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Physical Features: Part Blackland, level to rolling; drains to Trinity River;  Lake Worth, Grapevine Lake, Eagle Mountain Lake, Benbrook Lake, Joe Pool Lake, Lake Arlington.

Economy: Tourism, planes, helicopters, foods, mobile homes, electronic equipment, chemicals, plastics among products of more than 1,000 factories, large federal expenditure, D/FW International Airport, economy closely associated with Dallas urban area.

History: Caddoes in area. Comanches, other tribes arrived about 1700. Anglo-Americans settled in the 1840s. Named for Republic of Texas Gen. Edward H. Tarrant, who helped drive Indian tribes from area. County created in 1849 from Navarro County; organized in 1850.

Race/Ethnicity: (In percent) Anglo, 45.9; Black, 17.5; Hispanic, 29.2; Asian, 5.8; Other, 1.1; Two or more races, 2.5.

Vital Statistics, annual: Births, 28,364; deaths, 12,277; marriages, 13,264; divorces, 7,133.

Recreation: Scott Theatre; Amon G. Carter Museum; Kimbell Art Museum; Modern Art Museum; Museum of Science and History; Casa Mañana; Botanic Gardens; Fort Worth Zoo; Log Cabin Village, all in Fort Worth.

Also, Six Flags Over Texas at Arlington; Southwestern Exposition, Stock Show; Convention Center; Stockyards Historical District; Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys at Arlington, other athletic events.

Minerals: Production of cement, sand, gravel, stone, gas.

Agriculture: Hay, beef cattle, wheat, horses, horticulture. Market value $29.4 million. Firewood marketed.

Education: Texas Christian University, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Wesleyan University, Texas A&M University School of Law, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Tarleton State University branch, and several other academic centers including a junior college system with five campuses and various centers.

FORT WORTH (875,641, small parts in Denton, Parker and Wise counties) county seat; a major mercantile, commercial and financial center; airplane, helicopter and other manufacturing plants; hospitals/health care; distribution center; oil and gas; stock show and rodeo January/February.

A cultural center with renowned art museums, Bass Performance Hall; many conventions held in downtown center; agribusiness center for wide area with grain-storage and feed-mill operations; adjacent to D/FW International Airport.

ARLINGTON (394,292) University of Texas-Arlington, General Motors plant, tourism, the Texas Rangers baseball team, AT&T Stadium, retail, hospitals, bowling museum, art museum; Scottish festival in June.

Other towns include: Hurst (39,368); Euless (55,073); Bedford (50,440) helicopter plant, hospital, Celtic festival in fall, (these three contiguous cities are sometimes referred to as H.E.B.); North Richland Hills (71,001) hospital.

Azle (12,624, partly in Parker County) government/services, retail, medical care/hospital, commuters to Fort Worth, museum, Sting Fling festival in September; Benbrook (23,422) varied manufacturing, hospitals; Blue Mound (2,488); Briar (6,175, parts in Wise and Parker counties).

Also, Colleyville (27,119) medical services, commuters, government/services, barbecue cook-off in April; Crowley (15,312) varied manufacturing, government/services, hospital; Dalworthington Gardens (2,231); Edgecliff (3,065); Everman (6,381); Forest Hill (12,705).

Also, Grapevine (52,077) tourist center, distribution, near the D/FW International Airport, hospitals, museums, art galleries, Grapefest in September; Haltom City (44,104) light manufacturing, food processing, medical center; library; Haslet (1,744) commuters, government/services, chili fest and rodeo in May; Keller (50,140) Bear Creek Park, Wild West Fest.                     

Also, Kennedale (8,723) commuters, printing, manufacturing, library, drag strip, custom car show in May; Lakeside (1,560); Lake Worth (5,054) retail, tourism, museum, nature center; Mansfield (65,233, partly in Johnson, Ellis counties) varied manufacturing, retail, government/services, commuters, hospital, community college, library, museum, parks, Pecan festival in September; Pantego (2,329); Pelican Bay (1,781); Rendon (14,304); Richland Hills (8,021).

Also, River Oaks (8,107); Saginaw (22,579) manufacturing, distribution/trucking, food processing/flour mill, Train & Grain festival in October; Sansom Park (6,248); Southlake (30,595) technology, financial, retail center, hospital, parks, Oktoberfest; Watauga (24,217); Westlake (1,424); Westover Hills (792); Westworth Village (2,745).

Also, White Settlement (17,657) aircraft manufacturing, drilling equipment, technological services, museums including Civil War museum, parks, historic sites; industrial park; settlers day festival in fall.

Also, part [7,579] of Burleson (46,510); part [51,864] of Grand Prairie (195,822), and part of  Pecan Acres (4,711).

Dusk falls at Town Center in Southlake. Photo by Lamberto Alvarez.