Ennis, Texas

Ennis, Texas
—  City  —
Location of Ennis, Texas
Coordinates: 32°19′56″N 96°37′27″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Ellis
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• City Council	Mayor Russell Thomas Bob Taylor Jeremie Salik Carolyn C. Frazier Tom Abram Lola Searcy Dale Holt
• Duchess of Ennis	Briana Dawson Treadaway
Area
• Total	18.4 sq mi (47.7 km2)
• Land	18.0 sq mi (46.6 km2)
• Water	0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)
Elevation	538 ft (164 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	18,513
• Density	891.7/sq mi (344.3/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	75119-75120
Area code(s)	972
FIPS code	48-24348
GNIS feature ID	1335474
Website	Ennis-Texas.com

Ennis is a city in Ellis County, Texas, United States, and a southeastern suburb of Dallas. The population was 18,513 at the 2010 census.

In 1871, the Houston and Texas Central Railroad (H&TC) purchased 647 acres (2.62 km²) of land in Ellis County at a price of $5.00 per acre ($12.36/ha), establishing the line's northern terminus. On May 8, 1872, this site was established as the City of Ennis. The namesake of the town was Cornelius Ennis, an early official of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. Ennis served as Mayor of Houston (1856-57), and as a director of the Houston Tap and Brazoria Railway and Houston and Texas Central Railway.[1]

Geography

Ennis is in the Northeastern region of Texas. The city is 39 miles (63 km) south of Dallas and 74 miles (119 km) northeast of Waco, Texas. Ennis covers 18 square miles (47 km²) of land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,045 people, 5,335 households, and 3,947 families residing in the city. The population density was 891.7 people per square mile (344.4/km²). There were 5,618 housing units at an average density of 312.2 per square mile (120.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.57% White, 14.71% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 15.93% from other races, and 2.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.19% of the population.

There were 5,335 households out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.45.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,923, and the median income for a family was $44,608. Males had a median income of $28,585 versus $22,855 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,677. About 10.4% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

see Ennis Independent School District

Events

The annual National Polka Festival which features Czech cuisine, polka music, dancing, and a parade is held on Memorial Day weekend. The festival started in 1967 by a group of men who thought their Czech heritage should be honored. There is also a contest to find who the Duke and Dutchess of Ennis will be for the year. Also, during the 3 day festival, the Ennis Polka Run takes place to help funds the Rotary Club, and the Children's Reading Club of Ennis.

Ennis has an annual Bluebonnet festival during the month of April. During this time, thousands of tourists come to see the bloom of these wildflowers. Ennis is also considered the "Bluebonnet Capitol of North Texas".

Ennis is the only incorporated city in the United States that still elects its City Marshal. The election is held every two years with the winner being named Chief of Police by the City Council and City Manager. Currently the post is held by Chief John Erisman.

Ennis is home to the Texas Motorplex, a quarter-mile drag racing facility built in 1986 by former funny car driver Billy Meyer. It annually hosts the NHRA O'Reilly Fall Nationals each September, when hundreds of professional and amateur drag racers compete for over $2 million in prize money. In March 21st, 2009, the TV show Pinks: All Out hosted a contest at the Motorplex.

External links

• Official Website
• The Ennis, Texas Chamber of Commerce
• The Rotary Club of Ennis
• Ennis Independent School District
• National Polka Festival
• The Ennis Daily News
• The Ennis Journal
• The Texas Motorplex