Ellis County, Texas

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

File:Waxahachie masonic lodge 2013.jpg

Across from the courthouse is the Ellis County Museum.

Ellis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, its population was estimated to be 192,455.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Waxahachie.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was founded in 1849 and organized the next year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is named for Richard Ellis,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> president of the convention that produced the Texas Declaration of Independence. Ellis County is included in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert are land and Template:Convert (1.7%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Lake Waxahachie is located about five miles south of Waxahachie in Ellis County, Texas. Owned and operated by Ellis County Water Control and Improvement District Number One on behalf of the city of Waxahachie, the lake was formed by impounding the Waxahachie Creek in 1956. The water covers about 650 acres and has a maximum depth around 50.<ref>Texas Parks and Wildlife: Lake Waxahachie. Accessed September 11, 2022.</ref><ref>Premier Angler: Lake Waxahachie. Accessed September 11, 2022.</ref> The former community of South Prong was located beside the creek before the lake was created.<ref>Forth Worth Genealogical Society: Ghost Towns – South Prong, Ellis County, TX. Accessed September 11, 2022.</ref> There has been a country club and a two-acre public park with boat ramp since the lake was completed.<ref>Waxahachie Parks and Recreation: Waxahachie Lake. Accessed September 11, 2022.</ref> The lake is a recreational resource for the entire county.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Dallas County (north)
Kaufman County (northeast)
Henderson County (east)
Navarro County (south)
Hill County (southwest)
Johnson County (west)
Tarrant County (northwest)

Communities

File:USACE Bardwell Dam and Lake.jpg

Bardwell Dam and Lake in Ellis County near the town of Ennis

File:Ellis County, TX Courts building IMG 5610.JPG

Ellis County Courts building

Cities (multiple counties)

Cedar Hill (mostly in Dallas County)
Ferris (small part in Dallas County)
Glenn Heights (mostly in Dallas County)
Grand Prairie (mostly in Dallas and Tarrant Counties)
Mansfield (mostly in Tarrant County and a small part in Johnson County)
Venus (mostly in Johnson County)
Ovilla (small part in Dallas County)

Demographics

Template:US Census population

**Ellis County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	79,401	97,987	106,495	71.30%	65.49%	55.34%
Black or African American alone (NH)	9,514	13,161	23,738	8.54%	8.80%	12.33%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	473	565	710	0.42%	0.38%	0.37%
Asian alone (NH)	368	811	1,525	0.33%	0.65%	0.79%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	10	87	202	0.01%	0.06%	0.10%
Other race alone (NH)	82	155	790	0.07%	0.10%	0.41%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	1,004	1,683	6,963	0.90%	1.12%	3.62%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	20,508	35,161	52,032	18.42%	23.50%	27.04%
Total	111,360	149,610	192,455	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

According to the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 111,360 people, 37,020 households, and 29,653 families resided in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 39,071 housing units averaged Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 80.63% White, 8.64% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 7.92% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. About 18.42% of the population was Hispanic or Latinos of any race. By 2020, its population increased to 192,455.<ref name="2020CensusP2" /> The racial makeup in 2020 was 55.34% non-Hispanic white, 12.33% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.79% Asian American, 0.41% some other race, 3.62% multiracial, and 27.04% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

A Williams Institute analysis of 2010 census data found about 3.2 same-sex couples per 1,000 households were in the county.<ref name="newyorktimes">Template:Citation</ref>

American Community Survey 2023 Racial Data

The United States Census Bureau estimated that in 2023, Ellis County’s population was 222,829. It was also estimated that the county was 28.4% Hispanic or Latino, 51.9% NH White, 16.5% NH Black, 1.0% NH Asian, 0.4% NH Native, 0.1% NH Pacific Islander, and 1.7% NH Multiracial.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Race	Total	Percentage
Hispanic or Latino	63,319	28.4%
NH White	115,601	51.9%
NH Black	36,823	16.5%
NH Asian	2,261	1.0%
NH Native American	837	0.4%
NH Pacific Islander	222	0.1%
NH Multiracial	3,766	1.7%

Politics

Ellis is a staunchly Republican county in presidential elections. The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976, and since 2000, Republican presidential candidates have won with more than 60% of the vote. The county's Republican lean has lessened a bit due to population growth in the DFW metroplex in recent years, but it still remains strongly Republican.

Law enforcement

The Ellis County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services to the county. The current sheriff is Brad Norman. The agency also operates the Ellis County Jail in Waxahachie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Line of duty deaths

As of 2025, 6 officers of the Ellis County Sheriff's Office have been killed in the line of duty.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Media

Ellis County is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth television media market in North Texas. Stations in the market are KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV, WFAA-TV, KTVT-TV, KERA-TV, KTXA-TV, KDFI-TV, KDAF-TV, KFWD-TV, and KDTX-TV.

The county is home to one local radio station KBEC 1390 AM and 99.1 FM. The station has been in continuous operation since 1955 and is the oldest Family owned radio station in Texas. A weekly newspaper, the Ellis County Press, is based in Ferris and published Thursdays. The Waxahachie Daily Light and Waxahachie Sun are published biweekly; other weekly newspapers are The Ennis News and Midlothian Mirror.

Education

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

It is in the service area of Navarro College.<ref>Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.189. Navarro College District Service Area.</ref>

Notable people

Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde
J. D. Grey, clergyman, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Ennis, 1931–1934; later president of the Southern Baptist Convention
Ernest Tubb, country singer and songwriter
Lecil Travis Martin, known more commonly as Boxcar Willie, country singer and songwriter

References

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External links

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