Red Oak is a city in Ellis County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, United States. It is part of the

Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, officially designated Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is a conurbated metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Texas encompassing 11 counties and anchor ...

. The population was 10,769 at the 2010 census, up from 4,301 at the 2000 census. The North Central Texas Council of Governments projects that number to grow to 63,329 by the year 2030, as it is on the verge of explosive suburban growth. Red Oak was one of the exterior locations for filming ''True Stories'', directed by

David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

and released in 1986.

History

One of the first settlers to this area was James E. Patton and his family in 1844. They settled in what is now known as Ovilla, Texas, located about two miles from Red Oak. Before Red Oak was given its name in 1849, it was known as Possum Trot due to the animal that lived there. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad began near the Red Oak area in 1884 and was completed in 1890. This railroad allowed people to travel to Dallas and Waco. In 1949, Red Oak became an incorporated town of Ellis, County.

Geography

Red Oak is located along the northern edge of Ellis County at . Adjacent cities are Glenn Heights to the northwest, Lancaster to the north, Ferris to the east, Pecan Hill to the southeast, Waxahachie to the south, and Oak Leaf to the west. It is south of downtown

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

via Interstate 35E, which has two exits in Red Oak. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, Red Oak has a total area of , all of it land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Red Oak has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Glen Rose Texas water tower

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 14,222 people, 4,098 households, and 3,293 families residing in the city.

Education

The city of Red Oak is served by the Red Oak Independent School District: Shields Elementary, Eastridge Elementary, Red Oak Elementary, Wooden Elementary, Russell P Schupmann Elementary, Red Oak Junior High, and Red Oak High School. In addition Life School, a public charter school, operates the K–12 Red Oak campus.Contact Us
." Life School. Retrieved on September 2, 2011. "950 South I-35E Lancaster, TX 75146"

Texas State Technical College Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is a public community college with 10 campuses throughout Texas. TSTC is the State of Texas's only public multicampus technical college, offering associate degrees and certificates in technical skills and trade ...

operates a branch campus in Red Oak.

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 35E/ U.S. Route 77

Air

The city of Red Oak jointly owns the Ferris Red Oak Muni Heliport together with the city of Ferris.. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 26 April 2018.

Notable people

* Michelle Carter, gold medal winner in the women's shot put at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro * Pinky Higgins, Major League Baseball player and manager, born in Red Oak * Sarah Jaffe, singer/songwriter *

Louise Ritter Louise Dorothy Ritter (born February 18, 1958) is an American former track and field athlete who won the gold medal in the high jump at the 1988 Olympic Games. Biography Ritter qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but was unable to compete ...

, gold medal winner in the women's high jump at the 1988 Summer Olympics, graduated from Red Oak High School * Nikki Stringfield, guitarist for American heavy metal band The Iron Maidens

Geographic location

References

External links

Red Oak official website

Red Oak ISD

Red Oak ISD Education Foundation

Red Oak ISD Bands

Handbook of Texas Online – Red Oak, TX
{{authority control Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex Cities in Ellis County, Texas Cities in Texas