Why This Guide?

Relocating for a career can create a lot of stress and we want to help you make the process as smooth as possible. We created this guide to help our applicants with understanding the North Texas area as well as our UNT community prior to moving. From potential cities to live in and cost of living, to how to find housing and available grocery stores, this guide contains useful information to help make moving to DFW less daunting and more exciting!

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Library Administrative Services Coordinator at Monique.Sheppherd@unt.edu, or the Director of Library Administrative Services at Shaureece.Park@unt.edu.

UNT

Welcome to UNT! The University of North Texas (Denton) is our main campus, and is part of the University of North Texas System which includes University of North Texas (UNT), UNT Health Science Center, and UNT Dallas. UNT also has Frisco and Discovery Park campuses.

To help you get to know UNT better, we’ve included a few resources.

Campus and Culture

• UNT Symbols & Traditions
• Parking at UNT Denton
• Parking at UNT Frisco
• University Union
  • Campus Retail Restaurants and Dining Options

UNT System

• UNT & UNT System Core Values
• 2020-2025 Strategic Plan

Understanding Dallas-Fort Worth

Resources

Dallas Newcomer + Relocation Guide

One of the best resources for relocating to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. For your convenience, we’ve linked to the specific pages of the guide in relevant sections of this document.

Includes comprehensive information about cities and towns in the area with demographic information, county and community information, housing, public transportation options and information for car owners, explanation of common roads and Toll Tags, school districts and schooling options, senior care and living, parks, culture, and more.

Say Yes to Dallas

A companion website to the Dallas Newcomer + Relocation Guide.

Discover Denton

A city visitor website with information about Denton including transportation options, things to do, and upcoming events.

Destination Denton Area Guide

Area guide for Denton with information about housing, education, and more.

Visit Fort Worth

An visual guide from the City of Fort Worth with a map of the various neighborhoods and districts and a list of their highlights, arts and cultural offerings, and attractions. Also, includes a list of yearly events in the city.

Discover Fort Worth

Presented by Visit Fort Worth with information about what makes Fort Worth unique place to live or visit.

The Metroplex

Dallas-Fort Worth, or DFW, is a metroplex filled with a number of cities, towns, and municipalities. (Some may refer to the whole metroplex as Dallas, some may refer to us as Fort Worth, and some even use DFW or North Texas.)

To help you make sense of it all, we recommend pages 17-75 of the Dallas Newcomer + Relocation Guide, which offers helpful insight into each of the areas that make up this unique metroplex, starting with Dallas and expanding to our other cities and communities.

Check out pages 55-56 of the guide for a list of cities and towns close to Denton campus and Denton County demographic and average cost information.

Many UNT employees live in Denton. However, a large number live outside the city. We’ve included a

list of commutable cities and towns below to help you with your choice of where to live.

Distance is approximate and dependent on where in the city you’re located, and the route taken to Denton’s main campus. These are not all the areas, but the most prominent when viewing a map of

DFW. This does not account for smaller cities and towns within each city or surrounding the cities listed. Please consult the Dallas Newcomer + Relocation Guide for more information or view the DFW Metroplex Map.

Getting Here

Airports

DFW International (DFW) is our main airport and the 4^th^ busiest airport in the US. Dallas Love Field (DAL) is a smaller, regional airport and hub for Southwest Flights.

For more information about airports, destinations, and non-stop flight times, visit pages 90-95 of the Dallas Newcomer + Relocation Guide.

Commute & Public Transportation Information

Pages 82-89 of the Dallas Newcomer + Relocation Guide provide in-depth information about highway names and their aliases, travel time for commuters, public transportation options, Toll Tags, and highways and construction projects.

If you’re new to Texas, visit TxDMV’s New to Texas resource guide for information on how to obtain a new driver’s license, registration, and everything you need. For additional reference, page 182 provides state laws regarding vehicle insurance, inspection, and registration.

Pro Tip! Your UNT ID gives you free access to the DCTA buses.

Cost of Living and Housing

Use the Cost of Living Index Calculator to help determine the cost difference between your current location and DFW.

Visit p. 116-131 of the Dallas Newcomer + Relocation Guide for comprehensive information about buying a home, utility costs, renting an apartment, and senior living options.

You may also find Zillow and Apartments.com useful while researching housing options in the metroplex.

Ready to move? Check out the moving checklist and what to do during your first 30 days in DFW.

Resources for Parents

Early Childhood

• Complete Care

UNT offers free Complete Care to faculty, staff, and students. Complete Care pairs UrbanSitter’s

childcare, pet care, senior care, and household services with Kinside’s marketplace of daycares and preschools to bring you the very best coverage for all your needs. No matter the scenario, find the care that fits your budget, schedule, location, and preferences.

