Want to Know More About Little Elm, Texas

Little Elm, Texas, is a rapidly growing city nestled in Denton County within the expansive Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, serving as an extended suburb of Denton and hugging the northern and eastern shores of Lewisville Lake. Originally chartered in 1841 as part of the Peters Colony grant during the Republic of Texas era, the area was first inhabited by Native American tribes who thrived along the creeks teeming with springs, wildlife, and fertile soil ideal for timber and agriculture. Early settlers, including John and Delilah King from North Carolina, arrived around 1844, establishing “King’s Crossing” on the banks of Little Elm Creek; after John’s death in 1846, Delilah and their son Kit played pivotal roles in community development, with Kit organizing the town’s first postal service. By the late 1850s, a one-room log schoolhouse at John House Springs provided education, and the community flourished with businesses like grocery stores, shoe shops, and blacksmiths lining Main Street circa 1900. The construction of the Garza-Little Elm Reservoir in the 1920s, later expanded into Lewisville Lake by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950s, submerged much of the original downtown, necessitating the relocation of historic structures, roads, and cemeteries, yet it also drew new residents to the scenic lakeside setting. Officially incorporated in June 1966 with a modest population of about 300 and C.C. Beard as its first mayor, Little Elm adopted a council-manager form of government and a Home Rule Charter in 2001, spanning roughly 9,012 acres or 14 square miles. Once a quiet rural outpost with just 1,168 residents and 13 businesses in 1989, the town exploded in growth starting in the late 1990s, fueled by its appealing lake access and proximity to urban centers—population soaring from 3,646 in 2000 to 25,898 by 2010 and reaching 46,453 as of the 2020 census, with projections nearing 90,000 at build-out. Today, Little Elm embodies a blend of hometown charm and modern innovation, boasting a humid subtropical climate, diverse housing, thriving businesses, and community assets like the 1999-founded Little Elm Public Library—a vibrant hub with makerspaces, 3D printers, seed libraries, and educational kits—while earning accolades such as Tree City USA status from 2011-2013 and multiple Certificates of Achievement for Planning Excellence. Its strategic location at the crossroads of Eldorado Parkway, FM 720, and FM 423, along with a commitment to servant leadership through core values of innovation, customer service, efficiency, and integrity, positions it as a tourism-friendly haven emphasizing lake recreation, urban forestry, and quality-of-life enhancements amid a diversifying demographic that has shifted its political leanings toward competitiveness in recent elections.