Editing Rockwall, Texas

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
 | official_name            = City of Rockwall
 | name                     = Rockwall, Texas
 | native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
 | other_name               = 
 | settlement_type          = [[City]]
 | image_skyline            = Rockwall November 2015 08 (Rusk Street).jpg
 | imagesize                = 
 | image_caption            = Rusk Street in Rockwall
 | image_flag               = 
 | flag_size                = 
 | image_seal               = 
 | seal_size                = 
 | image_shield             = 
 | shield_size              = 
 | image_blank_emblem       = 
 | blank_emblem_size        = 
 | nickname                 = 
 | motto                    = 
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
 | image_map                = Rockwall County Texas Incorporated Areas Rockwall highlighted.svg
 | mapsize                  = 250px
 | map_caption              = Location of Rockwall in [[Rockwall County, Texas|Rockwall County]], [[Texas]]
 | image_map1               = 
 | mapsize1                 = 
 | map_caption1             = 
 | pushpin_map              = <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
 | pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
 | pushpin_mapsize          = 
<!-- Location ------------------>
 | pushpin_map_caption      = 
 | coordinates              = {{coord|32|55|01|N|96|26|15|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}<ref name=gnis/>
 | subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
 | subdivision_name         = United States
 | subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
 | subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
 | subdivision_type3        = 
 | subdivision_type4        = 
 | subdivision_name1        = [[Texas]]
 | subdivision_name2        = [[Rockwall County, Texas|Rockwall]]
 | subdivision_name3        = 
 | subdivision_name4        = 
 | established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
 | established_date         = 
 | established_title2       = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
 | established_date2        = 
 | established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
 | established_date3        = 
<!-- Government ----------------->
 | government_footnotes     = 
 | government_type          = [[Council-manager government|Council-Manager]]
 | leader_title             = [[City Council]]
 | leader_name              = [[Mayor]]: Trace Johannesen<br />[[Mayor Pro Tem]]: Anna Campbell<br />Tim McCallum<br />Mark Moeller<br />Clarence Jorif<br />Sedric Thomas<br />Dennis Lewis<br />
 | leader_title1            = [[City Manager]]
 | leader_name1             = Mary Smith
<!-- Area    --------------------->
 | unit_pref                = Imperial
 | area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
 | area_magnitude           = 
 | area_total_km2           = 77.62
 | area_total_sq_mi         = 29.97
 | area_land_km2            = 76.33
 | area_land_sq_mi          = 29.47
 | area_water_km2           = 1.29
 | area_water_sq_mi         = 0.50
 | area_water_percent       = 1.63
 | area_urban_km2           = 
 | area_urban_sq_mi         = 
 | area_metro_km2           = 
 | area_metro_sq_mi         = 
 | area_blank1_title        = 
 | area_blank1_km2          = 
 | area_blank1_sq_mi        = 
 | elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
 | elevation_ft             = 561
<!-- Population   ----------------------->
 | population_total         = 47251
 | population_as_of         = 2020
 | population_footnotes     = <ref name=CensusQF>{{cite web|title=State and County Quick Facts|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2016/PEPANNRES/0400000US48.16200|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 14, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213191108/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2016/PEPANNRES/0400000US48.16200|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 | population_density_km2   = auto
 | population_density_sq_mi = auto
 | population_urban         = 
 | population_density_urban_km2 = 
 | population_density_urban_sq_mi = 
 | population_metro         = 
 | population_density_metro_km2 = 
 | population_density_metro_sq_mi = 
 | population_blank1_title  = 
 | population_blank1        = 
 | population_density_blank1_km2 = 
 | population_density_blank1_sq_mi= 
<!-- General information  --------------->
 | population_demonym       = Rockwaller, Rockwallite, Rockwallian
 | postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
 | postal_code              = {{flatlist|
*75032
*75087
}}
 | area_code                = [[Area codes 214, 469, 972, and 945|214, 469, 945, 972]]
 | website                  = {{URL|http://www.rockwall.com/}}
 | footnotes                = 
 | image_dot_map            = 
 | dot_mapsize              = 
 | dot_map_caption          = 
 | dot_x                    = 
 | dot_y                    = 
 | leader_title2            = 
 | leader_name2             = 
 | leader_title3            = 
 | leader_name3             = 
 | leader_title4            = 
 | leader_name4             = 
 | timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|CST]]
 | utc_offset               = -6
 | timezone_DST             = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|CDT]]
 | utc_offset_DST           = -5
 | blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS]] code
 | blank_info               = {{FIPS|48|62828}}<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
 | blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
 | blank1_info              = 2410982<ref name=gnis>{{Cite GNIS|2410982|Rockwall}}</ref>
}}

