Park Cities (Dallas)

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The Park Cities is a collective term for two independent municipalities — the Town of Highland Park and the City of University Park — that together form a geographically contiguous enclave entirely surrounded by the City of Dallas. Park Cities is a term used in reference to two communities in Dallas County, Texas — the Town of Highland Park and the City of University Park. The two municipalities, which share a border, are surrounded by the city of Dallas and comprise an enclave. The two small suburbs anchor an area a few miles north of downtown Dallas and, self-governing with their own joint school district, together comprise the wealthiest patch of real estate in the Dallas–Fort Worth region. Despite being politically separate from Dallas, the Park Cities are considered a core part of the greater Dallas metropolitan area and are among the most recognizable addresses in all of Texas.

History and Origins

In 1906, John S. Armstrong, the former partner of Thomas Marsalis who had developed Oak Cliff, sold his meatpacking business and invested his money in the former Philadelphia Place land, developing it under the name of Highland Park. Armstrong, along with his two sons-in-law, Edgar L. Flippen and Hugh E. Prather, Sr., began making plans for developing the area. Armstrong chose the name for the town as it was located on high land that overlooked downtown Dallas.

In 1907, Wilbur David Cook, the landscape designer who planned Beverly Hills, California, was hired to design its layout. Notably, twenty percent of the original land was set aside for parks. In addition, George E. Kessler, who designed Fair Park and much of downtown Dallas, was hired to help in planning and development. The first two lots were sold in 1909, in an area bounded by Armstrong, Abbott, and Gillon Avenues and Hackberry Creek.

The town was incorporated in 1913 to prevent annexation by the rapidly expanding City of Dallas and to maintain its own high standards for zoning, construction, and public services. In 1919, the city of Dallas sought to annex Highland Park, thus beginning a lengthy controversy that stretched until 1945 as the community firmly resisted.

University Park was officially incorporated in 1924, although there were more than 380 homes already built in the area. The homes had been using SMU's water services, but as SMU grew, they found they needed full use of their own facilities. The homeowners tried to annex themselves to either Highland Park or Dallas, but were not able to do so. Thus, the community leaders decided to incorporate so water, sewer, garbage, police, and fire-fighting facilities could be provided.

In 1982, the Park Cities Historical Society, which is intended to preserve the community, was founded.

Geography and Demographics

Highland Park is 2.26 square miles and University Park is 3.75 square miles, affording residents a variety of parks and exceptional green spaces to enjoy. Highland Park is located between the Dallas North Tollway and U.S. Route 75 (North Central Expressway), 4 miles north of downtown Dallas.

The 2023 population of the Park Cities is estimated to be 70,142, with 49.5% of residents male and 50.5% female, and a median age of 41.4. Among adult residents, 19.7% have earned a master's degree, 11.1% have a professional school degree, 2.8% have a doctorate, and 42.7% have a bachelor's degree. The Park Cities have among the highest per capita incomes in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and Texas.

About 45.8% of Park Cities homes are detached, single-family houses, and the median owner-occupied home value is $976,507. The median year the area's housing units were built is 1940. Housing prices in Highland Park can reach considerably higher; the average price in Highland Park is $3.3 million for a four-bedroom, four-bathroom home, with some properties reaching well into the $10 million range.

Meandering through the Park Cities and beyond, Turtle Creek offers residents and visitors a taste of natural beauty as an offshoot of the Trinity River. It is filled with turtles, which can often be seen sunning themselves on logs and along the creek's shores. Parks, fountains, and pathways make an afternoon along Turtle Creek an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Education

Education is central to the identity of the Park Cities, and the area is anchored by two major educational institutions: the Highland Park Independent School District and Southern Methodist University.

The Highland Park Independent School District first opened its doors in October 1914 with a four-room building on Cornell Avenue. Since then, it has grown to become one of the premier school districts in the country and is now comprised of eight campuses: five elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, and one high school. The district has an enrollment near 7,000 students and employs over 800 people, including more than 440 teachers, with 63% of teachers holding a master's degree.

