Garland Map
Garland is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is an inner suburb northeast of Dallas and is a major part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. It is located almost entirely within Dallas County except for small portions in Collin County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 226,876, making it the twelfth-most populous city in Texas and the 87th most populous city in the United States.
Settlers began arriving in the Peters colony area around 1850 but a community wasn't created until 1874. Two communities sprung up in the area: Embree, named for the physician K. H. Embree, and Duck Creek, named for the local creek of the same name. A rivalry between the two towns ensued as the area began to grow around the Santa Fe Railroad depot. Eventually, to settle a dispute regarding which town should have the local post office, Dallas County Judge Thomas A. Nash asked visiting Congressman Joe Abbott to move the post office between the two towns. The move was completed in 1887. The new location was named Garland after Attorney General Augustus Hill Garland. Soon after, the towns of Embree and Duck Creek were combined and the three areas combined to form the city of Garland, which was incorporated in 1891. By 1904 the town had a population of 819 people.
In 1920, local businessmen financed a new electrical generator plant (sold by Fairbanks-Morse) for the town. Out of this was formed Garland Power & Light, the municipal electric provider that still powers the city today.
Nearby cities include University Park, Rockwall, Heath, Addison, Balch Springs.