RANKINGS

• 16th-largest city in the United States
• Part of the #1 tourist destination in Texas
• Fort Worth welcomes 5.5 million visitors each year
• 10th-fastest growing city in the United States in 2008
• 9th-safest city in the United States
• Part of the #1 tourist destination in Texas and the #1 value-friendly destination in the United States by Hotwire.com
• Part of the #2 Top Value Destination per Hotwire 2013 Travel Value Index Study
• Fort Worth was the fastest-growing city in North Texas in 2011 by North Central Texas Council of Governments
• Named one of "America's Most Livable Communities"
• Named an All-America City by the National Civic League in 2011
• Named to the 2009 list of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the "Best Affordable Places to Retire" (2009)

DEMOGRAPHICS

• City of Fort Worth Population: 736,200 (2010 estimate)
• Tarrant County Population: 1,628,200
• Fort Worth/Dallas CMSA Population: 6,014,750

(Source: North Central Texas Council of Governments)

HISTORY

• Founded in 1849, Fort Worth is the seat of Tarrant County, situated in North Central Texas and part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area.

WEATHER

• Coldest month: January - Avg. High 54 / Avg. Low 34
• Hottest month: July - Avg. High 95 / Avg. Low 75

FORT WORTH FUN FACTS

• 60 percent of America's paper money is printed at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth (tours are available).

• The Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth houses the largest private Civil War collection west of the Mississippi River.

• By itself, Fort Worth is larger than five cities that have previously hosted Super Bowls.

• The Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth is the oldest museum in Texas and is the second-largest museum gallery space for modern art in America, next to MoMA New York.

• Fort Worth is home to the oldest stock show and rodeo in the country – the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show.

• Fort Worth hosts the world's only twice-daily cattle drive in the Stockyards National Historic District.

• By the early 1870s, Fort Worth's collection of saloons, gaming houses and brothels had located on the south end of downtown in an area that came to be known as Hell's Half Acre. This red light district was legendary on the Chisholm Trail, drawing some of the West's most notorious criminals and bandits, among them Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the Wild Bunch gang and Sam Bass.

• Following the 1900 holdup of the Winnemucca, Nevada, bank in which some $37,000 in gold and a considerable but never-disclosed sum in bank notes was taken, five of the participants—Butch Cassidy, The Sundance Kid, Ben Kilpatrick, Kid Curry, and Bill Carver—went to Fort Worth, Texas. There the bank robbers posed for probably the most famous "outlaw photograph" in Western history. A copy of the photo was set in the photographer's show window, and a passing Pinkerton [detective] agent recognized one of the men. Not Butch Cassidy or The Sundance Kid, as you might expect from their current notoriety, but Bill Carver, which gives us a fair idea of the relative notoriety of the subjects when the photo was made.

• Bonnie and Clyde hid out from the law in Fort Worth's Stockyards Hotel.

• In 1909, the Fort Worth Zoo opens as the first zoo in Texas.

• In 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivers his last public speech in Fort Worth before leaving for Dallas.

• The Stockyards Museum is home to the 1908 Palace Theater Light Bulb which began burning in on September 21, 1908 as a backstage light at the Old Byers Opera House.  The light bulb has never been turned off, even through the rebuilding of the Opera House into the more modern Palace Theater in 1917.  In 1977, the Palace Theater was demolished but the light bulb was kept illuminated and the Stockyards Museum was designated as the conservator of the light bulb. It is the second oldest antique light bulb still illuminated, as far as is known.
• Fort Worth's Texas Motor Speedway is bigger than eight Texas Stadiums and seats more than 154,000 spectators.

TRANSPORTATION

Take the T. The Fort Worth Transportation Authority, known locally as The T, provides transportation to the city's rich variety of entertainment and historical attractions including the Stockyards National Historic District, the Fort Worth Cultural District and downtown's Sundance Square.  

Ride the rail. In addition to inter-city transportation, The T offers the TRE, or the Trinity Railway Express, for transporting passengers to and from Dallas. The 35-mile TRE Commuter rail line to Dallas is easily accessible from either Fort Worth's Historic T&P Station or the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) at 1001 Jones Street in downtown Fort Worth. The T's extensive network of rail, Molly the Trolley and bus services transport thousands of North Texas residents and visitors across Tarrant County.

Catch a flight. The T also offers rail service to DFW airport via the Trinity Railway Express. A convenient shuttle bus connects DFW International Airport to CentrePort/DFW Airport Station. DFW International Airport (DFW) is the country's most kid-friendly airport with amenities like designated children's play areas and kid-friendly entertainment. Source: Pop Sugar 2013 (www.lilsugar.com).

Traveling with a group? There is no easier way to arrange travel for 10 or more people going to the same destination, than American Airlines Groups and Meeting Travel.  Save time, money and avoid the unexpected with special discounts, guaranteed fares and zone fares.

Rent a car.  With over ten rental car companies serviced at DFW International Airport as well as Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Avis, Budget and Hertz throughout downtown and the rest of the city,  renting a car in Fort Worth is convenient and easy.

Ride a bike. Bike lanes are becoming a common sight on Fort Worth streets. Dedicated bike lanes are already in place downtown, around the near South Side and the West Seventh corridor, with many more on the way. Fort Worth recently launched a bike-sharing program with 300 bicycles and 30 stations across the city, from downtown and the hospital district to TCU, the Stockyards and the West Seventh corridor.

Take a hike. Walk, cycle or even ride horseback along Trinity River, which offers 40 miles of trails connected to 21 parks, Log Cabin Village, the historic Stockyards, downtown Fort Worth and more.

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS

Sundance Square

Downtown Fort Worth is a glittering urban oasis—one of the most exciting and pedestrian-friendly downtown areas in the nation. The 35-block Sundance Square entertainment and shopping district is where both locals and visitors go for food, fun, live theater, shopping and big events such as the Main Street Arts Festival.

Stockyards National Historic District

Stockyards National Historic District is filled with sites from the Old West, great Texas-themed shopping and cuisine, rodeos, Western saloons, Billy Bob's Texas—the world's largest honky-tonk, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Fort Worth Herd twice-daily cattle drive. You'll see legendary structures such as the Livestock Exchange Building, and the Stockyards Station shops and restaurants in the old sheep and hog barns.

Cultural District

Located a few miles west of downtown is one of the largest arts districts in the nation. The Fort Worth Cultural District features five internationally recognized museums in a beautiful park-like setting. The museums are acclaimed for their architecture, quality collections and programs. This remarkable collection of museums in a single location has made Fort Worth a major destination for art lovers.

West 7th District

This trendy new urban development links downtown, the Will Rogers Memorial Center and the Cultural District. Discover a sophisticated blend of pedestrian-friendly urban elements. Indulge in high-concept eateries, splurge in boutique shops and enjoy vibrant nightlife.

Near Southside/Magnolia

Historic architecture, enchanting restaurants, music venues and art galleries line the streets of this off-the-beaten-path neighborhood just south of downtown. Dine on local farm-to-table cuisine, tour a working brewery or whiskey distillery, shop for distinctive art or catch a show by the region's best emerging artists.

Camp Bowie District

On this historic boulevard a few minutes west of downtown, you can explore more than 30 blocks of dining and shopping, including some of the finest specialty boutiques in the city. Characteristic of the red bricks that line the boulevard, Camp Bowie houses some of Fort Worth's most famous establishments including Kincaid's Hamburgers and Blue Bonnet Bakery.

For more information contact:

Jessica Dowdy, Sr. Manager of Marketing & Public Relations

817.698.7842 or jessicadowdy@fortworth.com