Watauga, Texas

Watauga (/wɒˈtɔːɡə/)[5] is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 23,497 at the 2010 census.[6] The city's businesses and retail markets are generally located on Highway 377.

Watauga, Texas
City
City Hall facing north on 24 March 2016.
City Hall facing north on 24 March 2016.
Location within Tarrant County and Texas
Location within Tarrant County and Texas
Coordinates: 32°52′17″N 97°14′57″W
Country United States
State Texas
County Tarrant
Government
 • TypeHome Rule (Mayor-Council-Manager)
 • City CouncilMayor Arthur Miner
Patrick Shelbourne
Tom Snyder
Lovie Downey
Andrew Neal
Malissa Minucci
Mark Taylor
Jan Hill
 • City ManagerJoshua Jones
Area
[1]
 • Total4.16 sq mi (10.77 km2)
 • Land4.16 sq mi (10.77 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
607 ft (185 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total23,497
 • Estimate 
(2019)[2]
24,481
 • Density5,886.27/sq mi (2,272.64/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
76148, 76137
Area code(s)817, 682
FIPS code48-76672[3]
GNIS feature ID1376659[4]
Websiteci.Watauga.TX.us

History

The first settlers came to Tarrant County in 1843.[7] The Texas and Pacific Railway came through present-day Watauga in 1881, which spurred a settlement of large farms and ranches. The settlement took its name from the pre-Revolutionary War Watauga Association settlement that was located in the northeastern section of East Tennessee, in areas surrounding the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River, near present-day Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Watauga received a railroad station and a post office in 1883. The population was 65 in the mid-1930s and 1940s, when the railroad station had closed. The population then grew due to defense plants to over 1000 in the 1960s. The population continued to grow to 7,050 in 1976, and 20,000 in 1990.[8]

Geography

Watauga is located at 32°52′17″N 97°14′57″W (32.871416, –97.249122).[9] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.8 km2), all land.

The city is entirely surrounded by the cities of Keller to the north, Fort Worth to the west, Haltom City to the southwest and North Richland Hills to the south and east. Almost all of the city's land area is located east of US 377, though a portion extends west of that highway and includes homes and some city offices.

Places

Locations within city limits of Watauga include, Capp Smith Park, Watauga Pavilion and Watauga Public Library which is a sworn member of the Fort Worth-based METRO-PAC library catalog system. Other nearby attractions to Watauga and inside the Mid-Cities include North East Mall in Hurst (7–8 miles), Grapevine Lake and Grapevine Mills Mall (17 miles) in Grapevine, NRH20 in North Richland Hills (7 miles), and Southlake Town Square in Southlake (10 miles).

Transportation

No public transportation operates in Watauga, having not elected to join Trinity Metro but instead chosen to direct local sales tax option funds elsewhere.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19703,778—
198010,284172.2%
199020,00994.6%
200021,9089.5%
201023,4977.3%
202023,6500.7%
2021 (est.)23,313[2]−1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
Watauga racial composition as of 2020[11]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[lower-alpha 1]
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 13,316 56.3%
Black or African American (NH) 1,461 6.18%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 103 0.44%
Asian (NH) 1,461 6.18%
Pacific Islander (NH) 108 0.46%
Some Other Race (NH) 119 0.5%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 1,103 4.66%
Hispanic or Latino 5,979 25.28%
Total 23,650

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 23,650 people, 7,827 households, and 6,100 families residing in the city.

Local government

Watauga is a full-service city, providing police, fire and emergency services, parks and recreation, a library, building inspection, economic development, city planning, and public works. The city operates under a Mayor-Council-Manager form of government. According to the city's 2013-2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $25.5 million in revenues, $23.3 million in expenditures, $102.8 million in total assets, $32.8 million in total liabilities, and $27.5 million in cash and investments.[14]

The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:[15]

City Department Director
City Manager Joshua Jones
Finance Director Sandra Gibson
Police Chief Robert Parker
Fire Chief Shawn Fannan
Human Resources & Civil Service Director Juliet Rodriguez
Chief Information Officer / PIO Bradley Fraley
Library Director Lana Ewell
Municipal Court Judge J. Stewart Bass
Parks and Community Services Director Sal Torres

Education

Watauga is served by two independent school districts. Birdville serves a majority of the city, while Keller serves the northwestern portion.

Economy

Top employers

According to Watauga's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[16] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Birdville ISD 243
2 Target 200
3 City of Watauga 208
4 North Pointe Health & Rehab 89
5 Albertson's 85
6 Keller ISD 68
7 Cotton Patch Cafe 65
8 Fresco's 40
9 Chili's 30
10 Fitness Now 30

References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. Watauga Definition and Meaning. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  6. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Watauga city, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  7. City of Watauga website
  8. Handbook of Texas Online
  9. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  12. https://www.census.gov/
  13. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  14. City of Watauga 2013-14 CAFR Retrieved 2015-06-22
  15. City of Watauga FY2014-15 Budget Retrieved 2015-06-22
  16. City of Watauga ACFR Retrieved 2023-08-24
  1. 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.[12][13]
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.