Rockwall is a city in Rockwall County, Texas, United States, which is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. It is the county seat of Rockwall County.[5] The U.S. Census Bureau estimate's As of the 2020 census, Rockwall's population is 47,251. That's up from 45,888 in 2019.[6] The name Rockwall is derived from a naturally jointed geological formation, which has the appearance of an artificial wall.[7][8]
Rockwall, Texas | |
|---|---|
| City of Rockwall | |
.jpg) Rusk Street in Rockwall | |
 Location of Rockwall in Rockwall County, Texas | |
| Coordinates: 32°55′52″N 96°27′35″W / 32.93111°N 96.45972°WCoordinates: 32°55′52″N 96°27′35″W / 32.93111°N 96.45972°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Rockwall |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • City Council | Mayor: Kevin Fowler Mayor Pro Tem: Trace Johannesen Bennie Daniels Mark Moeller Clarence Jorif Dana Macalik Anna Campbell |
| • City Manager | Mary Smith |
| Area | |
| • Total | 29.97 sq mi (77.62 km2) |
| • Land | 29.47 sq mi (76.33 km2) |
| • Water | 0.50 sq mi (1.29 km2) 1.63% |
| Elevation | 591 ft (180 m) |
| Population (2020)[3] | |
| • Total | 47,251 |
| • Density | 1,600/sq mi (610/km2) |
| Demonym(s) | Rockwaller, Rockwallite, Rockwallian |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
|
| Area code(s) | 214, 469, 945, 972 |
| FIPS code | 48-62828[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1345424[1] |
| Website | www |
HistoryEdit
The association of Paleo-Indian artifacts with extinct Pleistocene mammal remains in various archeological sites within the Texas Prairie-Savannah Region of eastern North Central Texas, including a site in Collin County, and Clovis points recovered from the Brushy Creek Clovis Site in Hunt County demonstrates that the Rockwall region was occupied by prehistoric Native American cultures at least as far back as 13,500 to 13,000 years ago.[9][10][11] More recently, the Rockwall region was occupied by Caddo Indians. Creek Indians moved to the area in the early 19th century.
In 1851, the first 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 manmade. Later study of the wall-like features by geologists and archaeologists found them to be jointed, natural sandstone dikes that had intruded Cretaceous marl.[7][8]
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.
GeographyEdit
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.6 square miles (82 km2), of which, 22.3 square miles (58 km2) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) of it (1.63%) is water.
Rockwall is on the east shore of Lake Ray Hubbard about 20 miles northeast of Dallas. It is on state highways 205 and 66, north of Interstate 30.[12]
ClimateEdit
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.[13]
DemographicsEdit
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 215 | — | |
| 1890 | 843 | 292.1% | |
| 1900 | 1,245 | 47.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,136 | −8.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,388 | 22.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,074 | −22.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,318 | 22.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,501 | 13.9% | |
| 1960 | 2,166 | 44.3% | |
| 1970 | 3,121 | 44.1% | |
| 1980 | 5,939 | 90.3% | |
| 1990 | 10,486 | 76.6% | |
| 2000 | 17,976 | 71.4% | |
| 2010 | 37,490 | 108.6% | |
| 2020 | 47,251 | 26.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 30,786 | 65.15% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 3,706 | 7.84% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 205 | 0.43% |
| Asian (NH) | 1,705 | 3.61% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 29 | 0.06% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 128 | 0.27% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 2,043 | 4.32% |
| 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.
EconomyEdit
According to the city's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[18] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockwall Independent School District | 1,556 |
| 2 | Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Rockwall | 592 |
| 3 | Wal-Mart Superstore | 492 |
| 4 | Rockwall County | 299 |
| 5 | Texas Star Express | 275 |
| 6 | City of Rockwall | 262 |
| 7 | Hilton Bella Harbor | 250 |
| 8 | Costco | 250 |
| 9 | Special Products and Manufacturing | 205 |
| 10 | Target Corporation | 200 |
GovernmentEdit
Local governmentEdit
According to the city's most recent 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.[19]
The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:[20]
| 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 | Max Geron |
| 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 governmentEdit
Rockwall is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Bob Hall, District 2,[21] and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Justin Holland, District 33.[22]
Federal governmentEdit
At the Federal level, the two U.S. Senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz; Rockwall is part of Texas' US Congressional 4th District, which is currently represented by Republican Pat Fallon.
EducationEdit
Public schoolsEdit
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, three middle schools, and two high schools in Rockwall.
Higher educationEdit
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 itself. Texas A&M University-Commerce holds classes at the center. Texas A&M University-Commerce also has a campus located at the Rockwall Technology Park.
TransportationEdit
Rockwall is served by the following highways that run through the city:
Interstate 30
U.S. Highway 67 (runs concurrent with Interstate 30)
State Highway 66
State Highway 205
State Highway 276
Farm to Market 549
Farm to Market 552
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.
SportsEdit
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 skiing.
Rockwall also offers 2 different Golf Courses [1] within 17 miles of the center of Rockwall.
Notable peopleEdit
- Jason Castro, top 12 contestant on season 7 of American Idol
- Joe Driver, Texas State Representative from 1993 to 2013
- Allie Gonino, singer, actress, and violinist who played Laurel Mercer in The Lying Game
- Cliff Harris, professional football safety who played for the Dallas Cowboys[23]
- Alex Jones, conservative radio show host and conspiracy theorist who grew up in Rockwall during the 1980s and early 1990s
- Larry Lea, former televangelist whose ministry was based in Rockwall during the 1980s and early 1990s
- Mason Musso, lead singer and guitarist in Metro Station
- Mitchel Musso, actor
- Marina Oswald Porter, widow of Lee Harvey Oswald
- Amar Sandhu, first American-born Punjabi singer
- 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
- Ray Dethloff, author of "Dallas Cop: True Tales from a Career"[24]
Popular cultureEdit
In 2013, forensic geologist, Scott Wolter, on the television show America Unearthed, visited Rockwall to investigate the claims that the wall might have been manmade, and the conclusion of the episode was that the underground structure was natural and not man-made.[25][unreliable source?]
Sister citiesEdit
Rockwall’s sister cities are:
Cairo, Egypt
Singapore
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Belfast, United Kingdom
Mumbai, India
Peshawar, Pakistan
Honolulu, Hawaii
Tokyo, Japan
Seoul, South Korea
Cape Town, South Africa
Venice, Italy
Cardiff, United Kingdom
Cayenne, French Guiana
Paramaribo, Suriname
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b c "Rockwall". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "State and County Quick Facts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Rockwall city, Texas; Rockwall County, Texas". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Monroe, J.N., 1950, Origin of the clastic dikes in the Rockwall area, Texas. Field and Laboratory. v. 18, no. 4, pp. 133-143.
- ^ a b Ellwood, B.B., J. Payne, and G.J. Long, 1989, 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Rockwall, Texas, 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1963 (1973 rev)
- ^ Climate Summary for Rockwall, Texas
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ https://www.census.gov/[not specific enough to verify]
- ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" (PDF). September 30, 2014. p. 132. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ City of Rockwall 2009 CAFR Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 2010-11-17
- ^ "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" (PDF). September 30, 2012. p. 19. Retrieved June 3, 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Senator Bob Hall: District 2". Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ "Texas House Member". Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ Cliff Harris Football All-time Great & Author Retrieved 2018-04-16.
- ^ Dethloff, Ray (July 30, 2021). Dallas Cop: True Tales from a Career. ISBN 978-1977244604.
- ^ "Great Wall of Texas". America Unearthed. Season 2. Episode 3. December 14, 2013. A&E Television Networks. Retrieved July 19, 2019.