Denton is a city in the U. With a population of , as of , [ 12 ] it is the 20th-most populous city in Texas, the th-most populous city in the United States , and the 12th-most populous city in the Dallas—Fort Worth metroplex.
A Texas land grant led to the formation of Denton County in , and the city was incorporated in Both were named after pioneer and Texas militia captain John B. The arrival of a railroad line in the city in spurred population, and the establishment of the University of North Texas in and Texas Woman's University in distinguished the city from neighboring regions.
The city has hot, humid summers and few extreme weather events. Its diverse citizenry is represented by a nonpartisan city council, and numerous county and state departments have offices in the city. With over 45, students enrolled at the two universities within its city limits, Denton is often characterized as a college town. As a result of the universities' growth, educational services play a large role in the city's economy. Residents are served by the Denton County Transportation Authority , which provides commuter rail and bus service to the area.
Denton's formation is closely tied to that of Denton County. White settlement of the area began in the mids when William S. After initial settlement in the southeast part of the county in , the Texas Legislature voted to form Denton County in Denton , a preacher and lawyer who was killed in during a skirmish with the Kichai people in what is now Tarrant County.
That year, a commission laid out the city and named the first streets. On July 8, , approximately half of the downtown Square burned down in what was later called the " Texas Troubles ". Although no hard evidence was ever adduced to prove the guilt of a single alleged black arsonist or white abolitionist, many unfortunates of both classes were nevertheless hanged for their alleged crimes.
