Dallas County, Texas

Dallas County
Dallas panorama
former Dallas County Courthouse with the Texas flag in 2017
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°46′01″N 96°46′42″W / 32.766987°N 96.778424°W / 32.766987; -96.778424
Country United States
State Texas
FoundedMarch 30, 1846
Named afterGeorge M. Dallas
SeatDallas
Largest cityDallas
Government
  County judgeClay Jenkins
Area
  Total
908.644 sq mi (2,353.38 km2)
  Land873.160 sq mi (2,261.47 km2)
  Water35.484 sq mi (91.90 km2)  3.91%
Population
 (2020)
  Total
2,613,539
  Estimate 
(2024)
2,656,028
  Density3,043.236/sq mi (1,175.000/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts5th, 6th, 24th, 30th, 32nd, 33rd
Websitedallascounty.org

Dallas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,613,539, and was estimated to be 2,656,028 in 2024, making it the second-most populous county in Texas and the eighth-most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Dallas, the third-most populous city in Texas and the ninth-most populous city in the United States. The county was founded on March 30, 1846 and was possibly named for George Mifflin Dallas, the 11th Vice President of the United States under U.S. President James K. Polk. Dallas County is included in the eleven-county Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, which is the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States.

Municipal expansion within Dallas County has blurred the geographic lines between cities and between neighboring counties.