'''Rockwall''' is a city in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Texas]] and the [[County seat|seat]] of [[Rockwall County, Texas|Rockwall County]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=2011-06-07|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that as of 2023, Rockwall's population is 52,918, up from 47,251 in the 2020 census.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Rockwall city, Texas; Rockwall County, Texas|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/rockwallcitytexas,rockwallcountytexas/PST045219|access-date=2021-04-28|website=www.census.gov|language=en}}</ref> The name Rockwall is derived from a [[Clastic dike|naturally jointed geological formation]], which has the appearance of an artificial wall.

==History==
The association of [[Paleo-Indian]] [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifact]]s with extinct [[Pleistocene]] [[mammal]] remains in various [[archeological site]]s within the Texas Prairie-Savannah Region of eastern North Central Texas, including a site in Collin County, and [[Clovis culture|Clovis points]] recovered from the Brushy Creek Clovis Site in Hunt County demonstrates that the Rockwall region was occupied by prehistoric [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] cultures at least as far back as 13,500 to 13,000 years ago.<ref name="CrookOthers2009a">Crook, W.W. III, M.D. Hughston and J.L. McCraw, 2009, ''The Brushy Creek Clovis Site (41HU74): An Early Paleoindian Occupation in Hunt County, Texas.'' The Record, Dallas Archeological Society 56(1):1-18.</ref><ref name="CrookOthers2011a">Crook, W. W., III, 2011, ''A Possible Association of Worked Flakes with Probosidian Bones near Lake Lavon, Collin County, Texas.'' Archeological Journal of the Texas Prairie-Savannah 1(1):4-8.</ref><ref name="FerringOthers2011a">Ferring, C.R., 2000, ''The Archeology and Paleoecology of the Aubrey Clovis Site (41DN79) Denton County, Texas.'' Center for Environmental Archeology, Department of Geography, University of North Texas, Denton.</ref> More recently, the Rockwall region was occupied by [[Caddo]] Indians. [[Creek people|Creek]] Indians moved to the area in the early 19th century.

In 1851, the first [[English-American|Anglo-American]] settlers moved to the area, and wells were dug. During the digging, they found large underground rock walls that were initially believed to be man-made. Later study of the wall-like features by geologists and archaeologists found them to be jointed, natural [[sandstone dike]]s that had intruded [[Cretaceous]] [[marl]].<ref name="Monroe1950"/><ref name="Ellwood Others1989"/> The wall, when viewed from above, runs in long straight lines with angles that form a near perfect rectangle. The eastern wall has several deviations that run in straight lines with sharp angles, which would be unusual for a natural formation in an already unusual closed loop wall formation.

The town was established April 17, 1854 and named after these natural rock walls. While originally part of Kaufman County, in 1873, Rockwall County was formed with Rockwall being the county seat.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=Texas State Historical |title=Rockwall County |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/rockwall-county |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=Texas State Historical Association |language=en}}</ref>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|31.6|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|22.3|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.4|sqmi|km2}}  (1.63%) is water.

Rockwall is on the eastern shore of [[Lake Ray Hubbard]], approximately 20 miles northeast of [[Dallas]]. It is on state highways [[Texas State Highway 205|205]] and [[Texas State Highway 66|66]], north of [[Interstate 30 in Texas|Interstate 30]].<ref>''Rockwall, Texas,'' 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1963 (1973 rev)</ref>

===Climate===
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Rockwall has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=707714&cityname=Rockwall%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Rockwall, Texas]</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1880 = 215
| 1890 = 843
| 1900 = 1245
| 1910 = 1136
| 1920 = 1388
| 1930 = 1074
| 1940 = 1318
| 1950 = 1501
| 1960 = 2166
| 1970 = 3121
| 1980 = 5939
| 1990 = 10486
| 2000 = 17976
| 2010 = 37490
| 2020 = 47251
| estyear = 2023
| estimate = 52918
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus" >{{cite web
  |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2018.html
  |title=Census of Population and Housing
  |author=US Census Bureau
  |website=Census.gov
  |access-date=May 30, 2019
}}</ref>

}}<ref >{{Cite web
  |author=US Census Bureau
  |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023
  |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html
  |access-date=2024-11-15
  |website=Census.gov
}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Rockwall racial composition as of 2020'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4862828&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref><br /> (NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.<ref>https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|30,786
|65.15%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|3,706
|7.84%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|205
|0.43%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|1,705
|3.61%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|29
|0.06%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|128
|0.27%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|2,043
|4.32%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|8,649
|18.3%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''47,251'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 47,251 people, 16,151 households, and 12,771 families residing in the city.

