Denton is a city in and the county chair of Denton County, Texas, United States. With a population of 139,869 as of 2020, it is the 27th-most populous city in Texas, the 197th-most populous city in the United States, and the 12th-most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

A Texas land ascend led to the formation of Denton County in 1846, and the city was incorporated in 1866. Both were named after entrepreneur and Texas militia captain John B. Denton. The start of a railroad parentage in the city in 1881 spurred population, and the start of the University of North Texas in 1890 and Texas Woman’s University in 1901 distinguished the city from neighboring regions. After the construction of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport curtains in 1974, the city had more immediate growth; as of 2011, Denton was the seventh-fastest growing city similar to a population greater than 100,000 in the country.

Located on the far afield north fade away of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in North Texas on Interstate 35, Denton is known for its sprightly music scene; the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo, Denton Arts and Jazz Festival, and Thin Line Fest attract exceeding 300,000 people to the city each year. The city has hot, humid summers and few extreme weather events. Its diverse citizenry is represented by a nonpartisan city council, and numerous county and allow in departments have offices in the city. With higher than 45,000 students enrolled at the two universities within its city limits, Denton is often characterized as a college town. As a repercussion of the universities’ growth, educational services feat a large role in the city’s economy. Residents are served by the Denton County Transportation Authority, which provides commuter rail and bus minister to to the area.

Denton’s formation is next door to tied to that of Denton County. White settlement of the Place began in the mid-1800s like William S. Peters of Kentucky obtained a land comply from the Texas Congress and named it Peters Colony. After initial unity in the southeast portion of the county in 1843, the Texas Legislature voted to form Denton County in 1846. Both the county and the town were named for John B. Denton, a preacher and lawyer who was killed in 1841 during a combat with the Kichai people in what is now Tarrant County. Pickneyville and Alton were fixed as the county chair before Denton was named the chair in 1857. That year, a commission laid out the city and named the first streets.