Meet our Municipality | McKinney

The Collin County city of McKinney was established in 1848 and incorporated a year late in 1849. McKinney has been one of the fastest growing cities in our region for several years and is home to 162,000 people.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF YOUR CITY? McKinney has a unique, rich and diverse spirit in part because of the history that shaped it. Original residents were pioneers who settled as a result of being offered free land. The population grew slowly at first but construction of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1872, stimulated a time of unprecedented growth. In 1848, the Texas legislature established McKinney as the County Seat of Collin County. Over the next 50 years, cotton became the major source of revenue, with McKinney boasting four mills by 1876. The first textile mill (one of only two west of the Mississippi) opened in 1910. High yields of corn, wheat and oats stimulated growth of the grain processing industry with facilities still in use today. McKinney’s booming economy meant better infrastructure and larger homes for many citizens. Many of the city’s most impressive historic homes were built in the 1890s. By 1885 McKinney had newspapers, banks, flour mills, an opera house, churches and 2,000 residents. From these seeds grew the McKinney we know today – a town that enjoys a diverse and thriving economy, excellent quality of life and leadership and citizens dedicated to working together for a successful and sustainable future.

HOW CAN WE FOLLOW YOUR CITY’S NEWS ON FACEBOOK AND/OR TWITTER? Please visit facebook.com/mckinneytx or twitter.com/cityofmckinney.