== Government ==

===Local government===
[[File:Rockwall county tx courthouse 2014.jpg|thumb|The Rockwall County Courthouse in Rockwall]]

According to the city's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city's various funds had $39.0 million in revenues, $42.2 million in expenditures, $32.3 million in total assets, $3.6 million in total liabilities, and $25.9 million in investments.<ref>[http://www.rockwall.com/Finance/Documents/Audit2009.pdf City of Rockwall 2009 CAFR] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715195252/http://www.rockwall.com/Finance/Documents/Audit2009.pdf |date=2011-07-15 }} retrieved 2010-11-17</ref>

The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:<ref name=2012AuditOfficials>{{cite web|title=Comprehensive Annual Financial Report|url=http://www.rockwall.com/Finance/Documents/Audit%202012.pdf|access-date=June 3, 2013|date=September 30, 2012|page=19}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Department
! Director
|-
|City Manager
|Mary Smith
|-
|Assistant City Manager
|Joey Boyd
|-
|Director of Public Works/City Engineer 
|Amy Williams, PE
|-
|Director of Parks and Recreation
|Travis Sales, MCPTM
|-
|Chief of Police 
|Ed Fowler
|-
|Fire Chief 
|Kenneth Cullins
|-
|Director of Planning
|Ryan Miller, AICP
|}

The city of Rockwall is a voluntary member of the [[North Central Texas Council of Governments]] association, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions.

===State government===
Rockwall is represented in the [[Texas Senate]] by Republican [[Bob Hall (Texas politician)|Bob Hall]], [[Texas Senate, District 2|District 2]],<ref>{{Cite web|url =http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/members/dist2/dist2.htm|title =Senator Bob Hall: District 2|access-date =April 24, 2015|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150312051200/http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/members/dist2/dist2.htm|archive-date =March 12, 2015}}</ref> and in the [[Texas House of Representatives]] by Republican [[Justin Holland (politician)|Justin Holland]], House District 33.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=33|title = Texas House Member|access-date = April 24, 2015}}</ref>

===Federal government===
At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans [[John Cornyn]] and [[Ted Cruz]]; Rockwall is part of [[Texas's 4th congressional district]], which is currently represented by Republican [[Pat Fallon]].

== Education ==

=== Public schools ===
The city is served by the [[Rockwall Independent School District]].
There are two public high schools in Rockwall: [[Rockwall High School]] and [[Rockwall-Heath High School]]. There are sixteen elementary schools and three middle schools in Rockwall.

=== Higher education ===
The city is home to the Higher Education Center at Rockwall, which is part of the community college district, [[Collin College]]. The campus is the District's first campus outside of [[Collin County, Texas|Collin County]] itself.  [[Texas A&M University-Commerce]] holds classes at the center.

== Transportation ==
Rockwall is served by the following highways that run through the city:

* [[File:I-30.svg|30px]] [[Interstate Highway 30 (Texas)|Interstate 30]]
* [[File:US 67.svg|30px]] [[U.S. Highway 67 (Texas)|U.S. Highway 67]] (runs concurrent with [[Interstate Highway 30 (Texas)|Interstate 30]])
* [[File:Texas 66.svg|30px]] [[State Highway 66 (Texas)|State Highway 66]]
* [[File:Texas 205.svg|30px]] [[State Highway 205 (Texas)|State Highway 205]]
* [[File:Texas 276.svg|30px]] [[State Highway 276 (Texas)|State Highway 276]]
* [[File:Texas FM 549.svg|30px]] [[Farm to Market Road 549|Farm to Market 549]]
* [[File:Texas FM 552.svg|30px]] [[Farm to Market Road 552|Farm to Market 552]]
* [[File:Texas FM 740.svg|30px]] [[Farm to Market Road 740|Farm to Market 740]]

[[Ralph M. Hall/Rockwall Municipal Airport]] is located two miles east of the city and is used mostly by small general aviation aircraft.

