Dallas-Irving-Plano Area of Economic Development

Dallas-Irving-Plano Region for Business

A vast network of higher education institutions offers an unparalleled talent pool in the heart of North Texas.

One of North America’s largest business centers, the Dallas-Irving-Plano region is home to a dynamic and diverse metropolitan economy. Whether you run a small business or major corporation, Dallas is globally connected and centrally located. A growing light rail transit system includes 60+ rail stations and spans more than 90 miles. Businesses in this region have access to an almost 3.4 million strong workforce, where more than 35 percent of regional workers have attained a college degree or higher. The Dallas area alone is home to 300 corporate headquarters that each employ more than 1,000 people globally, including 24 Fortune 500 companies.

This metroplex also encompasses the following cities: Allen, Carrollton, Denton, Flower Mound, Frisco, Garland, Grand Prairie, LewisvilleMesquite, Plano and Richardson.

Rankings

A woman wearing a headset tests a virtual reality device at Southern Methodist University.

#4 Top Tech Cities in U.S. (Plano)

Cloudwards 2024
Frisco Texas water tower

#1 Safest Cities in America (Frisco)

SmartAsset 2023
Aerial view of a residential area in Dallas, Texas.

#5 Best Cities to Buy a House in America (Plano)

Niche 2022
Four students at Southern Methodist University sit at a table, studying on their laptops.

#7 Best U.S. Cities for Jobs (Dallas)

Extra Space Storage 2023
Downtown Dallas skyline at sunset

#2 Best U.S. Cities for Starting a Business (Dallas)

The Zebra 2023

Dallas-Irving-Plano Economic Strengths

Learn more about the economic strengths and business advantages that this metropolitan division offers.

AT&T employees sit and have conversations at the AT&T Foundy Innovation Center in Plano, Texas.
Front of Laura Lee Blanton Building at Southern Methodist University
The Dallas Farmers Market sits against a background of the Dallas skyline in Texas.
  • Business Environment
  • Talent
  • Infrastructure
Business Environment
AT&T employees sit and have conversations at the AT&T Foundy Innovation Center in Plano, Texas.

A Diverse Business Climate Fosters Innovation

Dallas-Irving-Plano’s strong economy is supported by companies across a range of business sectors, from food processing to telecommunications.

Major business clusters in Dallas-Irving-Plano include aerospace and aviation, business and financial services, food processing, information technology, manufacturing and telecommunications. Major employers include AT&T, BAE Systems, Capital One Finance, Celanese, Dean Foods, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Energy Future Holdings, Flexjet, Flextronics, Fluor, Frito-Lay North America, Fujitsu America, GE Energy, Gulfstream Aerospace, Honeywell, J.C. Penny, Kimberly-Clark, L3 Technologies, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Lockheed Martin, Maxim Integrated, Peterbilt Motors, Raytheon, Southwest Airlines, State Farm Insurance, Texas Instruments, Toyota Motor North America and Torchmark Corporation.

Talent
Front of Laura Lee Blanton Building at Southern Methodist University

Vast Colleges and Universities Produce Top Talent

Infrastructure
The Dallas Farmers Market sits against a background of the Dallas skyline in Texas.

Unlimited Global Access Via Road, Rail, or Air Travel

This region’s celebrated infrastructure offers businesses direct access across the nation for logistics and distribution operations.

A multitude of interstate highways links this region to the rest of Texas, including I-20, I-30, I-35 and I-45. Two major airports offer convenient domestic and international travel: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field. Class I railroad carriers are well represented in the area. This area is also home to three foreign trade zones: No. 39 Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, No. 113 Ellis County and No. 168 Dallas-Fort Worth.