Ferris, Texas

Ferris is a city in Dallas and Ellis counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is 20 miles (32 km) south of downtown Dallas. The population has risen dramatically from 2,788 in 2020 to an estimated 4,291 in 2025. History Settlement of the area began in the early 1870s. On September 28, 1874, a local family deeded approximately 100 acres (0.40 km2) of land to four trustees for the establishment of a town and railway station. Judge Justus Wesley Ferris of Waxahachie handled the transaction, and the community was named for him. Within ten years, Ferris had a population of 300 with a post office, gristmills, cotton gins, four churches, and a school. On September 18, 1882, an election was held to incorporate the community. A total of 47 votes were cast, 34 (72%) in favor of incorporation and 13 (28%) against. The results were verified by the Ellis County Judge on September 30, and Ferris officially became a town. By 1900, the town was home to 904 residents. In 1910, that number had increased to 1,233 residents. Fifty businesses, including six brick plants that benefitted from the area's mineral rich soil, were operating in 1914. The population rose to 1,586 by 1925 but declined during the 1930s and 1940s as a result of the Great Depression and World War II. Ferris thrived during the early post-war years. Four brick plants operated during the 1950s, and the community was known locally as the "Brick Capital of the Nation". Ferris also has a second nickname – "The City that Bricked the World" – which is still commonly used to date. In 1952, the population had risen to 1,734 and 1,807 by 1964. The Ferris Annual Brick Festival is held every year at the end of April. The expansion of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metropolitan Area and the construction of Interstate 45 aided the growth of Ferris in the latter half of the twentieth century. Although the number of businesses decreased during the 1980s, the population continued to grow. It stood at 2,212 in 1990, 2,175 in 2000, and 2,436 in 2010. In 1994, Ferris won the 3-A State Championship in men's basketball. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.4 km2), of which 4.6 square miles (12.0 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2) is water. Most of the city lies within Ellis County, with only a small portion in Dallas County. Climate According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ferris has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Ferris was 112 °F (44.4 °C) on July 18/20, 2022, while the coldest temperature recorded was −1 °F (−18.3 °C) on December 22, 1989, and February 15–16, 2021. Demographics 2020 census As of the 2020 census, Ferris had a population of 2,788, 968 households, and 803 families residing in the city. The median age was 34.2 years, with 27.0% of residents under the age of 18 and 11.9% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.0 males age 18 and over. 91.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 8.3% lived in rural areas. Of the 968 households, 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.2% were married-couple households, 16.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 1,038 housing units, of which 6.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%. 2010 census In 2010, Ferris had a population of 2,436. The racial and ethnic composition of the population in 2010 was 42.7% non-Hispanic white, 17.5% non-Hispanic black, 1% Hispanic black, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.8% from two or more races and 38.4% Hispanic or Latino. Education Pupils in Ferris are served by the Ferris Independent School District. Some areas in Dallas County not within the Ferris city limits but with Ferris addresses are served by the Dallas Independent School District. The areas were served by the Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District until it closed during the 2005–2006 school year. The designated community college for Ellis County is Navarro College. The designated community college for Dallas County is Dallas College (formerly Dallas County Community College District or DCCCD). Transportation Major highways Interstate 45 Airport Ferris is also served by the privately owned Dallas South Port Airport. Heliport Ferris Red Oak Muni Heliport (FAA LID: 12T) is a city-owned public heliport in Ellis County, Texas, United States, serving the cities of Ferris and Red Oak. The heliport has no IATA or ICAO designation. The facility is alternatively known as the Ferris Red Oak Municipal Heliport. The Ferris and Red Oak jointly own the heliport, although the listed owner address is in Ferris, and it is maintained by City of Ferris Public Works. The heliport is used solely for general aviation purposes. Ferris Red Oak Muni has one helipad: H1: 40 x 40 ft. (12 x 12 m), Surface: Concrete In the year ending September 29, 2015, the heliport had no based aircraft nor reported aircraft operations. Notable people Guilherme Marchi, Professional bull rider and 2008 PBR world champion Homer P. Rainey, Former University of Texas president; briefly attended Ferris High School References External links City of Ferris official website Read the Ferris Wheel newspaper, 1896–1897, hosted by the Portal to Texas History "Ferris/Red Oak, Ferris Red Oak Muni (12T)" (PDF). at Texas DOT Airport Directory Resources for this airport: FAA airport information for 12T AirNav airport information for K12T FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures