Garland City is a northeast suburb of Dallas and is a critical piece of the Forth Worth-Dallas Metroplex. The majority of the city of Garland lies in Dallas County, even though small parts are situated in Collin County. It is the 12th most inhabited city in Texas with a current population of around 227,000. There are two DART Light Rail Line transit stations situated in the city of Garland. One is at Jupiter Road and Forest Land whilst the other is situated within Historic Downtown Garland. The D/FW International Airport is situated approximately 30 minutes away.
The area was firstly settled in the year 1850 with the community officially being launched during the year 1874. The settlement was named after the corn mill that was constructed on the northwest bank of Duck Creek by a man named Moles. Fortunately for the settlers, the black soil was ideal for growing cotton. Cotton quickly became their main agricultural product and, by the year 1867, two cotton gins had been constructed. A post office was eventually established during 1878.
In recent years, the city has seen numerous notable developments; specifically in the northern sector of the city. During 2003 Garland City opened Hawaiian Falls Water Park, that was followed shortly by both the School District's Special Events Center and the Firewheel Town Center in 2005. The Firewheel Town Center hosts more than 100 businesses in an outdoor mall setting.
The city and the Trammell Crow Company completed a private/public deal during the year 2009, in order to develop the parking lot and old courthouse situated between 5th Street, 6th Street, as well as the North Side of Austin Street into a development that is transit oriented named 5th Street Crossing. This particular development consists of more than 189 residential apartment units in addition to 11,000 SF of flex retail. The downtown DART Rail station and City hall are located cater-corner to 5th Street Crossing.