North Richland Hills, Texas, United States

:US: North Richland Hills, commonly known as NRH, is a city inside Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a mid-to-high end suburb of Fort Worth. In 2006, North Richland Hills was selected as one of the "Top 100 Best Places to live in America" according to Money magazine and in 2016, the Dallas Morning News ranked North Richland Hills #9 on its list of best Dallas-Fort Worth neighbourhoods. Major streets and highways include FM 1938 (Davis Boulevard), Mid Cities Boulevard, Bedford-Euless Road, Interstate Highway 820, North Tarrant Parkway, FM 3029 (Precinct Line Road) and TX SH 26. It is home to the Birdville Independent School District and the northern portion is served by Keller ISD.

NRH notably houses the headquarters of HealthMarkets. North Richland Hills features popular businesses and locations including the NRH20 Water Park, Medical City North Hills, its own state-of-the-art public library and is surrounded by communities including Haltom City, Keller, Hurst, and Southlake. It also housed the now-demolished North Hills Mall, which ceased operations in 2004. As of 2016, that site is now the new location of the North Richland Hills City Hall. In 2012, North Richland Hills was ranked at #44 as one of the Best Dallas Suburbs according to D Magazine.

History The community began when W.S. Peters agreed to bring 600 families into the area within a three-year period as part of a land grant. Families began arriving in the summer of 1848. In 1849, Tarrant County was established and named for General Edward H. Tarrant. The community of Birdville (adjacent to what is now the south-west boundary of North Richland Hills) was named the first county seat. The area remained a rural farming and ranching community for more than 100 years.

In 1952, Clarence Jones began to subdivide his 268-acre (1.08 km²) dairy farm into a suburban addition in the area that is now Cummings Drive. In 1953, the North Richland Hills Civic League sought to have the area annexed to Richland Hills, then voted to form their own city when annexation was denied. An election was held, and the 268 acres (1.08 km²) of the Jones Farm, with a population of 500, became officially incorporated as the City of North Richland Hills.

The first section of streets in North Richland Hills was named for the local families. The second section, which was added in 1954, was named for automobiles. There were 188 homes in the first part of the subdivision, which was restricted to brick and masonry construction.

By 1957, the North Richland Hills' boundary was within 2 miles (3 km) of Smithfield, and by 1960, Smithfield had been annexed into North Richland Hills. In 1960, the population of North Richland Hills was beginning to rise at 8,662 residents, with that number more than doubling to 16,514 by 1970. The city's population continued to grow at a rapid pace, with the 1980 census at 30,592, and the 1990 census reflecting 45,895. In 2000, the population was at 55,635, and rise to 63,343 at the 2010 census. In 2020, the population was at 69,917.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.2 square miles (47.2 km²), of which 18.2 square miles (47.1 km²) is land, and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), or 0.24%, is water.

Demographics Economy According to the City's Economic Development Department, the top employers in the city include: 1 Santander Consumer USA; 2 Medical City North Hills; 3 HealthMarkets; 4 Stericycle; 5 Tyson Prepared Foods; 5 XPO Logistics; 6 Smurfit Kappa Bates Container; 7 A to Z Therapy; 9 ESNA Texas; 10 Prestige.

The city is also home to the state's largest Ford dealership, Five Star Ford.

Education Children who live in North Richland Hills attend schools in the Birdville Independent School District. The northernmost part of the city is served by the Keller Independent School District. North Richland Hills has two public high schools: Richland High School and Birdville High School.

Private schools in North Richland Hills include: Fort Worth Christian School, St. John the Apostle Catholic School (of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth), North Park Christian Academy, and North Richland Hills Montessori.

The Tarrant County College Northeast Campus is located on the North Richland Hills and Hurst border at 828 Harwood Road.

Fire Department / Emergency Medical Services The North Richland Hills Fire Department (NRHFD), also called the North Richland Hills Fire-Rescue (NRHFR), is a public health service geared towards combating uncontrolled fires. In addition to its role as a fire department, it acts like a traditional EMS service, and is dispatched to a wide range of medical emergencies unrelated to fires. To accomplish this mix of roles, all NRHFD staff are cross trained as firefighters and paramedics; likewise, all vehicles that they employ carry advanced life support equipment.

The department is currently recognised as a “Best Practices” department by the Texas Fire Chiefs Association.