FORT WORTH FACT SHEET 2014


FUN FACTS
•    16th-largest city in the United States
•    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.
•     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.
•    One of Bonnie and Clyde's hideouts from the law was the historic Stockyards Hotel in Fort Worth.
•    In 1909, the Fort Worth Zoo opened as the first zoo in Texas.
•    The Stockyards Museum houses the 1908 Palace Theater Light Bulb which began burning on September 21, 1908, as a backstage light at the Old Byers Opera House and continues to burn today.
•    In 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivered his last public speech in Fort Worth before leaving for Dallas.
•    Fort Worth's Texas Motor Speedway is one of the largest racing facilities in the nation, with seating for nearly 155,000 spectators.
•    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.

HISTORY
Originally settled in 1849 as an army outpost at the Trinity River, Fort Worth was one of eight forts assigned to protect settlers from Indian attacks on the advancing frontier. Progress helped the growing settlement survive long after other such towns had blown away with the dust of departing pioneers.

POPULATION
City of Fort Worth Population: 777,992 (2012 estimate)

HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
•    Estimated number of out-of-town visitors to Fort Worth: 6.5 million annually
•    Economic impact of visitors to Fort Worth:$1.549 billion annually
•    Tourism employs over 13,000 hospitality and tourism industry workers
•    Total Hotel rooms:13,000
•    Total rooms downtown: 2,622
•    Hotel tax: 15%; breaks down to 6% state, 9% city
•    Sales tax: 8.25%

TRANSPORTATION
•    Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), located 17.5 miles from Fort Worth is one of the busiest airports in the world with an average of 1,900 daily departures and arrivals and service to more than 201 destinations worldwide.
•    Trinity Railway Express (DFW International Airport to downtown Fort Worth): $2.50
•    Cab from DFW International Airport to downtown Fort Worth: $52 (approx.)
•    Yellow Checker Shuttle (Airporter) from DFW Airport to downtown Fort Worth: $17*
•    Super Shuttle from DFW International Airport to downtown Fort Worth: $25*

WEATHER

Climate                      Month     Avg. High     Avg. Low
Coldest month           January           54               34
Hottest month            July              95               75

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS
Fort Worth is home to five main entertainment districts, all within 3 miles of each other:

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. Nestled inside the heart of one of the most premier and walkable downtown settings in the United States is the newly developed 55,000-square foot Sundance Square Plaza. The European style plaza features a permanent stage for concerts and movies; stunning water features; four 36-foot tall Teflon umbrellas, the first ever in the United States; restaurants, a high-end cigar bar, shopping and much more.

Stockyards National Historic District
Stockyards National Historic District is filled with sites from the Old West, great Texas-themed shopping and cuisine, a year-round rodeo, authentic Western saloons, Billy Bob's Texas—the world's largest honky-tonk, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the world's only twice-daily cattle drive. See beautifully preserved historic structures such as the Livestock Exchange Building and Cowtown Coliseum, the location of the world's first indoor rodeo. Shoppers can fill their bags with custom steamed cowboy hats, handmade boots, and other Western gear. Stockyards Station offers over 25 shops including art galleries, a wine tasting room, and a record store.

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. Museums in the Cultural District include the Kimbell Art Museum; the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; the Amon Carter Museum of American Art; the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The Kimbell Art Museum recently underwent a $125 million expansion designed by famed architect Renzo Piano. The new Piano Pavilion will showcase masterpieces from the Kimbell's permanent collection, including Michelangelo's first known painting—which is also the only one in North America.

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.

MEETING SPACE
Fort Worth Convention Center (FWCC)
•    The FWCC offers 253,226 square-feet of exhibit space; 41 breakout rooms for maximum flexibility (with a total of 58,849 square feet of meeting room space); a 28,160 square-foot ballroom, 13,500-seat arena and expanded dock facilities.
•    Public events plaza for outdoor gatherings links the Fort Worth Water Gardens to the Convention Center's new grand entrance.

Will Rogers Memorial Center
•    100,000 square feet of exhibit space
•    6,000-seat coliseum
•    3,000-seat theater
•    Equestrian center with 2,000-seat arena; 1,000 all-metal stalls
•    170,000 square foot livestock facility with 1,000-seat show arena
•    NEW in 2012- $32 million Equestrian Multi-Purpose building featuring 1,100 premium stalls

Cowtown Coliseum
•    2,300-seat arena located in Stockyards National Historic District

LOCAL CORPORATIONS
ACME Brick Company; Alcon Laboratories; American Airlines; Bell Helicopter/Textron; BNSF Railway, Co.; Cash America International; D.R. Horton; GM Financial Corp.; Jacobs; Justin Brands; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.; Pier 1 Imports; RadioShack Corporation; Williamson-DickieManufacturing; XTO Energy Inc. 

ACCOLADES

Best downtown in America (Livability.com)

Top city for job seekers (#3, Forbes)

One of the fastest growing cities in America. (#6, Forbes)

One of the best big cities for jobs (#4, Forbes)

A top 10 value destination (Hotwire)

4 hours or less from 149 U.S. destinations through DFW International Airport

One of the best cities to buy a home (#5, Forbes)

Top 10 city for Young Professionals (#6, Forbes)

For more information, visit www.FortWorth.com or contact Jessica Dowdy & Sarah Covington in the Fort Worth public relations department.

For more information contact:
Jessica Dowdy
Director, Public Relations and Marketing
jessicadowdy@fortworth.com
817.698.7842

Sarah Covington
Public Relations Coordinator
sarahcovington@fortworth.com
817.730.5022
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