Watauga, Texas | |
|---|---|
 City Hall facing north on 24 March 2016. | |
 Location within Tarrant County and Texas | |
| Coordinates: 32°52′17″N 97°14′57″W / 32.87139°N 97.24917°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County |  Tarrant |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home Rule (Mayor-Council-Manager) |
| • City Council | Mayor Arthur Miner Patrick Shelbourne Tom Snyder Lovie Downey Andrew Neal Malissa Minucci Mark Taylor Jan Hill |
| • City Manager | Joshua Jones |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.16 sq mi (10.77 km2) |
| • Land | 4.16 sq mi (10.77 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 607 ft (185 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 23,497 |
| • Estimate (2019)[2] | 24,481 |
| • Density | 5,886.27/sq mi (2,272.64/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 76148, 76137 |
| Area code(s) | 817, 682 |
| FIPS code | 48-76672[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1376659[4] |
| Website | ci.Watauga.TX.us |
Watauga (/wɒˈtɔːɡə/)[5] is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 23,497 at the 2010 census.[6] The city's businesses and retail markets are generally located on Highway 377.
The first settlers came to Tarrant County in 1843.[7] The Texas and Pacific Railway came through present-day Watauga in 1881, which spurred a settlement of large farms and ranches. The settlement took its name from the pre-Revolutionary War Watauga Association settlement that was located in the northeastern section of East Tennessee, in areas surrounding the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River, near present-day Elizabethton, Tennessee.
Watauga received a railroad station and a post office in 1883. The population was 65 in the mid-1930s and 1940s, when the railroad station had closed. The population then grew due to defense plants to over 1000 in the 1960s. The population continued to grow to 7,050 in 1976, and 20,000 in 1990.[8]
Watauga is located at 32°52′17″N 97°14′57″W / 32.87139°N 97.24917°W (32.871416, –97.249122).[9] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.8 km2), all land.
The city is entirely surrounded by the cities of Keller to the north, Fort Worth to the west, Haltom City to the southwest and North Richland Hills to the south and east. Almost all of the city's land area is located east of US 377, though a portion extends west of that highway and includes homes and some city offices.
Surrounding municipalities | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Locations within city limits of Watauga include, Capp Smith Park, Watauga Pavilion and Watauga Public Library which is a sworn member of the Fort Worth-based METRO-PAC library catalog system. Other nearby attractions to Watauga and inside the Mid-Cities include North East Mall in Hurst (7–8 miles), Grapevine Lake and Grapevine Mills Mall (17 miles) in Grapevine, NRH20 in North Richland Hills (7 miles), and Southlake Town Square in Southlake (10 miles).
No public transportation operates in Watauga, having not elected to join Trinity Metro but instead chosen to direct local sales tax option funds elsewhere.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,778 | — | |
| 1980 | 10,284 | 172.2% | |
| 1990 | 20,009 | 94.6% | |
| 2000 | 21,908 | 9.5% | |
| 2010 | 23,497 | 7.3% | |
| 2020 | 23,650 | 0.7% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 23,313 | [2] | −1.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 13,316 | 56.3% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,461 | 6.18% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 103 | 0.44% |
| Asian (NH) | 1,461 | 6.18% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 108 | 0.46% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 119 | 0.5% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 1,103 | 4.66% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5,979 | 25.28% |
| Total | 23,650 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 23,650 people, 7,827 households, and 6,100 families residing in the city.
Watauga is a full-service city, providing police, fire and emergency services, parks and recreation, a library, building inspection, economic development, city planning, and public works. The city operates under a Mayor-Council-Manager form of government. According to the city's 2013-2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $25.5 million in revenues, $23.3 million in expenditures, $102.8 million in total assets, $32.8 million in total liabilities, and $27.5 million in cash and investments.[14]
The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:[15]
| City Department | Director |
|---|---|
| City Manager | Joshua Jones |
| Finance Director | Sandra Gibson |
| Police Chief | Robert Parker |
| Fire Chief | Shawn Fannan |
| Human Resources & Civil Service Director | Juliet Rodriguez |
| Chief Information Officer / PIO | Bradley Fraley |
| Library Director | Lana Ewell |
| Municipal Court Judge | J. Stewart Bass |
| Parks and Community Services Director | Sal Torres |
Watauga is served by two independent school districts. Birdville serves a majority of the city, while Keller serves the northwestern portion.
According to Watauga's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[16] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birdville ISD | 243 |
| 2 | Target | 200 |
| 3 | City of Watauga | 208 |
| 4 | North Pointe Health & Rehab | 89 |
| 5 | Albertson's | 85 |
| 6 | Keller ISD | 68 |
| 7 | Cotton Patch Cafe | 65 |
| 8 | Fresco's | 40 |
| 9 | Chili's | 30 |
| 10 | Fitness Now | 30 |
