Grapevine, Texas

Grapevine is a city and suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth located in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States, with minor portions extending into Dallas County and Denton County. The city is located in the Mid-Cities suburban region between Dallas and Fort Worth and includes a larger portion of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport than other cities.

The city is adjacent to Grapevine Lake, a large reservoir impounded by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1952 that serves as a source of water and recreational area.

History
In October 1843, General Sam Houston and fellow Republic of Texas Commissioners camped at Tah-Wah-Karro Creek, also known as Grape Vine Springs, to meet with leaders of 10 Indian nations. This meeting culminated in the signing of a treaty of "peace, friendship, and commerce," which opened the area for homesteaders. The settlement that emerged was named Grape Vine due to its location on the appropriately-named Grape Vine Prairie near Grape Vine Springs, both names in homage to the wild grapes that grew in the area.

The first recorded white settlement in what would become the modern city occurred in the late 1840s and early 1850s. General Richard Montgomery Gano owned property near Grape Vine and helped organize the early settlement against Comanche raiding parties before leading his band of volunteers to battle in the American Civil War. Growth during the 19th century was slow but steady; by 1890, Grape Vine had approximately 800 residents supported by such amenities as a newspaper, a public school, several cotton gins, a post office, and railroad service. The settlement made continued gains early in the 20th century and on January 12, 1914, the post office altered the town's name to one word: Grapevine.

On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1934, Henry Methvin, an associate of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, killed two police officers, E.B. Wheeler and H.D. Murphy, during an altercation near Grapevine. A historical marker remains at the intersection of Dove Road and State Highway 114.

Grapevine's population fell during the interwar period as the economy stagnated, though the city was officially incorporated in 1936. Cotton was the primary crop for Grapevine until the early 20th century when it was overtaken by cantaloupe farms that accounted for 25,000 acres. For several decades, until the early 1970s, the Rotary Club sign outside of town boasted Grapevine as the "Cantaloupe Capital of the World". Population growth and economic gains resumed to some extent in the decades after World War II. The opening of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in 1974 spurred massive development. Grapevine depended heavily upon agricultural production prior to the mid-20th century but transformed into a regional center of commerce because of its proximity to the airport's north entrance.

In recent years, several wineries have opened in Grapevine and the city has been active in maintaining its historic downtown corridor.



Geography
Grapevine is located at 32.935°N, -97.08583°W (32.935025, &minus;97.085784).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.9 mi2, of which 32.3 mi2 is land and 3.6 mi2 is water.

2010 United States Census
As of the 2010 census, there were 46,334 people, 18,223 households, and 12,332 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,451 people per square mile. There were 19,685 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 81.1% White, 3.3% African American, 0.7% Native American, 4.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 8.0% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.0% of the population.

There were 18,223 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.06.

The population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 74.9% over the age of 18, 5.6% from 20 to 24, 13.3% from 25 to 34, 24.7% from 35 to 49, 20.9% from 50 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years.

Recent Estimates
According to a 2010 estimate, the median household income was $76,040, and the median family income was $93,587. Males had a median income of $66,378 versus $47,995 for females. The per capita income was $38,304. About 5.2% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Municipal government


Grapevine uses a council–manager government, consisting of an elected city council, composed of the mayor and six at-large councilmembers, with a city manager appointed by the council. The current city manager is Bruno Rumbelow.

The government is a voluntary member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

Politics
Grapevine, located in conservative Northeast Tarrant County, votes overwhelmingly Republican in all elections, as do most suburban cities in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

Texas Legislature
The city almost entirely lies within the boundaries of Texas House District 98 and Texas Senate Districts 9 and 12, with very small portions lying within Texas House Districts 63 and 115 and Texas Senate Districts 10 and 16.

Texas State Board of Education
The city almost entirely lies withing the boundaries of Texas State Board of Education District 11 with a very small portion lying within District 14.

Education
Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District serves most of the city. The District operates eleven elementary schools (pre-kindergarten through 5th grade), four middle schools (6th-8th grades), and two high schools (9th-12th grades). Colleyville Heritage High School and Grapevine High School both draw students from different areas of Grapevine and are well-regarded by various national news outlets.

Northwestern Grapevine lies inside Carroll Independent School Distrct, while smaller portions are served by Lewisville Independent School Distict and Coppell Independent School District.

The Faith Christian School, a private school, is also in Grapevine.

Economy
Grapevine's economy is largely centered around tourism. Travelers arriving to and departing from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport make up the majority of the city's visitors. The Gaylord Texan and Great Wolf Lodge stand in a separate class as massive entertainment complexes that offer hotel, convention, and performance space in addition to serving the recreational desires of both locals and tourists.

Nearby Grapevine Mills Mall is a regional outlet shopping center with many amenities, including a movie theater. Many of the top brands in fashion and other retail sectors maintain a space within the mall. Embassy Suites Grapevine and the DFW Lakes Hilton complex also lay adjacent to Grapevine Mills and Bass Pro Shops.

In addition to these areas, Main Street in historic downtown Grapevine is a popular attraction. City Hall, the Grapevine Convention and Visitor's Bureau, public library, and recreation center are on Main Street in addition to many small businesses. These include antique stores, restaurants, bars, theaters, a park, and many specialty shops. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad follows a historic route between Grapevine and the Fort Worth Stockyards, departing from a station on South Main Street. The city is also the home of several wineries and tasting rooms to include Umbra Winery as well as the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association.

According to the City's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's top employers are:

GameStop, a national electronics retailer and one of the city's largest corporate employers, is headquartered in Grapevine.

As of 2015 Kubota Corp. is establishing a new U.S. headquarters in Grapevine, moving about 350 employees from California and spending $51 million.

