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Plano, Texas

"City of Excellence"
A corporate powerhouse disguised as a suburb, Plano hosts the headquarters of Toyota, JCPenney, and Frito-Lay while maintaining some of the best schools and safest neighborhoods in Texas.
Founded 1846 | Population 296,718 | Peak 296,718 (2024) | County Collin County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Plano, Texas

1
2014 Toyota North America Moves to Plano: Toyota announced the relocation of its North American headquarters from Torrance, California to a new campus in Plano, bringing approximately 4,000 jobs and cementing the city as a corporate capital.
2
1985 JCPenney Headquarters Relocates: JCPenney moved its corporate headquarters from New York City to Plano, one of the first major corporate relocations to Dallas suburbs that would become a trend.
3
1872 Railroad Transforms Town: The Houston and Texas Central Railway made Plano a major shipping point for cotton and grain, triggering growth from a farm hamlet into a small city.
4
2017 Legacy West Opens: The $3 billion mixed-use development brought luxury retail, offices, restaurants, and residences to Plano, creating one of the premier destinations in the DFW Metroplex.
5
1910 Electric Interurban Railway: The Texas Electric Railway connected Plano to Dallas, bringing commuters and commerce and beginning Plano's evolution from independent town to Dallas suburb.
6
1846 Settlement Established: William Forman and other settlers established a farming community on the fertile Blackland Prairie north of Dallas.
7
2000 Plano Named Best Place to Live: Multiple publications ranked Plano among the best places to live in America, citing its schools, safety, parks, and economic opportunities.
8
1998 Heroin Crisis: A wave of heroin-related deaths among Plano high school students shocked the community and nation, challenging the image of affluent suburbs as immune to drug problems.
9
2010 Frito-Lay/PepsiCo Campus: PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division maintained its major campus in Plano, anchoring the snack food giant's operations alongside other Fortune 500 companies.
10
1890 Cotton Shipping Center: Plano became one of the largest cotton shipping points in Texas, with trains loading bales from surrounding farms.
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Population Over Time

0 74,180 148,359 222,539 296,718 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

Latest News in Plano

Jan 1, 1970
Oregon Democrats Block ICE Notification for Felony Convicts
Oregon Democratic senators have unanimously blocked a bill that would have mandated state authorities to notify U.S. Immigration a…
Jan 1, 1970
Trump Cruz Mathematically Out Race
Washington, D.C. – In the thick of the 2016 Republican primary season, Donald Trump solidified his grip on the nomination on May…
Jan 1, 1970
Wife Sentenced 1590 Years Prison Husband Gets 750 Years
In a Texas courtroom, justice came down hard on May 18, 2016, when a wife received a staggering 1,590-year prison sentence for her…
Jan 1, 1970
Court Rules Against Obamas Executive Action Protect Undocumented
Washington, May 5, 2016 – A federal appeals court struck down President Barack Obama’s key executive actions on immigratio…
Jan 1, 1970
More Syrian Refugees Come America New Graph Shows Where Refugees Are
Washington, D.C. | April 13, 2016 The U.S. saw a noticeable uptick in Syrian refugees arriving on its shores in recent months, sti…
Jan 1, 1970
Autistic Boys Mom Surprised how Tgi Fridays Treated Them Photos
HOUSTON, April 4, 2016 — A Texas mom got more than she expected during a routine family outing last week, turning what could hav…

Complete Historical Timeline

1846 Government
William Forman establishes prairie settlement
1872 Transport
Railroad arrives and transforms town
1890 Business
Plano becomes major cotton shipping center
1910 Transport
Electric interurban connects to Dallas
1960 Architecture
Suburban development begins
1970 Government
Population booms from 17,000 to 72,000 in decade
1985 Business
JCPenney moves headquarters from NYC
1998 Crime
Heroin crisis shocks community
2000 Government
Named among best places to live
2010 Business
Corporate campus corridor matures
2014 Business
Toyota announces HQ relocation to Plano
2017 Architecture
Legacy West mixed-use development opens
2024 Government
Population approaches 300,000

Did You Know?

1
Plano hosts more corporate headquarters per capita than almost any city in America, with Toyota, JCPenney, Frito-Lay, and dozens of others based there.
2
Plano's population was just 3,695 in 1960 — it grew by over 8,000% in six decades to nearly 300,000.
3
Plano Senior High School has one of the most successful high school football programs in Texas history, a state where football is practically a religion.

Famous People from Plano, Texas

LA
Lance Armstrong
Sport Cyclist, Podcaster · Born Sep 18, 1971 · Age 54
KM
Kevin McHale
Actor, Singer · Born Jun 14, 1988 · Age 37
KA
Kellyn Acosta
Association Football Player · Born Jul 24, 1995 · Age 30
KD
Kenton Duty
Actor, Singer · Born May 12, 1995 · Age 30
G
Gayle
Guitarist, Recording Artist · Born Jun 10, 2004 · Age 21

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