Murphy, Texas

Murphy
—  City  —
Location of Murphy in Collin County, Texas
Coordinates: 33°01′51″N 97°1′30″W / 33.03083°N 97.025°W / 33.03083; -97.025Coordinates: 33°01′51″N 97°1′30″W / 33.03083°N 97.025°W / 33.03083; -97.025
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Collin
Government
– Type	Council-Manager
– City Council	Mayor Bret Baldwin Colleen Halbert Dennis Richmond John Daugherty Scott Bradley Bernard Grant Dave Brandon
– City Manager	James Fisher
Area
– City	5.3 sq mi (13.6 km2)
– Land	5.3 sq mi (13.6 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	581 ft (177 m)
Population (2010)
– City	17,708 (city proper)
– Metro	5,700,256
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
– Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	75074, 75094
Area code(s)	972
FIPS code	48-50100[1]
GNIS feature ID	1378721[2]
Website	MurphyTX.org

Murphy is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States and a suburb of Dallas, located to the north east of the city. The 2010 census reported Murphy's population as 17,708.

About

Murphy is a fast-growing community with a history that goes back to the early 1900s. Murphy is located in southern Collin county, within the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Situated midway between Plano and Wylie on FM 544, Murphy is two miles (3 km) south of the famous Southfork Ranch. Its borders enclosing only 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), Murphy shares borders with Plano, Richardson, Wylie, Sachse, and Parker. It is approximately 20 miles (32 km) from downtown Dallas and about 30 miles (48 km) from D/FW Airport.

The community supports plans to continue to foster the country-living atmosphere, though with fewer large lots. Minimum lot sizes are 9,000 square feet (840 m²), and the average lot size trends toward 12,000 square feet (1,100 m²).

Several subdivisions have begun building and are occupied. The newest approved development is 470 acres (1.9 km²) on the northeast side of the city along Maxwell Creek. The country living theme is expressed in this development by a linear park, which is expected to include a hike-and-bike trail. The major new feature to be noted in the Future Land Use Plan is a central business district at the northeast and northwest corners of the intersection of FM 544 and Murphy Road. This is expected to encompass a park-like area with offices and stores fronting on a central plaza. Construction on such a development, Murphy Marketplace, began in 2008. It now contains numerous restaurants and services. The municipal complex comprises a total of four buildings to serve Fire, Police, City Administration, and Public Works.

With the opening of the President George Bush Tollway, access to the west became a reality in 1999. The highway is a major factor in the growth of the economy of Southeast Collin County. Its impact on Murphy has already been felt in the rapid expansion as new homes have been built, with the boom starting in 1999. The population in late 2002 was about 6,500 and continued to grow to around 12,000 in 2006. The 2010 census reported a population of 17,708. The city was rated #7 in the "Best Places to Live" survey of Dallas Suburbs in the July 2008 D Magazine, and #9 in the 2010 edition of the article (By comparison Dallas was #54, and neighboring Plano was #18). In 2011 the city was rated #27 in America by "Money's list of America's best small towns".^[3]

History

Attracted by the offer of land grants from the Peters colony,qv the first settlers of the community arrived in the area in 1846. The original townsite, located on land owned by C. A. McMillen, was first called Old Decator, after McMillen's hometown, and later, Maxwell's Branch. When the St. Louis Southwestern Railway reached the area in 1888, the residents renamed the town Murphy, in honor of William Murphy, who provided land for the tracks and the construction of a depot. A post office was established there in 1891. From the 1880s until the 1950s Murphy served as a shipping point for area farmers and stock raisers. The Great Depression,qv the mechanization of farming, and job opportunities in the Dallas metropolitan area contributed to a decline in the population of Murphy. Though the rural community was never very large, its population was reduced to 150 by the mid-1950s and to 135 by 1961. Mail service was discontinued in 1954. Beginning in the mid-1970s, however, the population increased dramatically. The establishment of businesses in nearby Plano and Richardson made Murphy a commuter community for these two cities. In 1970 there were 136 residents reported in Murphy. That figure had risen to 1,500 by 1986, fallen to 1,114 by 1988, and risen again to 1,547 in 1990.

