Dallas is the unsuspecting home and birthplace of many beloved American gems. From football to margaritas, you may be surprised to learn that some of your favorites have a connection to Dallas. Read on to learn 20 little known fun facts about Dallas.
1. Dallas residents don’t pay income tax
Texas is one of only nine states that doesn’t charge income tax, so if you live in Dallas, you’ll get to keep your wages. Most purchases incur 8.25% sales tax, though. The state pockets 6.25%, while the city gets the other 2%. The city uses 1% of the sales tax to make the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system one of the country’s best.
2. It hardly ever snows in Dallas
With an average of 1.3 snow days a year, Dallas school kids rarely get snow days. While you might not be able to spend your time enjoying snow, you’ll enjoy the mild winters with average temperatures ranging from the low 30s to mid-50s. If you’re itching to ski, you can fly to Hayden, Montrose, or Aspen.
3. Dallas had the first hotel with air conditioning
While it rarely snows in Dallas, temperatures here can soar. Average summer temps range from the low 70s to the high 90s. Desiring to keep its guests comfortable, in 1950, the Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas became the first hotel in the world to provide central air conditioning. Undoubtedly, the innovation made the Adolphus one of the most desirable hotels in the city, a reputation it still holds.
4. Dallas delivers plenty of green space
With 406 parks taking up 33 square miles of land, Dallas has one of the largest park systems in the United States. That means there’s plenty of space for reconnecting with nature and enjoying the fresh air. Whether you’re looking for space to play, picnic, or recharge your batteries, check out top green spaces like Klyde Warren Park, Griggs Park, and Reverchon Park. When it’s finished, the Trinity River Corridor Project will also be one of the largest urban parks in the country.
5. Dallas Zoo originally had only four animals
When it opened in 1888, Dallas Zoo only had two mountain lions and two deer. Thankfully, you’ll find more to see at Texas’ oldest zoo today. With more than 2,000 animals of more than 400 different species, you can easily spend a whole day meeting the residents.
6. Kids want to visit the medical center
Usually, little ones want to steer clear of a place like the Children’s Medical Center Dallas. But the medical centers in most cities don’t have model trains. The young and young at heart love watching the eight trains that run across two stories. The display is the largest model train exhibit in the country, and it’s always free to see.
7. Dallas is the birthplace of 7-Eleven
We have Dallas to thank for 7-Eleven and its Slurpees. In the old days, you’d have to go to an ice house to buy ice. In 1927, John Jefferson Green, an employee of Dallas’ Southland Ice Company, had the bright idea to sell other staples like milk, bread, and eggs; thus, the convenience store was born. First known as Tote’m, as customers would “tote” their purchases away, it became 7-Eleven in 1946 to reflect the stores’ unprecedented new hours (7 a.m. to 11 p.m.). Today, 7-Eleven is the world’s largest grocery store chain, with over 60,000 storefronts in 16 countries.
8. Dallas revolutionized frozen margaritas
Inspired by the Slurpee machine at 7-Eleven, a young restaurateur named Mariano Martinez adapted a soft-serve ice cream machine to make frozen margaritas in 1971. Frozen margaritas had been around since the invention of the blender in 1922 but were only able to make one pitcher at a time. Now, bartenders could premix the margarita and pull a lever to get to Margaritaville. With the process streamlined, demand for tequila went up, as did the popularity of a frozen marg’s perfect partner, Tex-Mex cuisine.
9. German chocolate cake comes from Dallas
German chocolate cake isn’t German at all. In 1852, chocolatier Sam German created sweet baking chocolate for Baker’s Chocolate called German’s Chocolate. Over 100 years later, Dallas homemaker Mrs. Clay submitted her recipe for a layered German’s Chocolate Cake filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting to The Dallas Morning News. The recipe was so popular that German’s Chocolate sales shot up 73% in one year. General Foods, which owned Baker’s, took notice and distributed the cake recipe to newspapers around the country.
