Dallas is the ninth largest city in the USA and the fourth largest metropolitan area. It sprawls over 343 square miles and has a population of 1,240,000 and counting. It prides itself on being an ultra modern and sophisticated city, and it is the number one visitor destination in the vast state of Texas.
 
Dallas is easy to get to from almost anywhere else in the US, which may be a factor in its popularity. It is so centrally located that it is no more than a four hour airplane flight away from most other North American cities. The DFW airport is actually the third busiest airport in the entire world, with over 1,600 flights every day passing through it.

Once in the city of Dallas it is very easy to get around, as Dallas has one of the fastest growing light rail systems in the country, a convenience that many other major cities lack. There is also a free trolley system that is a fun way to traverse Dallas from the Arts District and all over the uptown area which is filled with restaurants, shops and some very interesting and exclusive boutique hotels.

Dallas has a deserved reputation for being one of the most diverse in America today. It is a melting pot of many different cultures, religions and lifestyles. That is due for the most part to the very nature of the history of the city of Dallas. Before the entire Texas region was claimed as a part of the Vice Royalty of the New Spain in the 18th century, the area that is now Dallas was mainly inhabited by the Caddo Indians. The French also tried to claim the area as their own, but a treaty signed in 1819 placed it squarely in Spanish territory. The entire area remained under Spanish rule until 1821, when Mexico declared themselves independent from Spain. The area then became a part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas. In 1836, the Republic of Texas declared itself independent of Mexico and became a separate nation. Four years later the area that became Dallas was surveyed and John Neely Brown set up a permanent settlement. In 1845 the great Republic of Texas was annexed into the United States, and the county of Dallas was established the following year.

Many people around the world get their idea of what Dallas is like from the very popular soap of the 1980s named after and set in the city. Such grand ranches certainly do populate North Dallas, and the ranch which served as Southfork for many years is still a very popular tourist destination, even though the show ended years ago.

But Dallas is not all about the oil. The city has many diverse neighborhoods, some of which have struggled through great poverty and high levels of crime. The South Dallas area was particularly bad, but there have been serious efforts in the last few years to improve it, including the opening of a new campus of the University of North Texas in the area.