Lots of things are bigger in Texas. Dallas is one of them. The North Texas city covers nearly 400 square miles and anchors the largest metropolitan area in the Southern U.S.
Dallas is a city that gave birth to Meat Loaf, Morgan Fairchild, and Luke and Owen Wilson. It raised Erykah Badu, Norah Jones, and Jessica and Ashlee Simpson. Mark Cuban, Jerry Jones, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, George W. and Laura Bush are among those who call the city home.
Dallas is both a sports aficionado's and an art connoissour's paradise. The city is home to the legendary Dallas Cowboys, the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks, and the Dallas Stars, who left the Minnesota cold behind two decades ago. The Texas Rangers baseball team plays in nearby Arlington. The city also houses a number of world-class museums and intimate art galleries.
Tex-Mex and barbecue are staples, but chances are you can find whatever cuisine you're looking for here in Texas' third-largest city. And if you're looking to shop until you drop, Dallas is going to feel like paradise. And while you'll find both in the Big D, there really is a lot more to Dallas than cowboys and rodeos.
Unless you're looking to melt, you'll want to avoid summer, when thermometers push into the 90s and 100s. Late September through late October offer not only cooler temperatures, but also a chance to check out the larger than life Texas State Fair, where you'll find Big Tex, a 55-foot cowboy who's become a Texas icon. March brings a Pinball festival while April and May are studded with arts festivals across the greater Dallas area. Dallas has a thriving LGBTQ community and hosts one of the best Pride celebrations in the South. Dallas Pride is in June, but it's an event that's worth braving the summer heat for.
Dallas is part of a sprawling area known as the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex covers 13 counties and includes Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington. The area is commonly referred to as DFW.
Dallas is criss-crossed by a number of highways, and getting around the city no joke. Dallas is one of the most congested cities in the U.S., and traffic can be fierce with rush hour lasting from 6:30 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6:3 p.m. on weekdays.
Dallas can be hot, hot, hot in the summer. Use a windshield cover to cool down your car during the summer and carry a water bottle wherever you go.
Trains: Dallas Area Rapid Transit, known as DART, operates local buses and trains from 5 a.m. to midnight. Bus fares start at $2.50 per ride. Train fares start at $3.00 per ride.
Dallas Arts District: The Dallas Arts District is a Texas-sized area dedicated to the arts. It covers 68-square miles and 19 city blocks. It's home to the Dallas Museum of Art, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and the Nasher Sculpture Center. It's also where Booker T. Washington Performing Arts High School, where Erykah Badu and Norah Jones studied, is located.
Bishop Arts District: This intimate shopping and entertainment district is located in the northern section of the Oak Cliff neighborhood, just southwest of downtown Dallas. This was a warehouse district in the 1920s, home of Dallas busiest trolley stop in the 1930s, and struggled from the 1960s to the 1980s before it was transformed into the independent artists haven it is today.
Deep Ellum: This eclectic neighborhood was a hotspot for jazz and blues in the 1920s. It's an area that's since reinvented itself multiple times. Today you can find live music, good feer, and plenty of local beer.
Uptown: Uptown is a hip neighborhood known for its bars, restaurants, and high-end shops. A free vintage trolly runs up and down McKinney Avenue, the center of Uptown's action. This upscale neighborhood is among Texas' most walkable areas.