Located 30 miles north of Dallas, McKinney’s gently rolling hills, tree-lined neighborhoods, historic downtown and beautiful parks give the city a quaint, small town feel. The friendly charm and comfortable pace belies the fact that McKinney, with a population of nearly 100,000 people, is the fastest-growing city in America.

The original Collin County Courthouse is undergoing a rehabilitation. Now known as the McKinney Performing Arts Center at the Historic Collin County Courthouse, the facility is scheduled to open in 2006 as a performing arts venue, with a 480-seat theater suitable for intimate arts performances, lectures and events. In addition to the theater, several multi-purpose spaces such as a reception hall, auditorium, rehearsal space, audiovisual equipped classrooms, art gallery and executive suites.  And the city’s downtown square offers more than 100 unique shops and more than a dozen unique restaurants, including upscale restaurants featuring award-winning chefs, sandwich shops, outdoor patio dining and neighborhood pubs. 

Towne Lake, one of McKinney’s beautiful city parks, features a lake with Swan paddle boats, trails, picnic pavilions and playgrounds.  And the Collin County Youth Park has show barn, and an indoor and outdoor arena, where you can see livestock, rodeos and motorcycle events. There is also a 30-000-sq. ft. farm museum.  At the Heard Natural Science Museum, there are hiking trails; the Wildlife Sanctuary is a 289-acre outdoor preserve; and Erwin Park is one  of the toughest mountain bike courses in the area.

Collin County Community College opened its first campus in McKinney in 1986. The college is locating a 100,000-sq. ft. facility housing its administrative office and culinary arts program at the new Gateway development.  McKinney offers outstanding schools. The city currently has two high schools – McKinney High School and McKinney North High School – and a third high school opening for the 2006 school year.

The city hosts the annual Mickey Mantle baseball tournament and is home to the McKinney Marshals, a Texas Collegiate League team. The Marshals play at the new Ballfields at Craig Ranch, a 14-field, 75-acre baseball, softball and physical-training complex. The McKinney Soccer Complex at Craig Ranch is located next to the Ballfields and features 13 tournament-ready soccer fields.

In 2006, McKinney will welcome the X-Stream Thrills water park to the Craig Ranch facilities.  Craig Ranch is also home to the new Tournament Players Club, the only PGA Tour-owned and operated golf course in Texas. The TPC is one of nine beautiful courses in McKinney.  The world-renowned Cooper Aerobics Center at Craig Ranch is under construction. When completed, the 75,000-sq. ft. facility will be the premier health and fitness facility in the county and one of the finest anywhere in the world.

Collin County Regional Airport is rapidly emerging as the new corporate airport of choice for businesses operating in the North Dallas area. The airport is currently home to several corporate tenants, including Texas Instruments, EDS, Crossmark, Inc., Encore Wire, United American Insurance, McKinney Aerospace, Lattimore Materials, Pinjet Aviation and North Dallas Aviation.

Fourty-eight percent of McKinney residents have college degrees while another 23 percent have attended – or are currently attending college. The median age is 31 and the estimated average household income is $94,000.

The City’s diverse economy includes a healthy mix of retail, office and manufacturing. Some of McKinney’s leading employers include Raytheon, Blockbuster, Lattimore Materials, Encore Wire, the McKinney Medical Center, United American Insurance, Timber Blind Manufacturing, Orthofix and Simpson Strong-Tie.

Source:  The City of McKinney.  For more information, visit www.mckinneyinfo.com.