Wise County, Texas
The Wise County Courthouse in Decatur. The Romanesque style structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Location in the state of Texas
Texas's location in the U.S.
Founded	1856
Seat	Decatur
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	923 sq mi (2,391 km²) 905 sq mi (2,344 km²) 18 sq mi (47 km²), 1.97%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	59,127 21/sq mi (8/km²)
Website	www.co.wise.tx.us

Wise County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,127.^[1] Its county seat is Decatur.^[2] The county is named for Henry Alexander Wise, a U.S. Congressman from Virginia who supported Texas' annexation. The county is also considered part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

The Wise Eyes crime watch program, eventually adopted by mostly rural counties in several states, was started in 1993 by then-Sheriff Phil Ryan.^[3] Wise County is only one of several counties in the U.S. to have multiple, family-oriented naturist resorts.

Geography [edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 923 square miles (2,390 km²), of which 905 square miles (2,343 km²) is land and 18 square miles (47 km²) (1.97%) is water.

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 (part)

Transportation [edit]

Major highways [edit]

• U.S. Highway 287
• U.S. Highway 380
• State Highway 101
• State Highway 114

Airports [edit]

The following public-use airports are located in the county:^[4]

1. Bishop Airport (76T)
2. Bridgeport Municipal Airport (XBP)
3. Decatur Municipal Airport (LUD)
4. Heritage Creek Airstrip (58T)
5. Rhome Meadows Airport (T76)

Demographics [edit]

As of the census^[7] of 2000, there were 48,793 people, 17,178 households, and 13,467 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile (21/km²). There were 19,242 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.01% White, 1.23% Black, 0.75% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.03% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 10.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 17,178 households out of which 38.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.10% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.60% were non-families. 18.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county, the population was spread out with 28.30% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,933, and the median income for a family was $47,909. Males had a median income of $35,913 versus $23,434 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,729. About 7.50% of families and 9.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.30% of those under age 18 and 10.60% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns [edit]

• Alvord
• Aurora
• Balsora
• Boonsville
• Boyd
• Briar (unincorporated; partly in Tarrant, Parker counties)
• Bridgeport
• Chico
• Cottondale
• Decatur (largest city and county seat)
• Greenwood (unincorporated)
• Lake Bridgeport
• New Fairview
• Newark (partly in Tarrant County)
• Paradise
• Pecan Acres (unincorporated; partly in Tarrant County)
• Rhome
• Runaway Bay
• Slidell (unincorporated)

See also [edit]

• List of museums in North Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Wise County, Texas

References [edit]

1. ^ United States Census Bureau. "2010 Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 3 January 2012. 
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
3. ^ WCMessenger.com: Wise Eyes expands its vision
4. ^ Public and Private Airports, Wise County, Texas
5. ^ U.S. Decennial Census
6. ^ Texas Almanac: County Population History 1850-2010
7. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links [edit]

• Wise County Genealogy Resources
• Wise County on the Web
• Wise County government's website
• "The Blog" - A Local Blog About Wise County
• Wise County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas

	Clay County	Montague County	Cooke County
	Jack County		Denton County
		Wise County, Texas
	Palo Pinto County	Parker County	Tarrant County

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Coordinates: 33°13′N 97°39′W / 33.22°N 97.65°W / 33.22; -97.65