by John Henry, Brian Kendall, Malcolm Mayhew

When it came to applying our completely biased and inexact science to deciphering the best city in Texas, those other Lone Star towns (Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio) never stood a chance. Sure, they might make fine American municipalities, but none of them are as definitively “Texas” as the one we call home.

We managed to whittle our extensive list down to 50 reasons Fort Worth is tops in Texas — an argument we are happy to make in any public forum with both objective and subjective reasoning. Yeah, you might have more places to purchase Gucci footwear in Houston, more bands that play generic blues in Austin, more yawn-worthy NBA Championships in San Antonio, and more rotten egg aromas in Dallas. But such positive traits do not a “Best City in Texas” make. From craft barbecue to fast cars to cost of living — you know, all the important stuff — Fort Worth easily comes out on top.

Outside of being large quadrupeds, cows and panthers have seemingly little in common. So, how did our town manage to get two separate nicknames dedicated to each animal? The answer has more to do with our city’s diversity and self-deprecation than it does with paying homage to furry critters. The story of how Panther City became a thing — a Dallas reporter writes of an escaped panther being found asleep in downtown Fort Worth — is the kind of tall tale that gets more fun with each telling. And the roll-off-the-tip-of-your-tongue nickname of Cowtown might be one of the most apropros monikers in all of these United States. Big D and Alamo City are all fine and dandy (Austin doesn’t seem to have ever been bestowed a decent nickname), but we argue Fort Worth has those city’s nicknames beat in both quality and quantity. Add in Funkytown, and it’s simply no contest. 

Go anywhere outside of Texas, and the citizens of the other 49 assume our state is full of horse-riding, cowboy-hat-wearing folks who routinely say “howdy.” We’d hate to introduce them to any of the other four major cities and disappoint them. While Austin and San Antonio are, geographically, farther west, being West (big W) is a state of mind. And we are, after all, where the West begins. Stockyards, honky tonks, weekly bull riding, and the only official John Wayne museum outside of his birthplace? If the Duke approves of our city, we rest our case.

The head of our cheer squad is better than yours, including you, Houston, and Jesse Jones. Amon Carter, who swore he brought a sack lunch when he went to Dallas so he wouldn’t spend any money there, had the best bullhorn of any of them, his voice heard clearly from here to Washington, D.C., and New York City. When Amon spoke, business and political leaders listened. If he needed to use charm, he would do so, but he also wasn’t afraid of the hammerlock. He counted as friends John Nance Garner and Franklin Roosevelt. With the help of Roosevelt’s son Elliott, Carter was instrumental in bringing a bomber plant, today Lockheed Martin, to Fort Worth. He gave us our own Texas Centennial celebration in 1936 and with it the Will Rogers Memorial Center, and was a founder of American Airlines. He undoubtedly enjoyed causing outrage to Dallas city leaders when he forced American to partially pull out of Love Field and into Amon Carter Field during the airport wars of the 1950s. He ultimately — and posthumously — got his way, a regional international airport a mere par-5 from Amon Carter Field.

Home is Where the Value Is

Funkytown is still a bargain for homebuyers. According to bestplaces.net, a wide gulf exists between home prices in Austin and Fort Worth. Dallas? No value there. “The West-O-Plex is still a hidden gem in the real estate market,” says Jake White, an agent for League Real Estate. “Comparing bang for your buck, you get more. You get more house, you get more land, and you still get the conveniences of the big city for a lower price. In looking at the market, the Fort Worth area is still one of the best values in Texas. This may not be a trend that lasts much longer, but it is the reality at the moment.”

Fort Worth’s history is second to none in Texas, and, yes, I remember the Alamo. But the founding of Fort Worth, and then, later, the notorious characters who filled the spaces of Hell’s Half Acre and later the Jacksboro Highway Corridor — hello, Benny Binion — weren’t exactly second rate. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, better known in these parts as Harry Longabaugh, and the Fort Worth Five were the most prolific train and bank robbers in the American West. They had a base here. Bonnie and Clyde caused chaos here, and, of course, Lee Harvey Oswald used Cowtown as a springboard to dreadful deeds. So, when it comes to conversation starters or podcast concepts, we got you.

The Biggest Little Town in Texas

No matter how fast we grow or big we get, Fort Worth will always be different from other Texas cities because, well, we’re not really a city. Fort Worth is quite possibly the biggest small town in Texas. We open doors for others, hold the elevators for strangers, say “yes, ma’am” and “yes, sir,” let people merge onto the highway, look each other in the eye, and we give hearty handshakes. Men still wear cowboy hats here, and they still tip them when women pass by. “Hon” and “Sweetie” are used around here as often as salt and pepper.  Those are the hallmarks of a town, and they are still firmly in place.  

Double-dog dare you to type “world’s largest honky-tonk” in your Google prompt. We’ll save you the trouble: Billy Bob’s Texas. Everything is bigger in Texas and, there’s no two ways or two steps about it, the biggest honky-tonk, the brainchild of Billy Bob Barnett, is the biggest anywhere, a total of 100,000 square feet and 20 acres of parking with a capacity of 6,000. Billy Bob’s immediately put “Urban Cowboy’s” Gilley’s in Houston to the back of the line when it opened in 1980. The curious come from around the world to sneak a peek, day or night. Country music royalty don’t only play Billy Bob’s, it’s a pilgrimage. Grand opening week 42 years ago included Waylon and Willie, the Gatlins, and Janie Fricke.

