About Allen

Spirit Park

27.11

SQUARE MILES

About Allen

OUR CITY

Allen is located in Collin County at the intersection of Central Expressway (US-75) and Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH-121), 25 minutes north of downtown Dallas. Allen is bordered by incorporated cities on all sides: to the north lie McKinney (the county seat) and Fairview; Plano borders Allen on the south and west, and Lucas borders Allen to the east.

Allen features several important transportation connections. Central Expressway (US-75) bisects the City in a north/south direction toward downtown Dallas and I-30. Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH-121) offers a direct 30-mile route to DFW International Airport and a 10-mile route the Dallas North Tollway, home to many of the region’s largest corporate headquarters. State Highway 5 connects with Greenville Avenue in Allen and continues into the Dallas urban core. Dallas Love Field Airport is 25 miles from Allen and McKinney National Airport is 9 miles away.

POPULATION 109,591

OPERATING BUDGET OF $226

MILLION

Allen Public Library

HISTORY

Allen was settled in the early 1850s as a farming community and remained relatively small until 1953 when the City was officially incorporated with a Council-Manager form of government. In the 1960s, the relocation of technology companies to North Dallas and Richardson—as well as the completion of Central Expressway and Lavon Lake—dramatically increased employment and development opportunities for Allen’s citizens. EDUCATION

DEMOGRAPHICS

Allen’s population growth placed it among the fastest-growing cities in the country, more than doubling every 10 years from 8,324 in 1980 to 84,246 in 2010. The city’s population reached 109,591 by the end of fiscal year 2020 and is expected to reach 123,018 by 2025. Allen’s median household income is $115,349 and per capita income is $44,493. More than 57% of adults possessing at least a bachelor’s degree - twice the national average. In 2020, the median home price in Allen was $334,040.

The City of Allen employs 846 full-time equivalent employees, including 118 in the fire department and 201 in the police department. The City boasts 1,196 acres of park land, 60 parks, seven recreation facilities, one library, five fire stations, one police headquarters and three police storefronts among many other amenities.

CITY SERVICES

Residents in Allen are serviced by three independent school districts with the majority of students residing within Allen ISD boundaries. These districts operate independently from the City of Allen, guided by their own administrations and boards and funded by their own taxes.

Allen Independent School District

• 18 elementary schools with 10,881 students enrolled • 3 middle schools with 3,460 students enrolled • 1 freshman center with 1,806 students enrolled • 1 high school with 5,391 students enrolled