DALLAS NEIGHBORHOODS OAK CLIFF
Oak Cliff Apartments
In short
Oak Cliff is the part of Dallas across the Trinity River from downtown, a city of its own from 1890 until Dallas annexed it in 1903. The DART Red Line runs through it into downtown, and since 2015 the Dallas Streetcar has crossed the river from Union Station. The search is free; the community pays us.
Where it is
Oak Cliff lies southwest of downtown Dallas, on the far side of the Trinity River. Its edges are usually drawn at I-30 to the north, Loop 12 to the west, I-45 to the east and I-20 to the south. Bishop Arts, which has its own page, is one district inside it.
I-35E, the R. L. Thornton Freeway, runs north–south through its eastern side and crosses the river into downtown. West Jefferson Boulevard runs east–west through the middle; less than half a mile north of it, West Davis Street is still signed as SH 180.
What is here
Oak Cliff began in 1887, when John S. Armstrong and Thomas L. Marsalis bought a 320-acre farm on the west side of the Trinity for $8,000. It incorporated in 1890, and Dallas annexed it in 1903; the proposal passed by 18 votes. The Houston Street Viaduct, opened to traffic in 1912, still carries the streetcar over the river.
On West Jefferson Boulevard, the Texas Theatre opened on April 21, 1931, and still shows films; it has been a Dallas Landmark since 2001. The Dallas Zoo, open since 1888, covers 106 acres in Marsalis Park, about 3 miles south of downtown, and is the oldest zoo in Texas.
Lake Cliff Park started in 1906 as a private amusement park. The city bought it in 1914, and its 45 acres now wrap around a sunken lake that reflects the downtown skyline.
Sources, checked October 2026: Wikipedia, “Oak Cliff”, “Texas Theatre” and “Dallas Zoo”; The Cultural Landscape Foundation, “Lake Cliff Park”.
Getting around
The DART Red Line stops at Westmoreland, Hampton, Tyler/Vernon and Dallas Zoo stations, then runs on into downtown Dallas with no transfer. This part of the line opened in June 1996.
The Dallas Streetcar opened on April 13, 2015, from Union Station over the Houston Street Viaduct to Methodist Dallas Medical Center. A second phase took it on to the Bishop Arts District in August 2016.
By car, I-35E is the direct way north into downtown, and I-30, along the northern edge, heads west toward Arlington and Fort Worth.
Sources, checked October 2026: Wikipedia, “Red Line (DART)” and “Dallas Streetcar”.
Apartments in Oak Cliff right now
Listed rents among the 8 communities we track in Oak Cliff, checked October 9, 2026. Most homes fall inside the range shown.
- Studio: most listed rents $1,123–$1,363 · typical size 540 sq ft
- 1 bedroom: most listed rents $1,395–$1,677 · typical size 699 sq ft
- 2 bedrooms: most listed rents $2,025–$2,318 · typical size 1,060 sq ft
- 3 bedrooms: most listed rents $2,306–$2,730 · typical size 1,268 sq ft
Current specials
- Burnett Lofts at Bishop Ridge: 2 months free on a 12-month lease (listed October 9, 2026)
- The Boheme: 2 months free on a 12-month lease (listed October 9, 2026)
- Ferguson Flats: 6 weeks free on a 12-month lease (listed October 9, 2026)
- Bowie at Bishop Ridge: 1 month free on a 12-month lease (listed October 9, 2026)
- The Beckley on Trinity: 1 month free on a 12-month lease (listed October 9, 2026)
Apartment complexes in Oak Cliff
Oakhouse
built 2024 studio to 3 bedrooms
from $1,185 a month (listed October 9, 2026)
Ask us first
The Boheme
built 2022 studio to 3 bedrooms
from $1,087 a month (listed October 9, 2026)
2 months free on a 12-month lease
Ask us first
Bowie at Bishop Ridge
built 2025 studio to 3 bedrooms
from $1,274 a month (listed October 9, 2026)
1 month free on a 12-month lease
Ask us first
Burnett Lofts at Bishop Ridge
built 2025 1 and 2 bedrooms
from $1,410 a month (listed October 9, 2026)
2 months free on a 12-month lease
Ask us first
Also on our list in Oak Cliff (4): Ferguson Flats, The Addison, The Atlantic at Kessler Park, The Beckley on Trinity.