10. You can eat your way around Dallas
If the previous facts hadn’t already clued you in, Dallas loves its food. The city is home to four times more restaurants per capita than the Big Apple, so you’re never stuck for inspiration. Petra and the Beast, Uchi, The Capital Grille, and Truluck’s Ocean’s Finest Seafood and Crab are a few favorites.
11. The Dallas Farmers Market is massive
If you prefer eating at home, the Dallas Farmers Market makes it easy. It’s the country’s most extensive working farmers market, with more than 150 vendors showcasing their seasonal delicacies. You can visit daily between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
12. The Dallas area is the country’s largest metro area without a navigable body of water
Many of the country’s big cities sprung up around trade ports, but Dallas rose from railroads and interstates. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has grown into the fourth largest metro area in the country, even though you can’t get there by boat. Residents can find plenty of lakes to play in, though. Lewisville Lake, Lake Ray Hubbard, Ray Roberts Lake, Grapevine Lake, Joe Pool Lake, and Lavon Lake are all in the DFW area.
13. DFW is more extensive than Manhattan
At 17,207 acres (27 square miles), the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is larger than all of Manhattan (22.82 square miles). It’s the second largest airport by land area in the United States (behind Denver) and the third largest in the world. DFW is so big that it has its own ZIP code. It’s also one of the busiest in the country. Only Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, LAX, and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport see more action.
14. Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the arts
Dallas also has the nation’s largest urban arts district. The Dallas Arts District takes up 68 acres downtown, consisting of 19 blocks of museums, venues, and galleries. The performing and visual arts district is a hub for creativity and inspiration. It houses the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Dallas Theater Center, to name a few.
15. Some famous residents were outlaws
Before becoming a gambler and gunslinger, Wyatt Earp’s sidekick John Henry Holliday was a dentist in Dallas. That’s why they call him Doc! The infamous crime duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are also from the region. The pair spent 21 months on the run, robbing local banks, gas stations, and restaurants before meeting their fate.
16. Dallas is famous for football
Dallas is football country. Dallas resident and American Football League founder Lamar Hunt coined the term “Super Bowl”, the AFL-NFL Championship Game at the time. Originally named the CowBelles & Beaux, The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were the first ever professional cheerleading squad in 1972. Finally, the Cowboys Stadium is so big that the Statue of Liberty could fit with the top closed. Moving to Dallas will ensure you love football.
17. Laser tag is a Dallas invention
When Dallas local George Carter saw Luke Skywalker and pals shooting lasers at their enemies in “Star Wars,” he thought it looked like great fun. He originally called his science fiction-inspired game Photon, but it soon became known as Laser Tag. You can play Carter’s game in Dallas-Fort Worth at Adventure Landing Dallas, Laser Tag DFW, and PINSTACK Plano.
18. Dallas has America’s first shopping center
The ritzy Highland Park Village opened in 1913 as the country’s first and only planned cluster of retail shops and still stands today, with luxury retail shops from Jimmy Choo to Christian Louboutin. DFW has more retail space per capita than any other metro area in the country.
19. The calculator came from Dallas
Thanks to Texas Instruments engineers Jack Kilby, Jim Van Tassel, and Jerry Merryman, we have the personal calculator. Kilby invented the first integrated circuit (aka the microchip) while working at TI in 1958. That same microchip also helps us find our lost pets. Kilby received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000.
20. Dallas is a diverse city
Dallas is a beta(+) global city, which makes it a major world city. Its diverse economy includes dominant sectors such as defense, financial services, information technology, telecommunications, and transportation. Nine Fortune 500 companies have headquarters within the city limits, including AT&T and Southwest Airlines. Additionally, Fortune 500 companies like American Airlines (Fort Worth), McKesson (Irving), and Yum China Holdings (Plano) are all headquartered within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
These are just a few of Dallas’ interesting facts, and there are still so many things to learn about this beta+ global city. If you’re thinking of moving to Dallas, get a head start on your apartment search and find your new place before you even arrive. That way, you’ll have all the time you want to explore your new city.
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