Profile of Las Colinas

IRVING, Texas - Founded in 1973 by Ben H. Carpenter, Las Colinas is known worldwide for its upscale quality and uniqueness.  The 12,000-acre master-planned business and residential area is not a city in its own right, but actually a community located within the city limits of Irving, Texas.

Until the early 1970s, Las Colinas was the Carpenter family's Hackberry Creek Ranch. The opening of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was the basis for the development of Las Colinas. When Carpenter unveiled his vision for Las Colinas (Spanish for "the hills") in 1973, nearly half of the area's then 7,000 acres were devoted to recreation and educational facilities, with a 125-acre, man-made lake at its center (Lake Carolyn, named after Carpenter's sister). The rest would go towards residence and business parks, all connected by public transportation. Originally this meant water taxis through the canals, as well as a series of elevated tracks. The residential areas were to be built in a way that would preserve the natural beauty of the area.

The vision and concept behind Las Colinas has not been duplicated anywhere in the world. Strictly enforced deed restrictions, architectural controls and protective covenants have ensured Las Colinas quality growth. 

Other facts about Las Colinas:

  • Located only an eight-minute drive from DFW International Airport and ten minutes from Dallas Love Field.
  • In January 2011, Irving's first convention center opened in Las Colinas. With an iconic design and high-end finishes, the $133 million, 275,000 square-foot Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas takes a bold new direction in a landscape of traditionally institutional facilities, changing the way planners look at meeting space. Plans for phase two of the Las Colinas development include an entertainment venue, restaurants, retail and a hotel.
  • There are 26 luxury/business class hotels in Las Colinas with a total of 4,200 rooms. Las Colinas' five full-service hotels include the Dallas Marriott Las Colinas, NYLO Las Colinas, Omni Mandalay Hotel Las Colinas, Wyndham Hotel Las Colinas and the Four Seasons Resort and Club, the state's only AAA Five-Diamond hotel and the site of the PGA Tour's annual Byron Nelson Championship.
  • Rich in amenities, Las Colinas boasts more than 70 restaurants, four 18-hole championship golf courses, three private clubs, and a polo club and equestrian center. 
  • The world's largest equestrian sculpture - the Mustangs of Las Colinas - is located at Williams Square.  The award-winning sculpture is one of the top visited tourist attractions in North Texas.  Other Las Colinas attractions include Gondola Adventures on the European-style Mandalay Canal, and the Las Colinas Equestrian Center and Polo Club.
  • Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light-rail expansion will reach Las Colinas from downtown Dallas in 2012 and continue to DFW International Airport by 2013.
  • Las Colinas is served by superior highway systems which include SH-114, SH-161 and I-635.
  • Las Colinas is comprised of more than 190 acres of parks and greenbelts, 17 miles of canal waterways and 10 miles of riverside hiking and biking trails, all which contribute to the many recreational opportunities and great quality of life in Las Colinas.
  • Las Colinas has a total taxable base of more than $5 billion and is home to 2,000-plus corporations including 30-plus Fortune 500 corporations and the headquarters for NEC America, ExxonMobil, Citigroup, Fluor Corporation, NCH Corporation, Verizon, Kimberly-Clark, Nokia, Microsoft, Flowserve, Zale Corporation, AAA Texas, Boy Scouts of America, LGS SkyChef and Neiman Marcus Direct. The employee base is 103,000.
  • The development comprises 22.3 million square feet of office space and 8.5 million square feet of light industrial and distribution space.  Retail space totals 1.3 million square feet.
  • The residential community consists of approximately 31,000 residents.  There are 26 residential neighborhoods and 18 homeowner sub-associations.
  • Education campuses in the Las Colinas area include:  The University of Dallas, North Lake Community College, Cistercian Preparatory School, North Hills Charter School, and Renaissance Charter School.  Las Colinas Elementary and the Jack Singley Academy also are in Las Colinas.

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