Welcome to Collin County, one of the fastest growing counties in Texas and the nation! More than 790,000 people, a rapidly growing list of corporate headquarters, and two professional sports teams have chosen this part of North Texas as home. Since you're here on this page, we're guessing you have to, so we've posted the following basic information to get you started on your newcomer's orientation. For starters, here's a quick snapshot of Collin County, by the numbers*:

• County Seat: McKinney
• Area: 848 sq. miles of land, 38 sq. miles of water
• Towns and Cities: 27
• Estimated Population (2009): 791,631
• New residents moving in each day (2009): 74
• Paved County Roads: 726 miles
• Median Household Income (2006): $74,051
• Average Home Value (2010): $233,591
• County Tax Rate (2010): $0.24 per $100 assessed value
• Independent School Districts: 21
• Special Districts: 2
• Hospital Districts: None
• County-level Elected Officials: 35
• Registered Voters (2010): 424,548
• Voter Turnout (November 2010): 37.1%

County Government

To familiarize you with the in's and out's of local government, we've put together a primer on how county government works, how we spend our tax dollars, the convenience of online services for the county - and for many of the cities in Collin County, the online services they offer.

Many of the county and city web sites provide a convenient way to take care of things such as traffic tickets, vehicle registration and jury duty. And if you need to replace or update your drivers license, Texas.gov is the web place to be, or you can visit one of the Texas Department of Public Safety's local offices. Also, our Elections Department can help you update your voter registration.

The Past

For those unfamiliar with this region, the Collin County Historical Commission has posted an online driving tour to help you get you acquainted with this region's past and present, and we've included a brief history of Collin County.

The Present

To find out the current happenings in the county, check out What's Going On? Need more entertainment? Find something on our Entertainment/Dining/Shopping page. Our Recreation & Sports and Parks & Open Space pages can lead Rec Centers, hiking trails, parks and fitness facilities scattered across county, as well as facilities like Myers Park & Event Center to hold your special occasions. We're also home to Major League Soccer's Pizza Hut Park (FC Dallas) and the Dr. Pepper Ballpark (Frisco Roughriders), along with other sports attractions.

Mapping it Out

Our Geographic Information System's interactive maps can locate virtually any of these locales in a few clicks of a mouse.

Under Construction

For ongoing and upcoming road and building construction programs in the county, pore over the details such as location, cost and progress on our Projects page.

Property & Taxes

To review tax-appraised property values and histories there is the Central Appraisal District, a separate governmental entity from county government. For paying property taxes or to get a previous tax statement, see the county Tax Assessor.

The Grass is Greener

To find out how to landscape your property with native- and drought-resistant plants, go to our Lawn & Garden page, or head straight to our local agricultural experts at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. North Texas gardening is quite rewarding, yet challenging at the same time!

* Sources of demographic data: U.S. Census, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Collin County Central Appraisal District.