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Fort Worth, Texas

"Where the West Begins"

Once the last stop before the frontier, Fort Worth rode the Chisholm Trail from a dusty Army outpost to a cattle empire, then reinvented itself as a cultural powerhouse with world-class museums and aerospace.

Founded 1849 | Population 918,915 | Peak 918,915 (2020) | County Tarrant County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Fort Worth, Texas

1876 Chisholm Trail Cattle Drives: Fort Worth became the premier stop on the Chisholm Trail, with millions of longhorn cattle passing through its stockyards. The cattle industry defined Fort Worth's identity and economy for decades.

1942 WWII Bomber Production: The massive Consolidated Aircraft plant produced over 3,000 B-24 Liberator bombers and employed 30,000 workers, transforming Fort Worth from a cattle town into an aerospace and defense hub.

1902 Fort Worth Stockyards Open: The Fort Worth Stockyards opened as the largest livestock market south of Kansas City, processing millions of cattle and hogs and earning Fort Worth the nickname 'Cowtown.'.

1849 Army Establishes Fort Worth: Major Ripley Arnold established a military outpost on the Trinity River bluffs as part of a chain of frontier forts protecting settlers. The post was named after General William Jenkins Worth.

1966 General Dynamics F-111 Production: Fort Worth's General Dynamics plant began producing the F-111 fighter-bomber, continuing the city's role as a major defense manufacturing center that continues today with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

2001 Modern Art Museum Opens: The Tadao Ando-designed Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth opened, completing a world-class cultural district that includes the Kimbell Art Museum and Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

1917 Camp Bowie Military Training Center: Camp Bowie opened as a major WWI training facility, processing tens of thousands of soldiers and establishing Fort Worth's enduring military connection.

1890 Spring Palace Fire: Fort Worth's spectacular Spring Palace exhibition hall burned to the ground shortly after opening, killing one firefighter. The disaster was a major setback for the city's ambitions.

1974 DFW Airport Opens: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport opened midway between the two cities, giving Fort Worth direct access to a world-class aviation hub and spurring massive suburban growth.

2000 Fort Worth Tornado: An F-3 tornado tore through downtown Fort Worth, damaging skyscrapers and killing five people. It was one of the few tornadoes in U.S. history to directly strike a major city center.

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Complete Historical Timeline

1849 Government

U.S. Army establishes Fort Worth on the Trinity River

1853 Government

Army abandons the fort; settlers remain

1873 Transport

Texas and Pacific Railway reaches Fort Worth

1876 Industry

Fort Worth becomes major Chisholm Trail stop

1890 Disaster

Spring Palace exhibition hall burns to the ground

1902 Industry

Fort Worth Stockyards open as major livestock market

1911 Science

First transcontinental flight stops in Fort Worth

1917 Government

Camp Bowie opens for WWI military training

1942 Industry

Consolidated Aircraft begins B-24 bomber production

1948 Government

Carswell Air Force Base becomes Strategic Air Command base

1966 Industry

General Dynamics begins F-111 production

1972 Culture

Kimbell Art Museum opens to international acclaim

1974 Transport

DFW Airport opens, connecting Fort Worth to the world

1993 Culture

Bass Performance Hall construction begins downtown

2000 Disaster

F-3 tornado strikes downtown Fort Worth

2001 Culture

Modern Art Museum completes the Cultural District

2015 Culture

Fort Worth Stockyards designated National Historic District

2020 Government

Fort Worth population approaches 1 million

Did You Know?

Fort Worth's Cultural District has three world-class art museums within walking distance — the Kimbell, the Modern, and the Amon Carter — rivaling cities ten times its size.

The Fort Worth Stockyards still host a daily cattle drive twice a day through the historic district, the only year-round cattle drive in the world.

Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth plant is where the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is built — the most expensive weapons program in human history at over $1.7 trillion.