Rents and specials change often. These figures come down 30 days after the date shown. If that date is more than 30 days old, contact us for today’s price and special.
Getting to work from Oak Cliff
Drive times without traffic, from central Oak Cliff near West Jefferson Boulevard, checked October 2026; rush hour adds time. Every address on your list gets its own times.
| To | Drive | Train or transit |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Dallas | 8 min | DART Red Line, no transfer |
| Dallas Love Field | 18 min | Maps |
| DFW Airport | 31 min | Maps |
| Las Colinas, Irving | 19 min | Maps |
| Downtown Fort Worth | 42 min | Maps |
Daily life in Oak Cliff
- Kiest Park: 263 acres between West Kiest Boulevard and South Hampton Road, with hike-and-bike trails, tennis courts and ball fields, on land given to the city in 1931.
- The Dallas Zoo has its own stop on the Red Line: get off at Dallas Zoo station.
- Methodist Dallas Medical Center, a hospital since 1928, is on the streetcar line.
Sources, checked October 2026: Wikipedia, “Kiest Park”, “Dallas Zoo” and “Methodist Dallas Medical Center”.
Applying in Oak Cliff
Ask us before you pay an application fee. We check each community’s income rule, deposit and the documents it accepts, such as an ITIN, and tell you what applies to you. The decision is always the community’s.
Applying in Oak Cliff
Across the 8 communities we track here (checked October 9, 2026): most ask for household income of about 3 times the rent; 8 accept co-signers; 1 list no credit check. Rules for an ITIN, no SSN or a guarantor service vary, so ask us before you pay an application fee.
Your move or cash
Lease through us at a participating community, on a lease of 12 months or more, and choose 3 hours of moving with 2 movers and a truck, or cash: $400 if you found the place and registered it with us first, $200 if we search for you. Under $1,200 rent: $200 cash.
- Participating communities only.
- Rewards apply only at participating communities.
- Check with us first.
- Before you visit, call or apply, ask us. We confirm in writing whether your community participates and what your reward is.
- We pay when the community pays us.
- Cash is sent after the community pays our fee, usually 30 to 90 days after you move in.
Moving to Oak Cliff? Our partner company, Polaris Moving Company, moves apartments across Dallas.
Questions about Oak Cliff
Is Oak Cliff part of the city of Dallas?
Yes. It was a separate city from 1890 until 1903, when Dallas annexed it. Today it is a large part of Dallas with many neighborhoods inside it, Bishop Arts among them.
Can I get downtown without a car?
Yes. Take the DART Red Line from Westmoreland, Hampton, Tyler/Vernon or Dallas Zoo station, or ride the Dallas Streetcar from Bishop Arts or Methodist Dallas Medical Center to Union Station.
How is Oak Cliff different from Bishop Arts?
Bishop Arts is one district inside Oak Cliff, where the streetcar line ends. Oak Cliff is the whole area around it, from I-30 down to I-20. Tell us which part you have in mind, or ask us to suggest one.
Which school district serves Oak Cliff?
Dallas ISD. Check any address with the district before you sign.
How much is a one-bedroom in Oak Cliff?
Among the communities we track in Oak Cliff, most listed one-bedroom rents ran $1,395–$1,677 a month on October 9, 2026, with a typical size of 699 sq ft. Specials can lower the average; we confirm today’s price before a place goes on your list.
Is AptViva free?
Yes. The community pays us after you move in, and nothing is added to your rent.
Before your list
The check
We call the property first
Before anything goes on your list, we call the property to confirm availability and price. If you rule it out, tell us in writing and it stays out.
Question
How fresh are these numbers?
Every rent and special here shows the day we checked it by phone. We check again before a place goes on your list.
Tell us where
One clear request is enough to start. A licensed agent reads it and gets back to you the way you asked.
We also look in
A licensed agent will get back to you the way you asked, and will build your list from there.