Your guide to West Dallas: Things to do, restaurants, landmarks, history and more

Just across the Trinity River from downtown lies West Dallas, complete with its historic neighborhoods and burgeoning new development.

The area was annexed to the city of Dallas in 1954, but its roots go back nearly 100 years further back than that. The area’s character as it is today began to emerge in the first half of the 20th century. Its industrial roots are ever present today amid strong residential communities, and the new developments that have sprung up recently.

Here is our guide to West Dallas:

Population: 31,881
Median age: 31
Median income: $59,115
Unemployment rate: 6%

• One race, white: 22.3%
• One race, Black or African American: 23.7%
• One race, American Indian or Alaska Native: 1.9%
• One race, Asian: 2.4%
• One race, Native Hawaiian: 0%
• One race, some other race: 19.5%
• Two or more races: 30.9%
• Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): 65%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 8.1%

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

• Less than high school degree or equivalent: 19%
• High school graduates (or equivalent): 44.7%
• Some college or associates: 21.4%
• Bachelor’s degree or higher: 14.5%

For ages 25+ (roughly 63.6%)

• High school graduates (or equivalent): 24.2%
• Bachelor’s degree: 16.4%
• Graduate or professional degree: 6.6%

12,049 units; 11,344 occupied (94.1%)

• 5,339 owner occupied
• 6,005 renter occupied

Unit types

• 6,859 1-unit detached
• 156 1-unit attached
• 5,034 multi-unit

Median home value: $258,300
Median rent: $1142

Compiled by staff researcher Rachel Friend. Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Tables S0601, S1501, S1903, S2301, DP04

Settlement in the area that is now West Dallas dates to La Réunion, a colony founded in 1855 by leading French democratic socialist Victor Prosper Considérant, according to the Texas State Historical Association. The settlement failed by 1857 after various challenges held back the communal experiment.

By the turn of the 20th century, the area west of Dallas remained unincorporated and was inhabited mostly by poor, white families away from the center of town, according to reporting by KERA. The area eventually became a hub for industrial production, specifically cement. The town of Cement, also known as Cement City, had grown enough that by 1908, it sought incorporation within Dallas County, according to historical documents kept by the Dallas Public Library.

The industrial growth attracted workers to the area, many of them Black and Latino, according to KERA. However, hardship also led some to a life of crime. Notably, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, a murderous couple better known as Bonnie and Clyde, lived in West Dallas during part of their killing spree.

In 1954, West Dallas was annexed by the city of Dallas and soon after, a large public housing development was established. The project was nicknamed “the monument to poverty,” according to KERA, because of its poor living conditions.

Poverty in the area persisted throughout the latter part of the 20th century, with West Dallas suffering especially from environmental discrimination. Most notably, the RSR Corp.’s lead smelter in the area was placed in 1995 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List for Superfund sites that are major pollutants across the country. Waste and other byproducts from the facility contaminated soil, sediment and groundwater in West Dallas while winds blew lead dust into nearby parks, schools and homes, according to the agency.

Since then, the Dallas Housing Authority has undertaken major cleanup efforts and built more than 1,200 affordable housing units, according to the EPA. There have been further redevelopment projects in the area following cleanup.

The opening of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in 2012 was a significant milestone for West Dallas, which finally got a major connection to downtown Dallas after more than a century spent largely sidelined by the Trinity River.

That connection has spurred growth in West Dallas, with new restaurants and apartment buildings popping up, especially just west of the river bank in Trinity Groves. The rapid development of the area has also brought gentrification concerns for nearby communities that have been historically low-income and majority-minority neighborhoods.

Fabrication Yard: This area surrounding Fabrication Street has become a haven for artists. A series of abandoned warehouses were turned into a large canvas for graffiti and spray paint works.

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge: Santiago Calatrava’s cable-stayed bridge breathed new life into West Dallas when it opened in 2012. At 400 feet tall at its apex, the white hoop is now an essential part of the Dallas skyline. 

• La Bajada
• Ledbetter
• Los Altos
• Trinity Groves
• Westmoreland Heights

• Beto & Son
• CiboDivino Marketplace
• La Rue Doughnuts
• Manhattan Project Beer Company
• Milagro Tacos Cantina
• Ten Ramen
• Winsome Prime
• Wimpy’s Famous Hamburgers

Food writers Sarah Blaskovich and Imelda García contributed to these selections.

• Jaycee Zaragoza Park
• Trinity Overlook Park
• Trinity Skyline Trail

The signature West Overlook section of the $325 million, 220-acre Harold Simmons Park broke ground in April 2025 and will eventually include amenities like a large event lawn, a skate park, water features and a cafe. Construction is expected to be completed in 2028.