More than 97% of Highland Park ISD graduates attend college, with many attending the most prestigious universities in the country. Highland Park High School students consistently score above the national and state average on college entrance exams. The average SAT score at Highland Park ISD was 1,300 for 2022–2023 graduates, and the average ACT score was 27.9. Highland Park High School has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School and rated "Exemplary" by the Texas Education Agency every single year since the state accountability system began.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South — now part of the United Methodist Church — in partnership with Dallas civic leaders. The main campus of Southern Methodist University is mostly located in University Park, a municipality in Dallas County, Texas. The campus extends into the Dallas city limits and into the city limits of Highland Park, situated on 234 acres of land just west of US Route 75. SMU enrolls about 12,000 students across undergraduate and graduate programs, organized into eight degree-granting schools including the Cox School of Business, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, and Lyle School of Engineering. In February 2025, it attained Carnegie R1 classification as a top-tier research institution, reflecting investments in facilities and research expenditures exceeding $150 million annually.

Shopping, Culture, and Landmarks

The Park Cities are home to several nationally recognized landmarks and cultural destinations.

Highland Park Village is perhaps the most storied landmark in the area. Opened in 1931 as the first planned, self-contained shopping center in the United States, it served as a prototype for modern retail developments nationwide and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000. Designed in 1928–29 by James Cheek and Marion Fooshee, Highland Park Village was influenced by Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as the contemporary French and Spanish Markets in San Antonio. Built in a modified Spanish Colonial Revival style, the complex contains seven detached one- and two-story buildings arranged around interior surface parking and a central plaza. On February 16, 2000, the shopping center was recognized as a National Historic Landmark, and the center was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 17, 1997. In 2009, Highland Park Village was purchased by Stephen Summers, Elisa Summers, Heather Washburne, and Ray Washburne, known as HP Village Partners, LP, for a record $170 million, the highest total price for a retail property of that year.

The George W. Bush Presidential Center, situated on the SMU campus within University Park, is another major landmark. The George W. Bush Presidential Center opened in 2013 with all living U.S. presidents in attendance. Today it is a worldwide humanitarian touchstone for a variety of events, activities, and international conferences. The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum has a range of exhibits relating to its namesake's period as president, including artifacts from the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, a display called Life in the White House, and an exact replica model of the Oval Office.

The Meadows Museum of Art at SMU is another cultural draw. The Meadows Museum houses one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Spanish art outside of Spain. From medieval works to modern masterpieces, the museum provides a journey through Spanish art history.

Established in 1896, the Dallas Country Club in Highland Park sits on more than 117 acres, offering members access to a high-ranking, award-winning golf course, an Olympic-sized pool, and plenty of recreational and social amenities. Its current Tudor-style clubhouse debuted in 2012 at a whopping 120,000 square feet.

Additional retail hubs include Preston Center, a mixed-use center of retail, services, restaurants, and doctors' offices, and Snider Plaza, located at Hillcrest and Lovers Lane, which features specialty and gourmet options, beloved casual restaurants, and modern conveniences.

Community Life and Annual Events

Some Dallas neighborhoods feel like cities of their own, but Highland Park and University Park quite literally are. These two self-governing towns are known collectively as the Park Cities by locals because they adjoin each other and are often considered one singular area. They do share a school district, but they each have their own fire, police, and emergency departments.

A short drive from downtown Dallas, the Park Cities — affectionately called "The Bubble" — are known for grand, well-manicured homes in a variety of styles built over a span of 100 years. Architectural styles found across the Park Cities run the gamut from Tudor and Colonial Revival to Minimal Traditional and Mid-Century Modern, reflecting the evolution of American residential design across the 20th century.

Community events punctuate the calendar throughout the year. The Fourth of July Parade grew out of separate neighborhood events that combined in the 1960s. Led by the Rotary Club of Park Cities today, the community-wide Independence Day celebration draws thousands to watch fancy cars and floats roll from Highland Park Town Hall to University Park's Goar Park, with festivities continuing with music, patriotic speeches, and booths giving away freebies. Turtle Creek Blooms, hosted each spring, celebrates the town's annual azalea blooming when over 8,000 azaleas spring to life.

For residents without cars, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) operates bus routes that serve the Park Cities, and the SMU/Mockingbird Station on the DART Rail Red and Blue lines is nearby, providing easy access to downtown Dallas.

References

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