Explore Downtown Fort Worth Texas

Downtown Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas is often overshadowed by its neighbor Dallas. However, both cities serve as hubs of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Fort Worth would be a major city in its own right if it wasn’t part of a massive, growing metropolitan region. For example, Fort Worth’s population is over 900,000 people. That makes it the fifth largest city in the state. For comparison, Dallas is home to roughly 1.4 million people. The Dallas-Fort Worth metro area is home to roughly eight million people. That makes the DFW area the most populous metro area in both Texas and the southern US. And it is the fourth largest metro area in the United States. Fort Worth is on the western side of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Fort Worth gets points for its more affordable housing market, and this explains why it was the fastest growing large city with more than half a million people between 2000 and 2010.

How Fort Worth Differs from Dallas

Dallas and Fort Worth cover roughly the same amount of land, but Fort Worth’s lower population density gives its residents more breathing room. That harkens back to the city’s Western heritage. Dallas was home to many government buildings, though Fort Worth is home to the local mint. (The official name is the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing.) Fort Worth was home to the Fort Worth Stockyards, one of the largest in the U.S., and the city continues to host rodeos today at the Will Rogers Memorial Center and Dickies Arena. It honors that heritage with venues like the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. That’s understandable given that this is why the city is still called Cowtown and Where the West Begins. A more modern moniker is Panther Town.

Dallas is famous for being where Kennedy was shot, but you can revisit that historic visit without the tragic overtones by touring the JFK Tribute in General Worth Square. Or drop by country music venues like Billy Bob’s. Sundance Square at the heart of Fort Worth is home to many such venues as well as restaurants and hotels.
Fort Worth is friendlier to the oil and gas industry. This is why there are more than a thousand natural gas wells in the city. Fort Worth allows them to be drilled in any area including residential areas. This is why you might find a natural gas well surrounded by a masonry wall in a downtown Fort Worth neighborhood.

The Highlights of Downtown Fort Worth

Fort Worth is notable for the many privately funded, world-class facilities. There is the Kimbell Art Museum. The Bass brothers sponsored the Bass Performance Hall, the premier arts venue in Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is world-class. It rivals the Perot museum in Dallas. It even has an OMNI theater. However, Fort Worth has a modern art museum, as well. The Sid Richardson Museum is dedicated to Western art.

Fort Worth has its own zoo, but it also has the Water Gardens, the Botanical Gardens and a Botanical Research Institute. Fort Worth’s Casa Manana is a world-acclaimed theater. One point in favor of Fort Worth’s cultural district is that the biggest and most famous museums are all within walking distance of each other. This is why Fort Worth is home to the Van Cliburn international piano competition.

Ironically, you don’t have to go to Dallas to see the Dallas cowboys. They moved to a new stadium in Arlington, Texas halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth. The Cowboys football stadium is roughly a twenty minute drive from both downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas. And you can take Interstate 30 from either city. Globe Life Park, home to the Texas Rangers baseball team, is a short distance away. If you like racing, Texas Motor Speedway is directly north of Fort Worth. Lone Star Park, the largest horse racetrack in north Texas, is in Grand Prairie. This is why you don’t have to go to Dallas to enjoy the best DFW has to offer – if it isn’t in Fort Worth, the odds are that the venue is in the Fort Worth suburbs.

Downtown Fort Worth is home to several universities. Texas Christian University and Texas Wesleyan are located here. The Texas A&M school of law campus is in Fort Worth. The University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth is the only medical school in north Texas. This campus also hosts the TECH Fort Worth biochemistry and life sciences incubator. The University of Texas at Arlington campus is roughly 15 minutes east of Fort Worth.

Fort Worth has a massive medical sector. JPS Health Network, Texas Health Methodist Fort Worth and Texas Health Resources are among the top 20 Fort Worth employers. Medical City Fort Worth is located on Eighth Avenue in downtown Fort Worth. Baylor and White and Texas Health have several hospitals in and around downtown Fort Worth.

