Grand Prairie is about 81 square miles large, with 71 of those square miles being land and the other 10 composed of lakes and creeks. Over 175,000 people call Grand Prairie home, making it the 15th largest city in Texas. The population of Grand Prairie jumped almost 40 percent in just a decade. Roughly 70 percent of Grand Prairie's population is over the age of 18, with 30 being the median age of inhabitants.
Grand Prairie sits in the humid subtropical region, with mild winters and hot summers. Summers last from April to October, with temperatures sometimes reaching as high as 98 degrees F. Winters, which last from November to March, are usually mild and rarely drop below freezing temperatures. City dwellers experience relatively average humidity levels and an annual rainfall of nearly 34 inches a year. Johnson Creek, which flows through the city, was once prone to flooding. This channel has since been improved and flooding has significantly been reduced.
The 5,000 acres of park land in Grand Prairie have earned the city a gold medal award from the National Recreation and Parks Association. Some of Grand Prairie's most popular parks include the Mike Lewis Park, Fish Creek Trail and Lynn Creek Park. These parks have become well known for their beauty, upkeep and recreational facilities. So many open parks are available in Grand Prairie that the parks have become an important and recognizable aspect of the city itself.
Downtown Grand Prairie is notable for its abundance of shops, diners and entertainment. Recently, structures such as the historic Uptown Theater have been renovated to bring the downtown to life. From March to December, residents of Grand Prairie are treated to a Farmer's Market that opens on the Main Square every Saturday. The weekly event shapes the streets into an open-air bazaar with fresh fruits and baked goods available for sale.
