Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Mesquite

Texas, United States

Mesquite, city, Dallas county, northeastern Texas, U.S., adjacent to the city of Dallas (west). It was established in 1873 when the Texas and Pacific Railway acquired land for the town site (named for the mesquite shrubs that once covered the area), built a depot, and offered lots for sale. Until the 1950s Mesquite was primarily an agricultural town, and its population was quite small; after World War II, however, the city grew rapidly as the Dallas–Fort Worth area expanded. The city developed as a residential, industrial, and retail centre with many of its residents employed in Dallas, and it experienced rapid expansion in the second half of the 20th century. Tourist attractions include the Mesquite Championship Rodeo (weekends April through October) and an annual balloon festival, and the city boasts a well-equipped performing arts centre. Mesquite is the seat of Eastfield (community) College (1970). Inc. 1887. Pop. (2010) 139,824; (2020) 150,108.

This article was most recently revised and updated by World Data Editors.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.