Wise County, Texas

County in Texas, United States

County in Texas

Wise County

County

The Wise County Courthouse in Decatur, a Romanesque Revival structure, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. As of October 2024, the courthouse is being restored.

Location within the U.S. state of Texas

Texas's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 33°13′N 97°39′W﻿ / ﻿33.22°N 97.65°W﻿ / 33.22; -97.65
Country|  United States
State|  Texas
Founded| 1856
Named after| Henry Alexander Wise
Seat| Decatur
Largest city| Decatur
Area

• Total

| 923 sq mi (2,390 km2)
• Land| 904 sq mi (2,340 km2)
• Water| 18 sq mi (50 km2)  2.0%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 68,632

• Estimate

(2023)

| 78,097
• Density| 74/sq mi (29/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts| 13th, 26th
Website| www.co.wise.tx.us

Wise County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 68,632.[1] Its county seat is Decatur.[2] Wise County is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area. Its Wise Eyes crime-watch program, eventually adopted by mostly rural counties in several states, was started in 1993 by then-Sheriff Phil Ryan.[3]

## History

[edit]

On November 10, 1837, the Battle of the Knobs was fought in what is now Wise County between about 150 Native American warriors and 18 Republic of Texas soldiers under Lieutenant A. B. Benthuysen. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Texan soldiers held their ground, killing or wounding an estimated 50 Native Americans and losing 10 of their own men. More settlers began coming into the area not long afterward, with people relocating from both the Upper South and Deep South. Wise County was not founded until 1856. It was named after Virginia Congressman Henry A. Wise, who had supported annexation of Texas by the United States. He was elected governor of Virginia in 1856.[4]

As few residents of Wise County were slaveholders, opinions were mixed at the time of the Civil War, and many people opposed secession. Unionists were persecuted in North Texas, and some were lynched. Forty-two men were murdered in the Great Hanging at Gainesville in October 1862, over the course of several days in neighboring Cooke County. This was one of the worst examples of vigilante justice in American history.

In recent years, Wise County allowed an increase in hydraulic fracturing. In 2011, the Parr family and others filed a lawsuit against several energy companies, including Republic Energy, Inc. and Ryder Scott Petroleum, claiming the extracting processes have created health complications for their family and neighbors.[5] In April 2014, the Parrs won a $2.9 million award from a Dallas jury.[6]

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 923 sq mi (2,390 km2), of which 18 sq mi (47 km2) (2.0%) are covered by water.[7]

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Montague County (north)
* Cooke County (northeast)
* Denton County (east)
* Tarrant County (southeast)
* Parker County (south)
* Jack County (west)

### National protected area

[edit]

* Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland (majority)

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Aurora
* Bridgeport
* Decatur (county seat)
* Fort Worth (mostly in Tarrant County with small parts in Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise Counties)
* Lake Bridgeport
* New Fairview
* Newark (small part in Tarrant County)
* Paradise
* Rhome
* Runaway Bay

### Towns

[edit]

* Alvord
* Boyd
* Chico
* Crafton

### Census-designated places

[edit]

* Briar (partly in Tarrant and Parker Counties)
* Pecan Acres (mostly in Tarrant County)

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Allison
* Balsora
* Boonsville
* Cottondale
* Greenwood
* Slidell
* Sycamore

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1860| 3,160| | —
1870| 1,450| | −54.1%
1880| 16,601| | 1,044.9%
1890| 24,134| | 45.4%
1900| 27,116| | 12.4%
1910| 26,450| | −2.5%
1920| 23,363| | −11.7%
1930| 19,178| | −17.9%
1940| 19,074| | −0.5%
1950| 16,141| | −15.4%
1960| 17,012| | 5.4%
1970| 19,687| | 15.7%
1980| 26,575| | 35.0%
1990| 34,679| | 30.5%
2000| 48,793| | 40.7%
2010| 59,127| | 21.2%
2020| 68,631| | 16.1%
2023 (est.)| 78,097| | 13.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1850–2010[9] 2010[10] 2020[11]
Wise County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[12] | Pop 2010[10] | Pop 2020[11] | % 2000  | % 2010  | % 2020

|
|
|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 41,991  | 47,122  | 50,495  | 86.06%  | 79.70%  | 73.57%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 584  | 573  | 657  | 1.20%  | 0.97%  | 0.96%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 309  | 341  | 474  | 0.63%  | 0.58%  | 0.69%
Asian alone (NH)  | 107  | 234  | 372  | 0.22%  | 0.40%  | 0.54%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | 21  | 15  | 12  | 0.04%  | 0.03%  | 0.02%
Other race alone (NH)  | 20  | 35  | 172  | 0.04%  | 0.06%  | 0.25%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)  | 513  | 695  | 2,756  | 1.05%  | 1.18%  | 4.02%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 5,248  | 10,112  | 13,694  | 10.76%  | 17.10%  | 19.95%
Total | 48,793 | 59,127 | 68,632 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00%

