Our Guide to living in the City of Plano, Texas

Relocating soon or Recently moved to Plano, TX?

Plano TX is a city in North Texas that has been named by Forbes Magazine as one of America’s best places to live. It is home to nearly 300,000 residents and offers many amenities for its citizens.

We attract many newcomers who move here from other parts of the United States!

Plano TX, is just about twenty miles North of downtown Dallas and is one of the fastest growing cities in the US.

This city is gaining popularity as having an excellent education system, amazing neighborhoods, a myriad of churches in Plano TX, a great variety of cuisines from around the world, affordable living and tons of opportunities for its residents and businesses.  

It is home to many big-name corporations, like JCPenney, Keurig Pepper, Frito-Lay, Capital One, Ericsson, Bank of America, Dell, Pepsi and recently joined was Toyota and soon to join Samsung. Plano has a reputation for being a great place to live and work.

It is excellent for families with kids and young professionals alike with a superb Plano Parks and Recreation infrastructure including all governmental agencies/departments.

Moreover, have you heard the news? Dallas-Plano-Irving area ranked No. 1 on Forbes’ 2018 list of the best cities for jobs.

If you have recently moved to Plano or planning to relocate here, this will be great news for you!

A Brief History of Plano, Texas

The history of Plano dated way back since the early 1840s. Most of the migrants came from Kentucky and Tennessee, and they slowly settled into the Collin County Blackland prairie. 

In 1846, Mr. William Foreman bought large parts of land and started a sawmill and a gristmill business which was very in-demand. These facilities and including a general store, finally attracted other settlers, and the population slowly grew.

It was in 1872 when the Houston and Texas Central Railway completed and linked Plano to Dallas and Houston.

As a result of the railway, new businesses opened in the area along with many large farms and ranches. In 1873, with the steady growth, the Texas Legislature passed an act incorporating the City of Plano in Collin County.

The City had gone tremendous changes since then and over the years has gotten many bursts of economic growth. Large corporations opened up offices and the city began to prepare for the growth that they believed was inevitable.

And today, Plano is one of the fastest growing cities in Texas and in the US.

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Plano TX Demographics

Population: According to recent estimates, 286,143 people.

Race & Ethnicity: The largest racial/ethnic groups in Collin County are White (54.9%), Asian (16%) and Hispanic (14.5%) and Black and African American (11%) – 2019 stats from the Census Bureau.

Median Income: In 2017, the median household income of Plano residents was $88,578

Median Age: The median age for Plano residents is 38.8 years young.

Education: High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 93.9% Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 56.7%

Water Supply

As a resident of Plano myself, I can personally say that we’ve got clean water for drinking every day. There is a team in the city that check the water quality every day to ensure our water is safe for everyone (one of the testing stops is right on my street). They also give out information to residents who wants to learn about where the water is sourced from and what it takes to deliver it to homes.

So, what are other things the Plano residents do aside from working?

Please find below some of the fantastic amenities the city has to offer to all the residents:

Parks and Playgrounds

Are you an outdoor kind of person? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Plano has amazing green space around the city, 4,370 acres of parkland. Oh yeah… that’s BIG!  Pretty sure that no resident is more than 10 minutes drive to a park.

We also have tons of playgrounds including some all-accessible playgrounds!

Our Downtown Plano area and Haggard Park are very family-friendly areas and both are popular with locals.

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Two of the BIG, famous and must-visit parks in the city are:

Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve

This is on the top list of Plano resident’s most favorite park. The largest park in the city, an 800-acre park which has 3.5 miles of concrete trails and 5 miles of soft trails. It is a perfect place to go and reconnect with nature.

You can enjoy beautiful nature scenery and see some animals and plant commonly found in north Texas. There’s also a lake which is open for kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding and it is free for everyone.

Bring your own watercraft (canoe, kayak, or stand up paddleboard) and enjoy your day!

If you are not up for any activities, you can still go, enjoy the nature and do nothing at all.

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Arbor Hills Nature Preserve

This park is so gorgeous that it became one of the most visited parks in Plano most especially during fall season.

It is Plano Moms top list of locations for photoshoots.

This 200-acre park offers several amenities like 3 miles of paved hiking trail, 3 miles of unpaved hiking trail and a 2.8-mile off-road bike trail.

There are restrooms available, a covered pavilion which is available to be reserved for special events for Plano residents, and the kid’s favorite part, the playground.

Recreation Centers

Plano residents have tons of options on activities, either they prefer indoor or outdoor. The Plano recreation centers have some active, fresh and creative members who are there to plan exciting and memorable experiences for the community.

There are several recreation facilities which offer enriching programs for everyone in the family, both for young and old. Facilities include gym, pools, tennis or basketball courts, outdoor pavilions and others.

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Plano Libraries

The City of Plano has several libraries which by far one of the best in the country. The City offers five free-standing library facilities within five miles of every Plano household providing free access to over 700,000 books and other materials. This is not just a place for books but also a place to learn, to connect with other residents and to keep updated schedule of events around the city.

The library offers programs for kids, adults and seniors, different special events every week, and any activities that may help the well-being, and quality of life in Plano.

They have a seasonal brochure that they published three times a year and it list all the programs and classes at the five libraries. You can either pick up a hard copy at the library or download the issue online.

As stated on the Plano City website, the Plano Library has a vision of being a valuable resource and partner that connects and serves the community of Plano with excellence.

