Italy, Texas

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox settlement | official_name = Italy, Texas | settlement_type = Town | motto = "The biggest little town in Texas" | image_skyline = ItalyTexas1 (1 of 1).jpg | imagesize = 250px | image_caption = Downtown Italy, Texas  | image_map = Ellis County Italy.svg | mapsize = 250px | map_caption = Location of Italy, Texas  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = United States | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = Texas | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = Ellis  | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | established_title = | established_date =  | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref> | area_total_km2 = 4.67 | area_land_km2 = 4.67 | area_water_km2 = 0.00 | area_total_sq_mi = 1.80 | area_land_sq_mi = 1.80 | area_water_sq_mi = 0.00  | population_as_of = 2020 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 1926 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_density_sq_mi = auto  | timezone = Central (CST) | utc_offset = -6 | timezone_DST = CDT | utc_offset_DST = -5 | elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/> | elevation_ft = 551 | coordinates = {{coord|32|10|58|N|96|52|46|W|region:US-TX|display=inline,title}} | postal_code_type = ZIP code | postal_code = 76651 | area_codes = 214, 469, 945, 972 | blank_name = FIPS code | blank_info = 48-37072<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> | blank1_name = GNIS feature ID | blank1_info = 2412797<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412797}}</ref> | website = {{URL|www.ci.italy.tx.us}} | footnotes = }}

'''Italy''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɪ|t|l|i}} {{respell|IT|lee}}, unlike the country) is a town in Ellis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,926 in 2020.<ref name=":0" /> The community was named after Italy by a settler who had visited the European country.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Moyer|first1=Armond|last2=Moyer|first2=Winifred|title=The origins of unusual place-names|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89058322223;view=1up;seq=74|year=1958|publisher=Keystone Pub. Associates|page=70}}</ref>

==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.<ref>{{Handbook of Texas | id=hji03 | name=Italy, TX | author=Robert J. Haaser | retrieved=December 12, 2015}}</ref>

==Geography==

Italy is located in southwestern Ellis County. Interstate 35E crosses the northwestern corner of the town at exit 386; it leads north {{convert|15|mi}} to Waxahachie, the county seat, north {{convert|44|mi}} to downtown Dallas, and southwestward {{convert|15|mi}} 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 {{convert|20|mi}} to Ennis.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Italy has a total area of {{convert|4.7|km2|order=flip}}, all land.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Italy town, Texas |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4837072 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213064837/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4837072 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=March 25, 2016 |work=American Factfinder |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref>

==Demographics== {{US Census population |1890= 370 |1900= 1061 |1910= 1149 |1920= 1350 |1930= 1230 |1940= 1224 |1950= 1185 |1960= 1183 |1970= 1309 |1980= 1306 |1990= 1699 |2000= 1993 |2010= 1863 |2020=1926}}

{| class="wikitable" |+'''Italy racial composition as of 2020'''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4837072&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=May 22, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref><br /> (NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|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.<ref>https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref>}} !Race !Number !Percentage |- |White (NH) |1,133 |58.83% |- |Black or African American (NH) |234 |12.15% |- |Native American or Alaska Native (NH) |8 |0.42% |- |Asian (NH) |7 |0.36% |- |Mixed/multiracial (NH) |56 |2.91% |- |Hispanic or Latino |488 |25.34% |- |'''Total''' |'''1,926''' | |} 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, founder of Hyles-Anderson College * Kortnei Johnson, athlete * 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.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ci.italy.tx.us/index.php?id=OHO1634AG | title = Library | publisher = The City of Italy, Texas | access-date = March 4, 2013}}</ref>

In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2009/index.html |title=2009 Accountability Rating System |publisher=Texas Education Agency |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025190535/http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2009/index.html |archive-date=October 25, 2015 }}</ref>

==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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=44014&cityname=Italy,+Texas,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Italy, Texas Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=January 22, 2018}}</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery widths="180px" class="center"> Image:Italy Farmers State Bank Wiki (1 of 1).jpg|Farmers State Bank Image:Italy City Hall Wiki (1 of 1).jpg|City Hall </gallery>

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|Italy, Texas}} * [https://ci.italy.tx.us/ City of Italy official website]

Category:Towns in Ellis County, Texas Category:Towns in Texas Category:Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1879 Category:1879 establishments in Texas