Not one city, a metroplex

People say “Dallas” when they mean a region of 11 counties. The federal government lists eight principal cities for the metro area, among them Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Denton and Grapevine. Each has its own downtown, its own city services and, often, its own transit rules.

That is why “which city?” comes before “which apartment?”. Below are the eight we cover, starting with the two big cities, with a few facts about each that will still be true next year.

The city you pick also changes a few errands after you arrive. Which electric company serves you, for example, depends on the address, not on the metro area. Our guide to your first 30 days in DFW walks through them.

Dallas

Dallas is the seat of Dallas County and reaches into four neighboring counties. It is a big city, so it helps to choose a part of town first. Our neighborhood pages cover places such as Deep Ellum, just east of downtown, and Bishop Arts in north Oak Cliff. See them all on the neighborhoods page, or start from the Dallas page.

Fort Worth

The other big city of the metroplex, west of Dallas. Fort Worth began in 1849 as an army outpost above the Trinity River and is now the seat of Tarrant County. North of downtown, the old cattle market of the Stockyards is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Trains leave downtown both toward Dallas and toward the airport, which matters if your job is on the other side. More on the Fort Worth page.

Arlington

Arlington sits in Tarrant County, between Dallas and Fort Worth, so it works for a commute to either one. The University of Texas at Arlington is at the south edge of downtown, and the Entertainment District holds AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and Six Flags Over Texas.

There are no fixed-route buses or trains; the city runs an on-demand shared ride instead. See the Arlington page.

Grapevine

Much of DFW International Airport lies inside Grapevine, which is mostly in northeast Tarrant County, about halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth. Downtown runs along a historic Main Street, with City Hall and the library among small local businesses, and TEXRail stops there on its way to the airport. See the Grapevine page.

Southlake

Just west of Grapevine, Southlake takes its name from nearby Grapevine Lake and is mostly in Tarrant County. Town Hall and the public library are in Southlake Town Square, a mixed-use center of shops and restaurants. There is no bus or rail inside the city, so plan on a car. See the Southlake page.

Plano

North of Dallas, in Collin County. DART light rail has stopped in historic downtown Plano since 2002, and the Silver Line, open since October 2025, adds two stops in south Plano with a ride west to DFW Airport. In west Plano, Legacy West mixes shops, restaurants and apartments next to corporate campuses. See the Plano page.

Frisco

North of Plano, in Collin and Denton counties. The Star in Frisco holds the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters and training facilities, Toyota Stadium is the home field of FC Dallas, and the PGA of America has its headquarters in the city. See the Frisco page.

Denton

At the north end of the metroplex, Denton is the seat of Denton County. The University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University are both inside the city, and downtown grows around the historic courthouse on the square. DCTA’s A-train links Denton with DART in Carrollton. See the Denton page.

How to choose between them

We start every search with three questions, before budget, size or move-in date:

1. Where you will commute to. In a region this size, the drive or the train shapes your week more than anything else.
2. What you do on weekends. A historic square, a stadium district, a lake or a walkable downtown: each city has its own anchors.
3. Whether you want to be near family or friends. Only you know where that is, so tell us.

After that come budget, size and move-in date. If the city you want is not one of these eight, tell us and we look there too. For how the cities connect by rail, read our guide to getting around DFW by train.

Why you will not find rents here

Rents change often, and the live listing data is not ours to republish. A number that was true last month can be wrong today. So we check by phone, for the places on your list, instead of printing prices that go stale. What we can do is ask the questions that decide the real cost for you: the rent after specials, the fees, and the date the unit is ready.