Coppell, Texas

Coppell is a city in extreme northwest Dallas and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas, a suburb of Dallas, and bedroom community of the DFW Metroplex. The population is approximately 39,000. A small area in the far northern portion of the city extends into neighboring Denton County. Local attractions include The Saint Ann's Fair, Duck Pond Park, and Dallas Cowboys football games in nearby Arlington, Texas.

History

The Coppell area was settled by German and French immigrants in the 1840s. Members of the Peters Colony also settled here in the 1840s.^[3] Originally named "Gibbs Station," after Barnett Gibbs (who eventually became one of Texas’ first lieutenant governors), the town was renamed in 1892 for George Coppell, wealthy financier from England who came to the U.S. in the 1880s and was reportedly heavily involved with the final construction of the local railroad line. Popular belief is that he was an engineer, however, there is little or no evidence to support that claim.^[4]

In 1955, the community was incorporated through a ballot measure that passed by a vote of 41 to 1. Spurred by the opening of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in 1974, the city was radically transformed from a tiny farming village to a large, upper-middle class suburban community in the 1980s and 1990s. By 2000, almost all of the residentially zoned land in the city was developed, and the population grew to over 35,000. In addition to suburban homes, the city has a growing commercial base of warehouses and transportation centers on the south and west sides of the city, closest in proximity to the DFW airport.

Geography

Coppell is located at 32°58′2″N 96°59′12″W / 32.96722°N 96.98667°W (32.967341, -96.986564).^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.94 square miles (38.6 km²), of which 14.9 square miles (38.5 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²; 0.20%) is water.

In 2010, it snowed twelve inches. It was a record breaking moment. School was canceled and local shops were having 50% off sales in honor of the momentous occasion.

Coppell occupies the northwest corner of Dallas County and lies in proximity to DFW Airport. A portion of the airport property is within the city limits of Coppell. It is bordered on the west by Grapevine, on the north by Lewisville, on the east by Carrollton, and on the south by Irving and Dallas.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 35,958 people, 12,211 households, and 9,781 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,418.5 people per square mile (933.7/km²). There were 12,587 housing units at an average density of 846.6/sq mi (326.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.23% White, 3.26% African American, 0.34% Native American, 9.30% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.88% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.92% of the population.

There were 12,211 households out of which 54.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.7% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city the population was spread out with 34.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 39.0% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 2.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $106,783, and the median income for a family was $119,229. Males had a median income of $76,681 versus $43,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $40,219. About 1.4% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

Coppell is considered to be part of the humid subtropical region.

Economy

Because of its proximity to DFW Airport, the local economy is thriving.^[6] CiCi's Pizza has its headquarters in Coppell.^[7] Many corporations have shipping and distribution facilities in Coppell, including CiCi's Pizza, Lucent, and Mohawk Industries. In March 2010, Samsung opened a new cell phone manufacturing and distribution facility located in Coppell.^{[citation needed]} . Retrieved on July 12, 2009.</ref>

In December 2009 STMicroelectronics announced that it will move its U.S. headquarters to about 100,000 square feet (9,300 m²) of space at a then-recently renovated building at 750 Canyon Drive in Coppell. The company plans to move 300 employees from its previous U.S. regional office in Carrollton to the new office in Coppell.^[8]

Education

Coppell residents are served by one of three school districts.

Coppell Independent School District (CISD) is responsible for the K-12 education of the majority of the City of Coppell's children. A portion of the CISD also covers parts of north Irving in the Valley Ranch area and those portions of Lewisville that fall south of the current Dallas/Denton county boundary. Its high schools are Coppell High School and the newly opened New Tech High @ Coppell.

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD serves easternmost Coppell, south of Sandy Lake Rd. and to the east of Macarthur Blvd., including the Riverchase area, and students matriculate to Ranchview High School.

Lewisville ISD serves the northernmost section of Coppell falling in Denton County, including the Coppell Greens subdivision. This area is north of State Highway 121.

All of the elementary schools in the Coppell Independent School District are rated "Exemplary" by the Texas Education Agency (in 2008), as are Coppell Middle School North and Coppell Middle School East. Coppell Middle School West, Coppell High School and the district as a whole are rated "Recognized". New Tech High @ Coppell, received an "Exemplary" ranking in its first year, the 2008-2009 school year. Riverchase Elementary (in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, but located in Coppell) is rated "Recognized". Students from that school go on to attend the Barbara Bush Middle School and Ranchview High School in neighboring Valley Ranch. They are rated "Recognized" and "Academically Acceptable" respectively. [1]

The Coppell ISD was ranked as the #1 music program in the United States by the Music Educators Association in 2000. In August, 2001, Coppell voters approved a sales tax increase to provide funding for arts in the school district. The Coppell High School Marching Band won the Texas 4A UIL championship in 1999 and finished third in 5A in 2009. The Coppell Middle School North Band won a Texas state championship in 2006.

