Little Elm is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States, and a part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is an extended suburb of Denton; its population was 46,453 as of the 2020 census. In 2000, the census population was at 3,646. By the 2010 census, the city total had jumped to 25,898, making Little Elm one of the fastest-growing municipalities by percentage in Texas since 2000. The July 1, 2021 census estimates Little Elm's population as 51,042.
History
Little Elm was established along Lewisville Lake by C.C. "Kit" King, son of John and Delilah King, in 1844. King named the community after the creek banks where it was located. King helped organize mail service for the area and in 1852 was named the postmaster of Denton County's first post office. The population was very low throughout the first half of the 20th century, but in 1966 the community was able to officially incorporate. The first official census for the town came in 1970, which recorded 363 persons.
On the second of March 2023, a very powerful storm came through north Texas. It caused damages across the area but most notably, a supermarket's facade was completely torn off, covering several automobiles parked in the parking lot.
Geography
Little Elm is generally located along the northern and eastern shores of Lewisville Lake at the crossroads of Eldorado Parkway, FM 720, and FM 423, and includes stretches of U.S. Highway 380. Its neighbors include Frisco to the east, The Colony and Hackberry to the south, Prosper, Aubrey, Savannah, and Providence to the north, and Oak Point, Cross Roads, Hickory Creek, Lake Dallas, and Lakewood Village to the west.
The city is about 33 miles north of the City of Dallas, 53 miles north of the City of Fort Worth, 23 miles north of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and 20 miles east of the City of Denton, the county seat of Denton County.
Little Elm is located at (33.163955, –96.930281). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it has a total area of , of which is land and , or 21.83%, is covered by water. Little Elm has an average elevation of 545 feet above sea level.
Climate
Little Elm has a humid subtropical climate typical for Northeast Texas.
Demographics
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
Little Elm's Census population, as of April 1, 2020, was 46,453. Little Elm's build-out population is anticipated to be about 90,000.
Government
Politics
Historically a Republican-voting town, it has become more competitive in statewide and national elections as its population has diversified and grown in size, shifting toward the Democratic Party in more recent elections.
Local government
Little Elm became a home rule municipality in 2001. It has a council-manager form of government. The town council consists of a mayor and five city council members, one of whom is elected at-large.
The city holds annual municipal elections in March, and run-off elections when necessary in June. Terms for both the offices of the mayor and council are three years, with term limits of three years.
The city has a number of extraterritorial jurisdictions that also vote in municipal elections.
In June 2021, Little Elm elected its first African American mayor, Curtis Cornelious, who previously served two and a half terms on town council as the at-large council member before resigning to run for mayor.
State government
After the 2021 state and federal redistricting, the town of Little Elm is located almost wholly within Texas State House of Representatives district 57, with tiny portions in district 106. Likewise, most of Little Elm is in Texas State Senate district 12, with some small portions in district 30.
Federal government
Following the 2021 state and federal redistricting, the town of Little Elm is located entirely within United States Congressional district 26.
Education
Three school districts primarily serve Little Elm: Little Elm ISD, Frisco ISD, and Denton ISD. Generally, the U.S. 380 corridor is served by Denton ISD, the FM 423 corridor and east Little Elm by Frisco ISD, and the rest of Little Elm by Little Elm ISD. A small portion of land in city boundaries is also served by Aubrey ISD.