Fort Worth

Fort Worth is a city in the Prairies and Lakes region of Texas. With a population of approximately 957,000, it is Texas's 5th largest city. It is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, which has a population exceeding 6 million. Sometimes referred to as Cowtown, it is by far closer to its cowboy roots than neighboring Dallas. This article also covers North Richland Hills, a neighboring community.

Understand
Fort Worth grew from a military camp established at the close of the Mexican War by Gen. Winfield Scott, and named for Gen. William Jenkins Worth who fought in the war. Forty-two men of Company F, 2nd Dragoons, established the camp on June 6, 1849. The Fort Worth to Yuma, Arizona stage line was established in 1850. The city became the seat of Tarrant County 1860, and after the Civil War, it became a major shipping and supply depot for cattlemen.

Climate
Fort Worth is located in the American South, and has a subtropical climate with mild winters, hot summers, and a wet spring and fall in between. In winter and summer it can also be a very dry place, as it receives warmer, drier weather from the Mojave Desert in the west and the Great Plains in the north.

Winters are generally mild, with average highs in the mid to upper 50s (10-15 °C) and average lows around the freezing mark (0-5 °C). It is not uncommon for Winter days with highs in the upper 60s (~20°C) with the following days high temperature 20-30 degrees cooler. It may snow in Fort Worth a couple times a year, and occasionally winter temperatures will not get above freezing (32°F, 0 °C), but for the most part winter is just relatively dry and cool. There is, however, the danger of freezing rain and ice storms.

Spring and fall bring very pleasant temperatures, but spring is also known for its storms. Fort Worth is at the Southern tip of Tornado Alley, and springtime weather can be quite volatile and severe storms often occur. Summers are hot and dry - but often humid - with temperatures frequently surpassing 100 °F (38 °C).

Average precipitation in Fort Worth is 33 inches (830 mm) per year.

By plane
All the major American carriers and many international ones provide scheduled passenger service into the, located  from downtown Fort Worth. This airport is one of three major hubs for American Airlines. American Airlines is also headquartered in Fort Worth.

By train
The at 1001 Jones St is the central hub for Amtrak trains and Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter trains to Dallas, along with Greyhound inter-city bus service and local bus service provided by the T. TRE trains can provide a stress-free way to travel between the two cities during rush hour and also serve the more historic  at 1600 Throckmorton St on the south side of downtown.

Amtrak's Texas Eagle provides daily service between Chicago, Illinois and San Antonio, Texas with stops in Fort Worth and Dallas. Also, Amtrak's Heartland Flyer provides daily service between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City, and points in between. Woefully underfunded, passenger train service in the United States is a slow but scenic way to travel, if you aren't too concerned about arriving on time.

Alternatively, arrive from DFW Airport on TEXRail through North Richland Hills, another commuter train that provides direct rail service from the airport to downtown Fort Worth.

By car
Fort Worth may be easily reached via I-20 or I-30 from the east or west, or by I-35W from the north or south. I-35 splits into two branches north of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, the west branch going to Fort Worth and the east branch (I-35E) to Dallas. The branches rejoin to the south.

Car rental companies include:
 * Alamo Rent A Car, Toll free: +1-800-462-5266.
 * Avis Rent A Car, Toll free: +1-800-331-1212.
 * Budget Rent A Car, Toll free: +1-800-527-0700.
 * Dollar Rent A Car, Toll free: +1-800-800-3665.
 * E-Z Rent-A-Car, Toll free: +1-800-277-5171.
 * Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Toll free: +1-800-261-7331.
 * Hertz Car Rental, Toll free: +1-800-654-3131.
 * Thrifty, Toll free: +1-800-847-4389.
 * DFW Elite Auto Rental, +1 817-838-7368.

By bus

 * Greyhound. Bus stop is at the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center. Also, subsidiaries of Greyhound, such as TNM&O serve as the regional carrier.
 * Megabus. Service from Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Memphis, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, and Norman. Bus stop is located at 710 Davis St in Grand Prairie. Fares $1 and up.
 * Autobus Americanos. Mexican trans-border bus line with services to various points in Mexico. Bus stop is located at 5215 McCart in Fort Worth.
 * Turimex Internacional. Mexican trans-border bus line with services to various points in Mexico. Bus stop is located at 3620 Hemphill St.

Mass transit
Buses and trains via Trinity Metro link many areas of town over mid-range distances. Trinity Rail Express has commuter train service between downtown Fort Worth, DFW Airport and downtown Dallas. Service is Monday through Saturday. No scheduled services on Sundays and most major holidays.

Molly the Trolley bus service provides local public transportation in areas like downtown Fort Worth, the Historic Stockyards, and to Sundance Square during lunchtime. Hours of operation vary by route.

Attractions




Sports




Events

 * Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, at Alliance Airport north of downtown. Features air stunts and formations like the Blue Angels. Typically around 3rd weekend of October.
 * Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, at Alliance Airport north of downtown. Features air stunts and formations like the Blue Angels. Typically around 3rd weekend of October.
 * Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, at Alliance Airport north of downtown. Features air stunts and formations like the Blue Angels. Typically around 3rd weekend of October.

Buy

 * Sundance Square
 * Sundance Square

Eat
Fort Worth is similar to many Texas cities in that there are two main food groups, BBQ and Tex-Mex. While tastes are changing and multiple options are available, these will still be your best two bets in the city. A growing food truck scene is starting to make a presence in the city, and some of the local breweries are making drinks worth recommending to friends.

Lockheed Martin Plant
Options ideal for travel to the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics plant: 200 N Grants Ln, adjacent to the Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (JRB, formerly Carswell Air Force Base):



Connect
Good cellular phone coverage by all major providers throughout the city and all major roadways. Internet hot-spots available at most Starbucks Coffee locations, DFW Airport, and FedEx Kinko's offices.

Daily newspaper:
 * Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Stay safe
As with any other large city, be vigilant in Fort Worth. The city's central arts and entertainment district is well policed, however, as so long as you make sure you lock your car and hide any valuables inside, all that you need is a little extra awareness of your surroundings. The city's freeways can be quite dangerous if you are not accustomed to driving in such high volumes of rapidly moving traffic; keep this in mind when you are planning a trip.

Areas to avoid after dark are the East Side, Southeast Side (especially in the Stop Six section), the Como neighborhood, and the Trails/Calmont neighborhood, as these places have high rates of gun crimes from armed robberies to shootings.

The Stockyards bar and club district can get rowdy on Friday and Saturday nights, but the nightlife at Sundance Square in Downtown is more laid back.

Gym workout

 * 24 Hour Fitness and LA Fitness (which now includes Ballys) have many locations throughout the area. If you have a regular membership with either of them from back home your membership is good here. Note that some memberships are only good for one location and will cost extra to access a different gym/club than the one you normally go to at home. Ask before leaving. Otherwise day passes range from $10-20. Bring a lock and towel.

Go next

 * Mineral Wells, home to Lake Mineral Wells State Park
 * Bridgeport, 30 miles to the northwest has a nice lake for boating and fishing.
 * Weatherford, 20 miles west of downtown Fort Worth.
 * Grapevine has a nice historic main street area and numerous wineries.
 * Glen Rose 50 miles southwest has Dinosaur Valley State Park and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.