Sport and Recreation

Due to its proximity to Valley Ranch practice facilities, many athletes and coaches on the Dallas Stars NHL team and the Dallas Cowboys NFL team live in Coppell. George "Jub Jub" Dunham is one notable former resident, best known as the voice of Texas Stadium and a Marconi-nominated radio personality on 1310 AM The Ticket, where he frequently ranted about the injustices of the Robin Hood school funding program. Dallas Cowboys football star and Hall of Famer Troy Aikman also owns a house in Coppell.

Coppell High School won Texas state championships in baseball (1995), marching band (1999), softball (2002), boys soccer (2004), ice hockey (2003), boys lacrosse (2009 and 2010), girls lacrosse (2010), and girls soccer (2009), as well as many District championship titles. CHS was one of four inaugural members of the Metroplex High School Hockey League (1997)^[9], the first high school hockey league in Texas. Coppell High School athletic facilities are among the finest in the nation. On-campus facilities include a 12,000 seat football stadium, an indoor football practice fieldhouse with one of the largest weightrooms on the high school level, a practice baseball field, a practice softball field, two gymnasiums, and a tennis complex. Off-campus facilities include an indoor swimming pool at the Coppell YMCA and a baseball and softball stadium located next to the Coppell Middle School West campus.

Transportation

Coppell is located next to the northeast corner of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Coppell has uniquely convenient automobile transportation; no freeways go directly through the city, but the entire perimeter is served by SH121 and the Sam Rayburn Tollway (west and north), Interstate 635 (south), and the President George Bush Turnpike and Interstate 35E (east). There is no public transportation in Coppell; Coppell voters elected to withdraw from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) District in 1989. This election remains controversial today, as the city had a much smaller population in the 1980s, and the lack of membership in DART will likely prevent the city from participating in the planned Cotton Belt commuter rail system.^[10][11]

North Lake Controversy

The Billingsley Company, a Texas land developer, purchased land next to North Lake in 2004. The lake was built as a cooling reservoir in the 1950s for a power plant that is now closed. Lucy Billingsley, daughter of Trammell Crow, announced her intention to build up to 10,000 living units on the land. The area is officially in the city of Dallas but is part of the Coppell Independent School District. Officials in Coppell and Irving, Texas strongly opposed the plan due to increased automobile traffic and the costs of building and maintaining new schools. After three years of litigation, the parties reached a settlement in 2008 that will allow development on the land.^[12] Coppell residents approved a bond measure in 2007, part of which would be used to fund the construction of new schools. The Subprime mortgage crisis will likely postpone Billingsley's plans to develop the land.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. ^ Texas Historical Commission - Historical Marker. "Bethel Cemetery". http://www.stoppingpoints.com/texas/sights.cgi?marker=Bethel+Cemetery&cnty=dallas.
4. ^ Dallas Morning News Neighborsgo. "Lost and found: Coppell finally finds its namesake". http://neighborsgo.com/stories/54503.
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
6. ^ http://www.ci.coppell.tx.us/c2/content.nsf/site/2%3BCity%20Council%3BState%20of%20the%20City%3B%3BState%20of%20the%20City%20Speech%202009?opendocument
7. ^ "Contact Us." CiCi's Pizza. Retrieved on February 25, 2010.
8. ^ "STMicroelectronics Moves US Headquarters Closer to DFW Airport." PR Newswire. December 15, 2009. Retrieved on January 10, 2010.
9. ^ http://www.drpepperstarcenter.com/Hockey.asp?strHockeyType=highschool&strNews=hshgn
10. ^ http://americanrailroads.blogspot.com/2006/10/bombardier-artists-rendering-of.html
11. ^ http://www.ci.coppell.tx.us/
12. ^ http://www.ci.coppell.tx.us/c2/content.nsf/site/4%3BDepartments%20and%20Services%3BCity%20Manager's%20Office%3B%3BNorth%20Lake%20Development?opendocument

External links

• City of Coppell Official Site
• All Listings in Coppell
• Coppell Chamber of Commerce
• Coppell Independent School District

Categories: Dallas • Fort Worth Metroplex | Cities in Texas | Dallas County, Texas | Denton County, Texas