Gruma, H.D. Vest, Kimberly-Clark, La Quinta Inns and Suites,"http://www.lq.com/lq/about/mediakit/factsheet/index.jsp Michaels Stores, 7-Eleven, Southern Star Concrete, Inc., Stellar, a global contact center provider, Zale Corporation, Fluor Corporation, Flowserve, NCH Corporation,NCH Corporation Contact Us ITW Polymers Sealants North America, Celanese Corporation, a leading producer of specialty chemicals, Vistra Energy and its subsidiary TXU Energy,Vistra Energy website: Corporate Headquarters McKesson Corporation, and LXI Enterprise Storage. In June 2022, Caterpillar Inc, a construction and mining equipment manufacturer, announced it would move its headquarters to Irving.
The city is also home to the national headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America.
Subsidiaries of foreign companies The headquarters of NEC Corporation of America are in Irving. Headquarters formerly based in Irving include BlackBerry and Nokia America which has since moved to Dallas.
Perhaps as a result of the Nokia-Irving connection, Irving is twinned with Nokia's headquarters city, Espoo in Finland.