Italy ( , unlike the country) is a town in Ellis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,926 in 2020. The community was named after Italy by a settler who had visited the European country.
History
Italy was founded in 1879 by settlers who found the surrounding land suitable for growing cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, and wheat. The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad reached Italy in 1890, with the railroad stop making the town an important market center. The population grew steadily, from 1,061 in 1900 to 1,500 in 1925, until the Great Depression sparked a decline lasting over three decades. The town began to see economic and population growth again in the 1970s, with the population rising to nearly 2,000 residents by 2000.
Geography
Italy is located in southwestern Ellis County at (32.182705, –96.884967). Interstate 35E crosses the northwestern corner of the town at exit 386; it leads north to Waxahachie, the county seat, north to downtown Dallas, and southwestward to its junction with I-35W near Hillsboro. U.S. Route 77 passes through the center of Italy and parallels I-35E. Texas State Highway 34 leads northeast from the center of Italy to Ennis.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Italy has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, 1,926 people, 765 households, and 561 families resided in the town.
Notable people
Keith Davis, former safety for the Dallas Cowboys
Dale Evans, actress; wife of Roy Rogers
Jack Hyles, pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, 1959–2001, founder of Hyles-Anderson College J. B. Milam, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma Art Shires, former first baseman for the Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators and Boston Braves
Education
The town is served by the Italy Independent School District, which includes Italy High School (grades 7–12) and Stafford Elementary (prekindergarten - grade 6), and the S.M. Dunlap Memorial Library.
In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Italy has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.