In 2000 there were 48,793 people, 17,178 households, and 13,467 families were residing in the county.[13] The population density was 54 people per square mile (21 people/km2). The 19,242 housing units averaged 21 units per square mile (8.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.01% White, 1.23% Black, 0.75% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 5.07% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. About 10.76% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. By 2020, its population increased to 68,632;[11] the racial and ethnic makeup of the county in 2020 was predominantly non-Hispanic white, and Hispanic or Latino American of any race.

A Williams Institute analysis of 2010 census data found about 3.4 same-sex couples per 1,000 households in the county.[14]

American Community Survey 2023 Data

The United States Census Bureau estimated that in 2023, Wise County’s population was 78,097. It was also estimated that the county was 21.5% Hispanic or Latino, 73.5% NH White, 1.8% NH Black, 0.6% NH Asian, 0.7% NH Native American, 0.1% NH Pacific Islander, 1.7% NH Multiracial.[15]

Race | Total | Percentage

|
|

Hispanic or Latino | 16,789  | 21.5%
NH White | 57,409  | 73.5%
NH Black | 1,428  | 1.8%
NH Asian | 506  | 0.6%
NH Native American | 564  | 0.7%
NH Pacific Islander | 57  | 0.1%
NH Multiracial | 1,344  | 1.7%

## Politics

[edit]

Wise County, like most rural counties in Texas, votes reliably for Republican candidates in statewide and national elections.

United States presidential election results for Wise County, Texas[16] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 32,385  | 84.68% | 5,605  | 14.66%  | 253  | 0.66%
2020 | 27,032  | 83.52% | 4,973  | 15.37%  | 360  | 1.11%
2016 | 20,670  | 83.43% | 3,412  | 13.77%  | 694  | 2.80%
2012 | 17,207  | 82.95% | 3,221  | 15.53%  | 317  | 1.53%
2008 | 15,973  | 77.39% | 4,471  | 21.66%  | 195  | 0.94%
2004 | 15,177  | 75.71% | 4,783  | 23.86%  | 87  | 0.43%
2000 | 11,234  | 68.63% | 4,830  | 29.51%  | 304  | 1.86%
1996 | 6,330  | 48.81% | 5,056  | 38.99%  | 1,582  | 12.20%
1992 | 4,555  | 33.57% | 4,478  | 33.00%  | 4,535  | 33.42%
1988 | 6,064  | 53.22% | 5,288  | 46.41%  | 43  | 0.38%
1984 | 6,958  | 64.11% | 3,856  | 35.53%  | 39  | 0.36%
1980 | 4,350  | 47.26%  | 4,674  | 50.78% | 181  | 1.97%
1976 | 2,856  | 35.64%  | 5,133  | 64.06% | 24  | 0.30%
1972 | 4,230  | 70.43% | 1,741  | 28.99%  | 35  | 0.58%
1968 | 1,983  | 33.82%  | 2,774  | 47.31% | 1,107  | 18.88%
1964 | 1,386  | 26.45%  | 3,852  | 73.50% | 3  | 0.06%
1960 | 2,562  | 50.72% | 2,470  | 48.90%  | 19  | 0.38%
1956 | 2,058  | 45.49%  | 2,443  | 54.00% | 23  | 0.51%
1952 | 2,309  | 42.49%  | 3,121  | 57.43% | 4  | 0.07%
1948 | 448  | 11.86%  | 3,064  | 81.10% | 266  | 7.04%
1944 | 444  | 11.16%  | 3,114  | 78.26% | 421  | 10.58%
1940 | 498  | 11.71%  | 3,751  | 88.24% | 2  | 0.05%
1936 | 348  | 11.26%  | 2,737  | 88.58% | 5  | 0.16%
1932 | 286  | 9.60%  | 2,681  | 89.97% | 13  | 0.44%
1928 | 2,141  | 66.20% | 1,093  | 33.80%  | 0  | 0.00%
1924 | 532  | 14.61%  | 2,958  | 81.24% | 151  | 4.15%
1920 | 579  | 21.25%  | 2,031  | 74.53% | 115  | 4.22%
1916 | 263  | 10.73%  | 2,023  | 82.57% | 164  | 6.69%
1912 | 156  | 6.78%  | 1,842  | 80.05% | 303  | 13.17%
United States Senate election results for Wise County, Texas1[17] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 31,060  | 81.44% | 6,350  | 16.65%  | 730  | 1.91%

