Fort Worth, Texas, the fifth largest city in the state, covers some three hundred square miles and is home to more than six hundred thousand people. Originally founded as a military camp, Fort Worth takes great pride in its Western heritage and is known popularly as "Cow Town."

In Fort Worth, Texas there is something of a love-hate relationship with their neighbor to the east, Dallas. In general Dallas is portrayed as a glitzy, fast-paced, impersonal city whereas Fort Worth likes to see itself as a really big small town. And there is truth to the characterization. Life in Fort Worth, Texas does move at a slower pace and the crime rate is considerably lower than that of Dallas, a city also plagued by historically poor race relations.

Fort Worth is especially proud of its thriving cultural district which includes the Amon Carter, Kimball, and Modern Art Museums. Adjacent to this museum district in Fort Worth, Texas is the Will Rogers Center home to the annual month-long Fort Worth Stock Show (as well as equestrian and other events throughout the year). Not only is this annual event a perfect venue in which to immerse yourself in western culture, it makes for an excellent family outing.

The Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District is also western to the core and filled with interesting shops and eateries. On the north edge of this area you will find Billy Bob's, the "World's Largest Honky Tonk," which is right at home in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition the Stockyards also hosts a traditional ranch rodeo every weekend, an extremely popular event with locals and tourists alike.

Both the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and Museum are located in Fort Worth, Texas. All together, Fort Worth offers a full blown Western experience in an upbeat and modern city with all the amenities one would expect in an urban environment. (Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth, the area adjacent to the Bass Performance Hall, is alive with night spots, shops and boutiques, and trendy restaurants.)

For those visitors who decide to stay, Fort Worth, Texas homes range from the mansion style residences of the upscale Mira Vista development on the city's southwest side to more modest and traditional homes in quaint neighborhoods throughout the city. The Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors will happily put you in touch with a professional to help you make your selection of Fort Worth, Texas homes.

A very popular area of the city are the neighborhoods adjacent to Texas Christian University. TCU, a private institution founded in 1873, has a faculty of five hundred and an undergraduate enrollment of more than seven thousand. The institution grants degrees ranging from bachelor's to the doctoral level. Graduate enrollment is approximately fifteen hundred.

Although Fort Worth is the nineteenth largest city in the United States and unquestionably a modern town with all the attendant facilities and amenities, the sense of Western tradition and heritage that permeates the city makes life in Fort Worth, Texas just a little slower, a little friendlier, and a whole lot more special.