Denton County, Texas

Denton County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 662,614, making it the ninth-most populous county in Texas. The county seat is Denton. The county, which was named for John B. Denton, was established in 1846.

Denton County is included in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2007, it was one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States.

History

Before the arrival of white settlers, various Native American peoples, including the Kichai and the Lenape, infrequently populated the area. The area was settled by Peters Colony landowners in the early 1840s. Until the annexation of Texas, the area was considered part of Fannin County. On April 11, 1846, the First Texas Legislature established Denton County. The county was named for John B. Denton, who was killed while raiding a Native American village in Tarrant County in 1841. Originally, the county seat was set at Pickneyville. This was later changed to Alton, where the Old Alton Bridge currently stands, and then moved finally to Denton.