• Texas Child Care and Early Learning Services

K-12

A comprehensive guide to North Texas school districts, charter schools, private schools, alternative education options, and higher education is available on pages 94-115 of the Dallas Newcomer + Relocation Guide. There’s also information about high schools and an explanation of the Foundation High School Program requirements, which prepare students for industry certifications and higher education.

Additional Comforts

These lists provide a sample of what is available in the DFW metroplex.

Bookstores

• Barnes & Noble
• Books-A-Million
• Half Price Books
• Recycled Books
• Patchouli Joe’s Books
• Lucky Dog Books
• The Dock Bookshop

and many other booksellers in the metroplex.

Furniture and Home Furnishings

The stores listed below are located throughout the metroplex unless otherwise noted. Each municipality may have additional furniture and home furnishing options.

• Ashley Furniture
• At Home
• Bassett Furniture
• BT Furnishings
• Canales
• Conn’s Home
• The Dump Furniture Outlet (Irving)
• Haverty’s
• HomeGoods
• Home Zone Furniture
• IKEA
• Living Spaces
• Kirkland’s Home
• Pottery Barn (and Pottery Barn Outlet)
• Nebraska Furniture Mart (The Colony)
• Rooms-To-Go

Grocery Stores

Below is a list of various stores in the area. Each municipality may have additional food, grocery, and farmer’s market options.

• Albertsons
• ALDI
• Central Market
• Costco
• Denton Community Market (Farmer’s Market)
• El Rancho Supermercado
• Fiesta Mart
• HEB
• H-Mart
• Hong Kong Market Place
• Indo Pak Supermarket
• Komark Marketplace
• Kroger
• La Michoacana
• Mitsuwa Marketplace
• Sam’s
• Sprouts
• Target
• Teso Life
• Tom Thumb
• Trader Joe’s
• Walmart
• Whole Foods
• WinCo Foods
• World Market
• 99 Ranch

Newspapers

• North Texas Daily – UNT
• Denton Record-Chronicle
• Dallas Morning News
• Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Things to Do & See

While pages 132-142 of the Guide provide an overview of things to do in the metroplex, we’ve curated a list of additional notable things to do and see.

Art, History, and Science Museums

Dallas

• African American Museum
• Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
• George W. Bush Presidential Center
• Nasher Sculpture Center
• Perot Museum of Nature and Science
• The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
• Dallas Public Art (guide to public art visible throughout the city)

Fort Worth

• Amon Carter Museum of American Art
• Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
• Kimbell Art Museum
• Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
• National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame

Frisco

• National Videogame Museum

Amusement Parks

• Great Wolf Lodge (water park) – Grapevine
• Legoland – Grapevine
• NRH2O (water park) – North Richland Hills
• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (water park) – Arlington
• Six Flags Over Texas – Arlington

Attractions

• Fort Worth Stockyards – Fort Worth
• Gaylord Texan Resort - Grapevine
• House of Blues - Dallas
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not / Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks – Grand Prairie

Fairs and Festivals

• The State Fair of Texas – Dallas
• Shakespeare Festival (Shakespeare in the Park) – Dallas
• Denton Arts and Jazz Festival – Denton
• Mayfest – Fort Worth
• Texas Scottish Festival and Highland Games

Nature

• River Legacy Nature Center – Arlington
• Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden – Dallas
• Dallas World Aquarium – Dallas
• Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park – Dallas
• Fort Worth Botanical Gardens – Fort Worth
• Fort Worth Zoo – Fort Worth
• Joe Pool Lake + Cedar Hill State Park – Grand Prairie
• Lake Lewisville – Lewisville
• Ray Roberts State Park – Pilot Point

Performing Arts

Dallas

• The Majestic Theater
• The Meyerson Symphony Center
• Theatre 3
• Undermain Theatre
• Windspear Opera House

Fort Worth

• Amphibian Stage
• Bass Performance Hall
• Casa Mañana
• Jubilee Theater
• Stage West

Additional Cities

• Water Tower Theatre - Addison
• Theatre Frisco - Frisco
• Runway Theatre - Grapevine
• The Core Theater – Richardson

Stadiums & Venues

Arlington

• AT&T Stadium (aka Cowboys Stadium)
• Choctaw Stadium (prev. Rangers Stadium, formerly known as Globe Life Park)
• eSports Stadium Arlington
• Globe Life Field (new Rangers Stadium)
• Texas Live!

Dallas

• American Airlines Center (Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars)
• House of Blues
• Longhorn Ballroom
• South Side Ballroom

Fort Worth

• Dickies Arena
• Texas Motor Speedway

Frisco

• The Star (aka Cowboys World Headquarters & practice facility)