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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, 45.3; Black, 17.9; Hispanic, 29.5; Asian, 5.8; Other, 1.2; Two or more races, 2.6.

Vital Statistics, annual: Births, 28,364; deaths, 12,277; marriages, 14,067; divorces, 7,354.

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 (894,195, 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 (391,409) 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 (38,532); Euless (57,185); Bedford (50,237) helicopter plant, hospital, Celtic festival in fall, (these three contiguous cities are sometimes referred to as H.E.B.); North Richland Hills (70,980) hospital.

Azle (13,781, partly in Parker County) government/services, retail, medical care/hospital, commuters to Fort Worth, museum, Sting Fling festival in September; Benbrook (23,473) varied manufacturing, hospitals; Blue Mound (2,458); Briar (6,342, parts in Wise and Parker counties).

Also, Colleyville (27,047) medical services, commuters, government/services, barbecue cook-off in April; Crowley (15,639) varied manufacturing, government/services, hospital; Dalworthington Gardens (2,354); Edgecliff (3,037); Everman (6,284); Forest Hill (12,598).

Also, Grapevine (54,077) tourist center, distribution, near the D/FW International Airport, hospitals, museums, art galleries, Grapefest in September; Haltom City (42,985) light manufacturing, food processing, medical center; library; Haslet (1,779) commuters, government/services, chili fest and rodeo in May; Keller (46,846) Bear Creek Park, Wild West Fest.                     

Also, Kennedale (8,399) commuters, printing, manufacturing, library, drag strip, custom car show in May; Lakeside (1,731); Lake Worth (4,964) retail, tourism, museum, nature center; Mansfield (69,909, partly in Johnson, Ellis counties) varied manufacturing, retail, government/services, commuters, hospital, community college, library, museum, parks, Pecan festival in September; Pantego (2,453); Pelican Bay (1,772); Rendon (14,172); Richland Hills (7,858).

Also, River Oaks (8,029); Saginaw (24,294) manufacturing, distribution/trucking, food processing/flour mill, Train & Grain festival in October; Sansom Park (5,558); Southlake (31,797) technology, financial, retail center, hospital, parks, Oktoberfest; Watauga (24,391); Westlake (1,706); Westover Hills (733); Westworth Village (2,770).

Also, White Settlement (17,615) 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 (46,584); part [51,864] of Grand Prairie (194,168), and part of  Pecan Acres (4,374).

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