== Sports ==
Rockwall offers many different sports complexes as well as activities. Airport Road boasts baseball fields, as well as the Landing Point complex containing the Texas International Fencing Center, zipline and dance facilities. The Rockwall Indoor Sports Expo is located on South 205. Lake Ray Hubbard has several boating marinas and is used for [[jet ski]]ing.

Rockwall also offers 2 different Golf Courses <ref>{{Cite web | title=Rockwall Texas Golf Courses | url=http://www.rockwalltoday.com/community/rockwall_texas_golf_courses.php | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011120432/http://www.rockwalltoday.com:80/community/rockwall_texas_golf_courses.php | access-date=2025-02-25 | archive-date=2009-10-11}}</ref> within 17 miles of the center of Rockwall.

==Notable people==
* [[Dan Bartlett]], former Counselor to the President
* [[Jason Castro (singer)|Jason Castro]], top 12 contestant on season 7 of [[American Idol season 7|''American Idol'']]
* [[Joe Driver]], [[Texas House of Representatives|Texas State Representative]] from 1993 to 2013
* [[Zack Eskridge]], former CFL quarterback
* [[Allie Gonino]], singer, actress, and violinist who played Laurel Mercer in ''[[The Lying Game (TV series)|The Lying Game]]''
* [[Ralph Hall]], member of US House of Representatives
* [[Cliff Harris]], professional football safety who played for the [[Dallas Cowboys]]<ref>[http://www.intra-focus.com/golfpodium/4A9C57F7-65BE-CC3C-1D9C920B3ECD547D.htm Cliff Harris Football All-time Great & Author] Retrieved 2018-04-16.</ref>
* [[Alex Jones]], conservative radio show host and conspiracy theorist
* [[Roger Kieschnick]], former outfielder for Arizona Diamondbacks
* [[Kendial Lawrence]], former CFL running back
* [[Larry Lea]], former televangelist whose ministry was based in Rockwall during the 1980s and early 1990s
* [[Carlton Massey]], defensive lineman for Cleveland Browns
* [[James McSweeney]], retired UFC fighter
* [[Mason Musso]], lead singer and guitarist in [[Metro Station (band)|Metro Station]]
* [[Mitchel Musso]], actor and singer
* [[Anfernee Orji|Anfernee Orji]], linebacker for New Orleans Saints
* [[Marina Oswald Porter]], widow of [[Lee Harvey Oswald]]
* [[William Hubbel Price]], [[Texas]] [[Legislator]]
* [[Amar Sandhu]], first American-born Punjabi singer
* [[Jaxon Smith-Njigba]], NFL wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks
* [[Andy Tanner]], former wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints
* [[Travis Tedford]], former child actor best known for portraying Spanky McFarland in the 1994 feature film The Little Rascals

==Fringe claims that the rock wall was built by a prehistoric race==
In 1925 [[Byron Khun de Prorok]] claimed that the wall was built by a prehistoric race.<ref name="Dunning">{{cite web |last1=Dunning |first1=Brian |author1-link=Brian Dunning (author)|title=The Rock Wall of Texas |url=https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4958?utm_source=skeptoid&utm_campaign=companion_email&utm_content=current_episode_textlink&utm_medium=email |website=Skeptoid |access-date=15 October 2024 |date=15 October 2024}}</ref><ref name="Monroe1950">Monroe, J.N., 1950, ''Origin of the clastic dikes in the Rockwall area, Texas. '' Field and Laboratory. v. 18, no. 4, pp. 133-143.</ref><ref name="Ellwood Others1989">Ellwood, B.B., J. Payne, and G.J. Long, 1989, [https://archive.today/20130105053125/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/114068916/abstract ''The Rockwall, Texas: A study of unusual natural magnetic effects in geoarcheological surveys produced by mineral oxidation.''] Geoarchaeology. v. 4, no. 2, pp. 103-118.</ref>
<ref>{{cite news |title=Rockwall named for Natural wall |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle-rockwall-named-for-nat/157192679/ |work=Spokane Chronicle |date=1 July 1925 |pages=20|access-date=15 October 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/19961219022734/http://rockwall.com/ The City of Rockwall Home Page]

{{Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex}}
{{Rockwall County, Texas}}
{{Texas county seats}}
{{Texas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex]]
[[Category:Cities in Rockwall County, Texas]]
[[Category:Cities in Texas]]
[[Category:County seats in Texas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1854]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in Texas]]