Map of Ovilla city

Ovilla is a city in Dallas and Ellis Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 4,304 at the 2020 census.

Ovilla city overview:
Name:Ovilla city
LSAD Code:25
LSAD Description:city (suffix)
State:Texas
County:Dallas County, Ellis County
Elevation:610 ft (186 m)
Total Area:5.79 sq mi (14.99 km²)
Land Area:5.79 sq mi (14.99 km²)
Water Area:0.00 sq mi (0.01 km²)
Total Population:4,304
Population Density:720.19/sq mi (278.05/km²)
ZIP code:75154
Area code:972
FIPS code:4854444
GNISfeature ID:1343373
Website:www.cityofovilla.org

Online Interactive Map

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Ovilla online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Ovilla location map. Where is Ovilla city?

Ovilla location on the U.S. Map. Where is Ovilla city.
Ovilla location on the U.S. Map.
Ovilla location on the Texas map. Where is Ovilla city.
Location of Ovilla in Texas.

History

Original settlement

Ovilla, on upper Red Oak Creek in northern Ellis County, is the oldest town in the county. It began in 1844 as a fortified settlement known as McNamara’s to repel Indian incursions. James McNamara arrived in 1843 with his new wife, Joanna (Hale) McNamara as the first Peters Colony settlers of this area for which they received 640 acres that made up the beginning of the locale that was later to be called ‘Shiloh’ for a nearby creek and a newly formed church. The McNamaras arrived with other Peters colonists: the Billingsleys; Mrs. McNamara’s family, the McCommas’s; and James Sterrett (Mrs. McNamara’s brother-in-law, who established Sterrett, Texas). The marriage of James Sterrett to Clarinda (Hale) Squires of 7 Jul 1844 was the first marriage to be performed here within the future boundaries of Ellis County, which was still within old Robertson County at the time. James McNamara served as sergeant in Smith’s Company of Texas Mounted Volunteers during the War with Mexico in 1846–1847 along with his brother-in-law, James Sterrett. The little village grew as other Peters Colony settlers arrived in the area to attend brush arbor meetings of the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church, which was started by Rev. Finis E. King in 1847. James McNamara died in New Orleans 5 May 1852, and his widow liquified his assets and left Texas for the gold fields in Tuolumne County, California, with all of her remaining maternal family members.

First public buildings

The church met in a brush arbor until 1853, when a log cabin, which served as both church and schoolhouse, was built. A frame church building was finished in 1872; in 1984, about 190 members still met in the structure, which had been enlarged and remodeled. The church was instrumental in moving Trinity University to Waxahachie in 1902 and in establishing a girls’ school in the nearby town of Milford.

20th century breakthrough

Although Ovilla was a thriving farming community by the 1850s, it remained unnamed. Mrs. M. M. Molloy, wife of Rev. D. G. Molloy, formed the name from the Spanish word villa. Ovilla continued to grow, and by the early 1900s, had a post office, a bank, a cotton gin, a pharmacy, a blacksmith shop, and several dry-goods stores. Its post office closed in 1906. Fires in 1918 and 1926 destroyed most of the downtown buildings, and this destruction, together with the fact that Ovilla was bypassed by railroads and major highways, led to a decline in growth.

City incorporation

As Dallas grew, however, and people started moving from the city to the suburbs, Ovilla once again began to grow. To escape annexation by DeSoto or any other neighboring city, the town of Ovilla was incorporated in 1963. In the first census after incorporation, its population was 339; by 1980, it had risen to 1,067. Its 1984 population was estimated to be nearly 1,300. In 1990, it was 2,027, and the community had extended into Dallas County. The 2000 census showed a population of 3,405, rising to 3,492 as of the 2010 census.

Famous history

Boxcar Willie was born in the area surrounding Ovilla; the overpass at Interstate 35E and FM 664 in Red Oak is named in his memory.

Several episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger with Chuck Norris were shot in part here. Downtown Ovilla was the set of an old Indian town.

Ovilla Road Map

Road map of Ovilla
Road map of Ovilla

Ovilla city Satellite Map

Satellite map of Ovilla
Satellite map of Ovilla

Geography

Ovilla is located at 32°31′54″N 96°53′29″W / 32.53167°N 96.89139°W / 32.53167; -96.89139 (32.531616, –96.891298).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.8 km), all of it land.

See also

Map of Texas State and its subdivision: Map of other states:
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Parent Unit Map

Map of Dallas County, Texas
Dallas County is the second-most populous county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 2,613,539, making it the ninth-most populous county in the country. Dallas County is included in the Dallas-Arlington-Fort Worth metropolitan statistical area—colloquially referred to as the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Municipal expansion within Dallas County ... Read more
Map of Dallas County, Texas
Map of Ellis County, Texas
Ellis County overview: Name: Ellis County FIPS code: 48-139 State: Texas Founded: 1850 Named for: Richard Ellis Seat: Waxahachie Largest city: Waxahachie Total Area: 952 sq mi (2,470 km²) Land Area: 936 sq mi (2,420 km²) Total Population: 192,455 Population Density: 200/sq mi (80/km²) Time zone: UTC−6 (Central) Summer Time Zone (DST): UTC−5 (CDT) Website: www.co.ellis.tx.us Ellis County location map. Where is ... Read more
Map of Ellis County, Texas

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