The facility at 1639 West 23rd Street is on the property of DFW Airport and in Grapevine. Tenants include China Airlines, Lufthansa Cargo, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Historically, Grapevine was the headquarters of a collection of now-defunct air carriers. In 1978 Braniff Place, the final world headquarters for Braniff International Airways, was built in what is now Grapevine, on the grounds of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Following Braniff's 1982 bankruptcy, the structure is now known as Verizon Place. In the 1990s Metro Airlines maintained its main offices in the city of Grapevine, as did Kitty Hawk Aircargo for a time.

Highways
Two grade-separated highways run through the city. State Highways 114 and 121 trisect Grapevine south and slightly west of downtown. 121 runs from the south and 114 from the northwest. The highways intersect near Mustang Drive and William D. Tate Avenue and continue together towards the airport before splitting again at the north entrance of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Grapevine's highways as of 2010 underwent a significant overhaul to improve traffic flow through the area, with heavy construction expected to last until 2014.

Highways SH 26, SH 121, SH 360, SH 114, Spur 97, and FM 2499 run into Grapevine.

Airports
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the main provider of air service to Grapevine and the region, providing connections to places around the state, country, and abroad. DFW is the main hub for American Airlines, though other major carriers maintain a large presence. Love Field in Dallas is relatively close to Grapevine.

Rail
The Grapevine Vintage Railroad provides service to and from Fort Worth along the former Cotton Belt Railroad right-of-way. The service acts more as a tourist attraction due to its slow speeds. However, the city's 50-year commitment to the Fort Worth Transportation Authority and approval of a half-cent sales tax increase is expected to pay dividends through the introduction of the TEX Rail service to northeast Tarrant County by 2018. New train stations downtown and north of the airport are included in the plans, as is a connection to DART Rail to provide mass transit service to the metroplex's eastern half.

The closest connections to rail are the DFW airport, Terminal A, DART Rail station and the Hurst station for the Trinity Rail Express. Amtrak passenger service is available in both downtown Dallas and Fort Worth.

Bus
The Convention and Visitor's Bureau operates the Grapevine Visitor's Shuttle between points of interest within the city. Additional information including stops and pricing can be found here.

Bicycle
The majority of Grapevine's transportation infrastructure is centered around the automobile, though amenities for bicycles can be found. A bicycle route runs along the length of Dove Road beginning at the intersection of Dove and North Main Street, connecting Grapevine and Southlake. Additionally, the Cotton Belt trail runs parallel to State Highway 26, from the Colleyville city limits to downtown Grapevine. Other bicycle paths can be found at the various city parks, most notably the trail from Parr Park to Bear Creek Park. Off-road trails are also available. Northshore Mountain Bike trail begins at Rockledge Park on the north side of Grapevine Lake and continues into Flower Mound along the shore. Mileage is 22.5 miles broken up into two major loops: East Loops, 1 - 4, which are 12.5 miles and the West Loops, 5 - 7. Horseshoe Trail begins at Catfish Lane, continues to Dove Road, and loops back to the trail head, for a total of 5.4 miles.

Running
Grapevine received the Runner Friendly Community designation from the Road Runners Club of America. The goals of the Runner Friendly Community program are to shine a national spotlight on communities that stand out as runner-friendly and provide incentives and ideas for communities to work towards becoming runner friendly communities. Grapevine has approximately 24-miles of hike and bike trails that link parks, schools, and businesses. The hike and bike trails have mileage markers that also have GPS coordinates for location identification in case of emergencies. The city also has an indoor 1/8 mile walking/jogging track and several outdoor tracks that belong to the local school district. The city has joint-use agreement with the school district for the use of school facilities.

The hike and bike trails in Grapevine include water fountains, community bathrooms or portable toilets, available parking, signs linking pedestrian networks, mile markers, walk lights at busy intersections, stop signs at residential intersections, and painted crosswalks. One trail in Grapevine links with four other communities, creating an additional 11-mile trail.

The City Parks & Recreation Board has worked with the running club, Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers (LGRAW), over the last 15 years to make the city's trails runner friendly. The City of Grapevine invites LGRAW club to city sponsored health events to promote running, walking a healthy lifestyle

Media

 * Grapevine is mentioned in the National Geographic Channel special, The Real Bonnie and Clyde. The historical marker (at Dove Road and Highway 114) where Bonnie, Clyde, and Henry Methvin shot two Texas state troopers is shown.
 * An episode of true crime show Snapped is set in Grapevine.
 * Some scenes from the film Tender Mercies are also set in Grapevine.
 * Miracle Dogs Too was filmed in Grapevine in 2006
 * Portions of Robocop filmed at B&D Mills

Notable people

 * Paul Smackage, Pro Wrestler, Master of the Small Package.
 * Jaimie Alexander, actress, born in Greenville, South Carolina, she lived in Grapevine from age 4 to age 18.
 * Zach Bolton, voice actor and ADR director affiliated with Funimation
 * Joe Bob Briggs, film critic
 * Jenna Dewan, actress
 * Greg Garza, Professional soccer player with Atlanta United
 * Norah Jones, singer-songwriter and actress, born in Brooklyn, New York, lived in Grapevine.
 * Amy Miller, actress
 * Crown the Empire, band
 * George McFarland, actor, Spanky of Our Gang/The Little Rascals
 * Post Malone, rapper
 * Demi Lovato, Singer/Songwriter
 * Chip Gaines, TV Personality

Places

 * Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
 * Fellowship Church
 * Gaylord Texan
 * Grapevine Mills Mall
 * Lake Grapevine
 * Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine
 * Historic Downtown
 * 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial
 * B & D Mills

Sister cities

 * 🇦🇹 Krems an der Donau, Austria (since 1999)
 * 🇲🇽 Parras de la Fuente, Mexico (since 1996)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland (since 2008).