And below are some of the services that Plano library offers to its residents which are listed at the Plano City website:

• Ask a Librarian Opens a New Window: Ask a short reference question, and a librarian will get back to you with an answer.
• Book a Librarian: Request an appointment with a librarian for one-on-one help on various topics
• Book Scanner: Scan books, maps, large photos, and documents up to 17”x28.” Save scans to a flash drive for free or print b/w at $.15/page or color at $.60/page. Genealogy Center – Haggard Library
• Computers and WiFi: Computers are available on a first-come, first served basis at all five libraries. Internet and Wi-Fi service is available at all five libraries. A Plano library card is required to utilize these services.
• Digital Creation Spaces Opens a New Window: Plano Public Library has two Digital Creation Spaces. The Teen Digital Creation Space at Haggard Library is for teens in grades 6-12. The Digital Creation Space at Parr Library is for patrons 13 and up. All users are required to have accepted the Digital Creation Space policies on their library card application.
• Family Place Library: Harrington Library is part of Family Place Libraries™ national network, providing resources to help families nurture their children’s development and early learning.
• Family Talk: A conversational program for adults who speak English as a second language-with toy and play for your children ages 0-5. Discuss practical everyday topics in a casual setting to become a more confident English speaker.
• Reading Readiness: Plano Public Library offers a variety of age-appropriate storytimes that teach early literacy and reading readiness skills for children.
• Register for Classes: Some classes require advance registration. Registration opens two weeks prior to each session.
• Rent a Room: Reserve a space for your event.
• Small Talk: A conversational program for adults who speak English as a second language. Each week participants discuss practical everyday topics in a casual group setting to become more confident speakers.
• STEAM Kits: Plano Library promotes innovative literacy for all ages. STEAM Kits offer families a way to experiment and learn together. The selection of kits continues to grow and includes learning components for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to support STEAM-based learning

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Where are the Libraries in Plano?

Davis Library: 7501-B Independence Pkwy – 972-208-8000

Haggard Library: 2501 Coit Road – 972-769-4250

Harrington Library: 1501 18th Street – 972-941-7175

Parr Library: 6200 Windhaven Pkwy – 972-769-4300

Schimelpfenig Library: 5024 Custer Road – 972-769-4200

What are the Plano Libraries Opening Hours?

Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m

Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Check their website for Holiday Hours

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Plano Police Department

As stated on the Plano City website, the mission of Plano Police Department is to provide outstanding police services, in partnership with the community, to maintain a safe environment that contributes to the quality of life.

They are proud to have been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) since 1992. In November 2015, the Department received its seventh re-accreditation by successfully completing the Advanced Law Enforcement program.

WalletHub, SmartAsset and Niche have ranked Plano as among the safest cities in the nation. For sure, it is with the help of outstanding service of the police personnel.  And the online police reporting is also available for some incident types like harassment, fraud, hit and run, lost property and more.  

For crime reports, the Police Departments offers a crime alerting and mapping service that provides easy for reading incident crime maps and automated alerts to the residents of Plano. We have a low crime rate here in Plano.

Keep Following Important Phone Numbers Below Handy

Emergency   – 911

Non-Emergency – 972-424-5678

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Plano Fire-Rescue Department

As stated on the Plano City website, the mission of the Plano Fire Department is a fire- rescue department is to protect and enhance the quality of life in Plano through a comprehensive program of services directed toward public education, prevention, and control in the areas of fire, rescue, medical emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, and disasters.

They have trained staff available 24/7 who provides fire protection and emergency medical services to all the residents.

Plano Fire-Rescue is committed to providing to the citizens of Plano the tools to garner safer living habits and awareness to reduce the number of fires, injuries, and deaths.

If you have questions about the fire and life safety programs or information Plano Fire-Rescue provides, please contact the Community Outreach and Education Office at 972-941-7421

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Trash and Recycling

The City of Plano encourages its residents to take care of their environment and if possible start going green. They provide educational program called “Live Green In Plano (LGIP) which offers 10-hour, 4 class series on environmental issues through sustainability. LGIP Champions share their knowledge and give the volunteers an opportunity to extend help for their outreach efforts. 

As stated on the Plano City website, the Plano’s Environmental Waste Services Department is committed to keeping Plano clean and beautiful. It is simple and easy to follow some instructions to keep everything smooth for everyone. Please, always double check the schedule.

The Residential Services department can offer information about residential trash and recycling collection schedules, bulky waste, yard trimmings, household chemicals disposal and the Adopt-A-Highway program.

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Neighborhood Services

We all do love our neighbors, right? Well, Plano does care about all the neighborhoods around. There is the “Love Where You Live”, volunteer opportunities for the residents to bring people together and demonstrate loving care and compassion to the community.

There are three divisions work together to create the most desirable neighborhoods in the nation.

See a Problem? Use FixItPlano!

See Traffic light issues, potholes, excessive litter, sidewalk cracks? The City of Plano now has Fix It Plano – a website, an app and so many ways to report issues for their attention

Plano Independent School District

If you are looking for information on our outstanding public schools and School District, PISD, we have a handy guide on Plano Schools.

What’s happening around Town? The City of Plano has the Calendar available for you that you can easily access online and even search through.  You can see events happening around and the venues that are available for rentals.

Our local CVB, Visit Plano is also a great option to find out what is going on in the area.

Plano Moms is always here to try to help you out with any questions you may have about our city. To stay informed, you can subscribe to our mailing list.

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