Understanding the Geography and Topography

Dallas and Fort Worth are fraternal twins, but their geography is very similar. A branch of Interstate 35, I-35W, passes through downtown Fort Worth. Highway I-35E passes through Dallas. The two branches merge in Denton. Interstate 20 passes through southern Dallas and Fort Worth, while I-30 passes through the northern edge of both cities. Loop 635 circles Dallas while 820 loops around Fort Worth. Highway 121 and 183 connect these two loops with Highway 360, the north-south artery that passes through DFW airport.

The Trinity River was originally named La Santísima Trinidad, Spanish for “The Most Holy Trinity”, by discoverer Alonso de Leon. They didn’t know at that time that the Trinity River actually had three major forks at the north end. The eastern fork passes through Rockwall and McKinnney. The central fork passes through downtown Dallas. And the West Fork and Clear Fork of the Trinity River merge in downtown Fort Worth.
Fort Worth sits on the west side of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. This is why one of the largest employers in the Fort Worth metro area is AMR Corporation, formerly known as American Airlines. Fort Worth’s aviation industry also includes the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base. Lockheed Martin and a number of other defense companies are located in the area.

Various Points Of Interest:

Starting at Fort Worth Water Department located at 908 Monroe St, Fort Worth, TX 76102 start heading South on Monroe Street, follow Jennings Avenue towards West Vickery Blvd, continue on E Vickery Blvd until you reach Veterans Affair CWT at 101 New York Avenue, Fort Worth, Tx 76104

From Veterans Afffair CWT located at 101 New York Avenue, Fort Worth, Tx 76104, start heading West on W. Vickery Blvd back to Jennings Avenue, then turn left towards Throckmorton St. until you reach City Municipal Building located at 1000 Throckmorton St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Mapped Directions

From City Municipal Building located at 1000 Throckmorton St, Fort Worth, TX 76102 we are heading south 500 feet until we reach City Of Fort Worth Building at 200 Texas St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Mapped Directions

Start at City Of Fort Worth Building at Building at 200 Texas St, Fort Worth, TX 76102
And head North towards 9th street, all the way to Jones St, until you reach Fort Worth Central station located at 1001 Jones St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

From the Fort Worth Central station located at 1001 Jones St, Fort Worth, TX 76102 head south west towards Calhoun street, follow it past the East 15th Street until you reach Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel located at 1701 Commerce St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

From Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel located at 1701 Commerce St, Fort Worth, TX 76102 head west on N Forest Park BLVD, taking a left turn via US-287 BUS S and W Rosedale St until you reach The Fort Worth Zoo at 1989 Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76110

Leaving the Fort Worth Zoo located at 1989 Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76110 and heading and heading north up Rosedale and further S University Drive for 2.5 miles, until you reach Vickery Boulevard Café at 4120 W Vickery Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107

Mapped Directions

Leaving Vickery Boulevard Café at 4120 W Vickery Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 and heading North on Montgomery st and West Fwy, head towards Lafayette Ave and Fort Worth Museum Of Science And History at 1600 Gendy St, Fort Worth, TX 76107

Mapped Directions

Head North From Fort Worth Museum Of Science And History at 1600 Gendy St, Fort Worth, TX 76107 on Lancaster and University Drive until you reach Greenwood Funeral Homes & Cremation – Greenwood Chapel at 3100 White Settlement Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76107

Head Straight East From Greenwood Funeral Homes & Cremation – Greenwood Chapel at 3100 White Settlement Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 on Settlement Rd towards Angelo’s Bar-B-Que, 2533 White Settlement Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76107

Mapped Directions

From Angelo’s Bar-B-Que, 2533 White Settlement Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76107 go towards Coyote Drive-In (Fort Worth), 223 NE 4th St, Fort Worth, TX 76164 by way of Cullen St and TX-199

From Coyote Drive-In (Fort Worth), located at 223 NE 4th St, Fort Worth, TX 76164 going North East on Northside Dr and Weatherford until you reach Southwest International Fort Worth at 617 North Fwy, Fort Worth, TX 76102

From Southwest International Fort Worth at 617 North Fwy, Fort Worth, TX 76102 head North West 4.2 miles towards Fort Worth Stockyards Station at 140 E Exchange Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164

Mapped Directions

From Fort Worth Stockyards Station at 140 E Exchange Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164 go south the University Drive until you reach The Medlin Law Firm located at 1300 S University Dr #318, Fort Worth, TX 76107

Mapped Directions