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is a city in Dallas County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is an inner suburb northeast of Dallas and is a major part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 215,768, making it the tenth-most populous city in Texas and the eighty-sixth most populous city in the United States. Garland is within a short driving distance of most major attractions in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area.
Settlers began arriving in the Peters colony area around 1850 but a community wasn't created until 1874. Two communities sprung up in the area: "Embree," named for the physician K. H. Embree, and "Duck Creek," named for the local creek of the same name. A rivalry between the two towns ensued as the area began to grow around the Santa Fe Railroad depot. Eventually, to settle a dispute over which town should have the local post office, Dallas County Judge Thomas A. Nash asked visiting Congressman Joe Abbott to move the post office between the two towns, which was done in 1887. The new location was named "Garland" after Attorney General Augustus Hill Garland. Embree and Duck Creek were combined to form the city of Garland. In 1891, the new city was incorporated. By 1904 the town had a population of 819 people.
In 1920, local businessmen financed a new electrical generator plant (sold by Fairbanks-Morse) for the town. Out of this was formed Garland Power & Light, the municipal electric provider that still powers the city today.
On May 9, 1927, a devastating tornado destroyed much of the town and killed 17 people, including the former mayor S. E. Nicholson.
Businesses began to move back into the area in the late 1930s. The Craddock food company and later the Byer-Rolnick hat factory (now owned by Resistol) moved into the area. In 1937, KRLD, a major Dallas radio station, built its radio antenna tower in Garland, and it is operational to this day. During World War II, several aircraft plants were operated in the area, and the Kraft Foods company purchased a vacant one after the War for its own use. By 1950, the population of Garland had exceededed 10,000 people.
From 1950 to 1954, the Dallas/Garland area suffered from a serious and extended drought. To supplement the water provided by wells, the Garland began using the water from the nearby Lake Lavon.
Following World War II, the suburban population boom that the whole country experienced also reached Garland. By 1960, the population had more nearly quadrupled from the 1950 number to about 38,500. By 1970, the popublation had redoubled again to about 81,500. By 1980, the population had crossed over the 100,000-person threshold with about 138,850 people.