Your guide to Carrollton and Lewisville: Things to do, restaurants, parks and more

Just northwest of Dallas, you’ll find Carrollton and Lewisville, a pair of historic cities turned large D-FW suburbs. 

Carrollton features a historic downtown district with businesses, restaurants and more as well as a large Koreatown buoyed by one of the largest Korean communities in Texas.

Lewisville has its own historic Old Town area and, notably, it sits on the shores of Lewisville Lake, where you can enjoy swimming, fishing, boating and more.

Here’s your guide to Carrollton and Lewisville:

Population: 270,437
Median age: 38.9
Median income: $97,973
Unemployment rate: 4.1%

• One race, white: 42.4%
• One race, Black or African American: 12.2%
• One race, American Indian or Alaska Native: 0%
• One race, Asian: 18.6%
• One race, Native Hawaiian: 0%
• One race, some other race: 11.4%
• Two or more races: 14.3%
• Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): 28.1%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 37.7%

For ages 18-24 (roughly 9.2% of the population)

• Less than high school degree or equivalent: 12.9%
• High school graduates (or equivalent): 29.1%
• Some college or associates: 37.2%
• Bachelor’s degree or higher: 20.8%

For ages 25+ (roughly 72.4%)

• High School graduates (or equivalent): 16.1%
• Bachelor’s Degree: 31.1%
• Graduate or professional degree: 16.8%

112,740 units; 107,750 occupied (95.6%)

• 58,343 Owner Occupied
• 49,407 Renter Occupied

Unit types

• 60,314 1-unit detached
• 7,068 1-unit attached
• 43,475 multi-unit
• 1,713 Mobile homes
• 170 RVs, vans, boats, etc.

Median home value: $417,050
Median rent: $1787

Compiled by staff researcher Rachel Friend. Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Tables S0601, S1501, S1903, S2301, DP04.

Early settlements in the area that is now Carrollton and Lewisville, like much of North Texas, date to the 1840s, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Lewisville grew faster in its early years, establishing a post office in 1853 and several stores, a church and even a gristmill by 1870.

Carrollton established its post office in 1878, per TSHA, right before the arrival of railroads to the area. The Dallas and Wichita Railway opened in Carrollton in 1879, according to the city, and arrived in Lewisville two years later. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad and the St. Louis Southwestern Railway, also known as the Cotton Belt, also ran through Carrollton by 1890.

The three railways helped Carrollton grow into a shipping center for various agricultural products by the turn of the century and in 1913, the town officially incorporated. The town also developed a gravel industry in the first half of the 20th century, according to TSHA. By 1950, the town also supported a dairy industry and was home to a brick plant that supplied Dallas.

Lewisville incorporated in 1925 a little over a decade after its neighbor. Soon after, a major development sprung up as Lake Dallas was built north of the city, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers’ website. The Garza Dam was built on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River and began to provide a municipal water supply for the region by 1928. An additional dam was completed in 1955, which expanded the reservoir into what today is Lewisville Lake.

Related: Curious Texas dives into when, why Lake Dallas became Lewisville Lake

Both cities grew slowly until the 1950s when a post-war population boom and the construction of major infrastructure like I-35E and DFW Airport saw population growth in the area accelerate. Carrollton grew from around 1,600 residents in 1950 to more than 40,000 by 1980. Over the same span, Lewisville went from about 1,500 to nearly 25,000. Both cities now have more than 100,000 residents as growth continued into the new millennium.

Lewisville Lake: This man-made reservoir, which covers around 29,000 acres, still operates as an important flood management tool for the area. It is also a major recreational and wildlife area for boating, fishing and more.

Koreatown Carrollton: This area near Old Denton Road and the President George Bush Turnpike is home to a major concentration of Asian businesses and restaurants. According to their website, Carrollton is home to the largest Korean community in Texas.

Here’s a look at some notable parks and trails in Carrollton and Lewisville:  

• Central Park
• Elm Fork Nature Preserve
• Furneaux Creek Blue Trail
• Garden Ridge Trail
• Indian Creek Golf Club
• Josey Ranch Athletic Complex and Greenbelt
• Lewisville Lake Park
• Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area
• Railroad Park
• Rosemeade Park and Recreation Center
• Timber Creek Trail
• WJ Thomas Park and Sports Complex

Find more information for Carrollton parks here.

Find more information for Lewisville parks here.

• Carrollton Koreatown
• Downtown Carrollton
• Lewisville Towne Crossing
• Old Town Lewisville

• A.W. Perry Museum
• Lewisville Grand Theater
• Lewisville Playhouse

Carrollton is home to the Russian Banya of Dallas, one of the more unique places in D-FW. The banya, which is modeled after traditional Eastern European bathhouses, features saunas, a steam room and a cold plunge. Plus, you can eat a traditional Russian meal after your bath.

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