Few reminders of Murphy's early heyday remain; one structure still in use is the First Baptist Church of Murphy, built in 1901. Although the business district faded out, the school system remained for some time. The school building served as a community center in 1987. A school building which housed elementary and high school students was built in 1938 as a WPA project. When it closed in 1950, the schoolchildren transferred to Plano. Later, citizens renovated the school building, which became the Community Center, Fire Station, and City Hall. Later, the City Hall and Fire Station were moved to a new complex across the road, leaving the old building to be renovated as the Community Center scheduled to reopen in February 2012.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.25 square miles (13.6 km²), of which 100% is land.

Climate

Murphy is considered to be part of the humid subtropical region.

Government

The City of Murphy, Texas adopted a Home Rule Charter in 2003 and the power of the city is vested in a council of elected individuals who regulate and legislate and appoint other officials, such as the City Manager, who heads the executive branch. The councilmembers as of 2011 are Bret Baldwin (Mayor), Colleen Halbert, Dennis Richmond, John Daugherty, Scott Bradley, Bernard Grant and Dave Brandon. Bret Baldwin was re-elected Mayor in 2011 and is serving a three year term. James Fisher is the City Manager.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

A portion of Murphy is served by the Plano Independent School District, while another portion is served by the Wylie Independent School District.

Plano Independent School District

The Plano ISD section of Murphy is served by the following schools:

Elementary schools (separate attendance boundaries):

• Boggess Elementary School (Murphy)
• Martha Hunt Elementary School (Murphy)
• Miller Elementary School (Richardson)

Middle schools (separate attendance boundaries):

• Armstrong Middle School (Plano)
• Murphy Middle School (Murphy)

High schools:

• McMillen High School (Grades 9-10) (Murphy) (opened fall 2011^[4])
• Plano East Senior High School (Grades 11-12) (Plano)

Prior to the opening of McMillen, T. H. Williams High School in Plano served Murphy.^{[citation needed]}

Wylie Independent School District

The Wylie ISD section of Murphy is served by the following schools:

Elementary schools (separate attendance boundaries)

• Harry and Retha Tibbals Elementary School (K-4) (Murphy)
• Don Whitt Elementary School (K-4) (Wylie ISD, located in Sachse)

Secondary schools

• Draper Intermediate School (5-6) (Wylie)
• Raymond B. Cooper Junior High School (7-8) (Wylie)
• Wylie High School (9-12) (Wylie)

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 3,099 people, 1,030 households, and 909 families residing in the city. The population density was 589.7 people per square mile (227.9/km²). There were 1,126 housing units at an average density of 214.3 per square mile (82.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.06% White, 9.52% African American, 1.10% Native American, 9.07% Asian, 2.00% from other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.94% of the population.

There were 1,030 households out of which 82.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 83.8% were married couples living together, 2.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.8% were non-families. 8.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.18.

The median age for residents in Murphy, TX is 33.9 (this is younger than the average age in the U.S.).

Families (non-single residences) represent 88.3% of the population, giving Murphy a higher than average concentration of families.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 37.8% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.9 years. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $83,547, and the median income for a family was $87,214. The median income for men was 61,354 and the median income for women was 41,172. The per capita income for the city was $31,149. About 1.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.

Demographic information for the 2010 census is still pending.

Murphy is located in Collin County, the wealthiest county in Texas and one of the wealthiest 1% of counties in the United States. The four zip codes of Collin County that contribute to the county's affluence are (in descending order of median household income/year): 75093, 75024, 75025, and 75094.

Population growth

• 1990: 1,5472
• 2000: 3,099
• 2006: 12,790 (Est.)
• 2010: 17,708
• Population within 5 mile radius of the City of Murphy is approximately 530,000
• Population within the DFW Metroplex is approximately 6 million (2008)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ Money's list of America's best small towns 2011
4. ^ Heinz, Frank. "New School Year Brings A Lot of Changes." NBC DFW. Monday August 22, 2011. Retrieved on September 6, 2011.

3. ^ "About Murphy." Murphy, Texas. City of Murphy. Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://www.murphytx.org/home/. 4. ^ Murphy, Texas. Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://www.murphytx.org/home/.

External links

Dallas-Fort Worth portal

• Official web site
• Murphy Economic Development
• The Murphy Monitor
• The Murphy Messenger
• Murphy from the Handbook of Texas Online