## Education

[edit]

These school districts lie entirely within Wise County:

* Alvord Independent School District
* Boyd Independent School District
* Bridgeport Independent School District
* Chico Independent School District
* Decatur Independent School District
* Paradise Independent School District
* Slidell Independent School District

This private educational institution serves Wise County:

* Victory Christian Academy

This higher education institution serves Wise County:

* Weatherford College

## Transportation

[edit]

### Major highways

[edit]

* U.S. Highway 81
* U.S. Highway 287
* U.S. Highway 380
* State Highway 101
* State Highway 114
* State Highway 199

### Airports

[edit]

These public-use airports are located in the county:[18]

* Bishop Airport (76T)
* Bridgeport Municipal Airport (XBP)
* Decatur Municipal Airport (LUD)
* Heritage Creek Airstrip (58T)
* Rhome Meadows Airport (T76)

## See also

[edit]

* Texas portal

* List of museums in North Texas
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Wise County, Texas
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Wise County

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Wise County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ WCMessenger.com: Wise Eyes expands its vision[permanent dead link]
4. ^ "Wise County, Texas". www.co.wise.tx.us. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
5. ^ "Wise County Family Sues over Natural Gas Fracking", CBS.com, March 8, 2011
6. ^ "Wise County pair wins $3 million jury award in drilling lawsuit". Star-Telegram (Fort Worth TX). Retrieved April 11, 2015.
7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
8. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
9. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
10. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wise County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
11. ^ a b c "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wise County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
12. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Wise County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
13. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
14. ^ Leonhardt, David; Quealy, Kevin (June 26, 2015), "Where Same-Sex Couples Live", The New York Times, retrieved July 6, 2015
15. ^ "County Population by Characteristics: 2020-2023". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
17. ^ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Texas by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
18. ^ "Wise County Public and Private Airports". www.tollfreeairline.com. Retrieved April 5, 2018.

[1]

## External links

[edit]

Wikisource has the text of the 1879 American Cyclopædia article Wise.

* Wise County Genealogy Resources
* Wise County on the Web
* Wise County government's website
* "Liberally Lean From The Land of Dairy Queen" - A Local Blog About Wise County
* Wise County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas

Places adjacent to Wise County, Texas

|  | Montague County | Cooke County

|
|

|  |
Jack County |

Wise County, Texas

| Denton County
|  |
| Parker County | Tarrant County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Wise County, Texas, United States

County seat: Decatur

Cities|

* Aurora
* Bridgeport
* Chico
* Decatur
* Fort Worth‡
* Lake Bridgeport
* New Fairview
* Newark‡
* Paradise
* Rhome
* Runaway Bay
* Springtown‡

Wise County map

Towns|

* Alvord
* Boyd

CDPs|

* Briar‡
* Pecan Acres‡

Other
communities|

* Allison
* Balsora
* Greenwood
* Slidell
* Boonsville
* Cottondale
* Sycamore

Ghost towns|

* Audubon
* Lone Star
* Rush Creek

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* Texas portal
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* e

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Counties|

* Collin
* Dallas
* Denton
* Ellis
* Hood
* Hunt
* Johnson
* Kaufman
* Parker
* Rockwall
* Somervell
* Tarrant
* Wise

Major cities|

* Dallas
* Fort Worth
* Arlington

Cities and towns
100k–300k|

* Allen
* Carrollton
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* Lewisville
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Cities and towns
25k–99k|

* Balch Springs
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33°13′N 97°39′W﻿ / ﻿33.22°N 97.65°W﻿ / 33.22; -97.65

1. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Wise County, Texas". www.census.gov. Retrieved January 31, 2024.

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*[%±]: Percent change
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