We Have the Biggest Welcome Mat

Fort Worth remains one of the fastest-growing cities in America. Recent U.S. Census data illustrated that. Fort Worth ranked third in the country in residents added with 12,916 from 2020 to 2021, according to data. Dallas, meanwhile, lost 14,777 people. Something we refer to as a mass exodus. (OK, OK … voluntary disclosure here: Our brother to the south, San Antonio, added more, 13,626 people, the most in the U.S. from that time period. You hear that, Alamo City? That’s our engine revving. The race is on.)

The Best Dad? Ripley Arnold, Believe It or Not

Judge Edwin Waller, imperial Spanish explorers, John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen, John Neeley Bryan. Meh, meh, yawn, meh. Now, our founding father, that’s a founding father: A major in the U.S. Cavalry, a leading man in the Army’s 2nd Dragoons, was sent north to establish a fort on the Trinity River to keep peace among the Native Americans and settlers who trickled in after the Mexican-American War. Arnold honored Maj. Gen. William Jenkins Worth with the naming, but had he known what a thriving city we would become, he’d have set down stakes and named the place after himself. (That’s what we call editorializing.) Anyway, our guy’s career — and life — ended in a duel at Fort Graham, won by a physician. A commanding officer in the Army killed by a doctor. OK, we admit that particular detail of his life is not too impressive. But otherwise …

At the Top of the Leaderboard

We have visionary Marvin Leonard to thank for our best-in-state-of-Texas PGA Tour stop, the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club, the course Ben Hogan made famous. Or was it the other way around? Leonard, who had discovered bent grass greens in California, was out to disprove skeptics who said bent grass and moose can’t be cultivated in the Texas heat. We can’t speak for moose, but bent grass greens work down here, so long as they receive heaping helpings of the champagne of the Earth, water. At his new Colonial Country Club, Leonard, with help from his friends, brought the U.S. Open to town in 1941, and in 1946 the PGA Tour followed. The track is world-renowned, and the winner doesn’t approach 30 under like, ahem, a certain Dallas tournament. To the winner, too, goes a pretty killer Scottish tartan plaid jacket.

Our Billionaires Are Better Than Your Billionaires

Simply put, our billionaires are better than your billionaires, who have taken the lead in building a city that is the envy in cultural arts and architectural landmarks, such as Dickies Arena and Bass Performance Hall, both merely a pipe dream without the leadership of Ed Bass and the Bass family. John Connally, the former Texas governor and one-time presidential candidate, managed the oil fortune of Sid W. Richardson. Connally recommended that the “bachelor billionaire,” worth at his death in 1959 somewhere between $200 million and $1 billion, entrust his fortune to his nephew Perry Bass and Bass’ four sons. Fort Worth’s landscape, from its skyline to cultural scene and quality of life, was a winner in that decision. The same for billionaire Richard Rainwater, who earned a fortune managing Bass money.

We don’t do any horsing around in the horseflesh industry. Neigh, neigh. It’s been that way since Maj. Ripley Arnold’s cavalry trotted up the banks of the Trinity. The cutting horse capital of the world is a hop, gallop, and a jump away in Weatherford, where dozens of professional trainers and hall-of-fame horses stand. Next door in Aledo, the world’s most famous cutting horse, Metallic Cat, stands at Rocking P Ranch. The stallion, owned by Fort Worth’s own Bobby Patton, has sired earners of more than $40 million. Cutting’s Triple Crown events are held each year, throughout the year, at Will Rogers, including the organization’s Super Bowl, the NCHA Futurity each December. The NRCHA’s Snaffle Bit Futurity — presented by … Metallic Cat — is that organization’s premier competition for 3-year-olds.

The Spirits Are with Us

Two words: TX Whiskey. We owe our gratitude to Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. for that gift, a best seller distilled right here in Fort Worth. (Now owned by Pernod Ricard.) Its market penetration, creating demand for Its product, and Its logo should be studied by those in the MBA seminary. Our distillery game has grown Popeye-spinach strong in recent years. There’s Firestone and Robertson, but also Acre Distillery in old Hell’s Half Acre, Blackland Distillery in the Foundry District, Black Eyed Distilling Co. in Near Southside, and the Trinity River Distillery in the old Ranch Style Beans plant. Oh, my. Craft breweries, you ask? We’ve got seemingly as many of those as Starbucks. And those are everywhere. Entrepreneurs have done Fort Worth a solid. Rahr & Son’s, Wild Acre, Hopfusion, Martin House, Revolver, Cowtown, Panther Island Brewing, Locust Cider, Maple Branch, and Funky Picnic. We’re probably missing one.

The Ball Is in Our Court

Dallas-Fort Worth boasts all four of the major professional sports: Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers, the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and NHL’s Dallas Stars. Two of them play in Tarrant County, including the world’s most valuable professional sports franchise, the Cowboys. Houston has two, San Antonio has one, and Austin, a big goose egg. In soccer, they call it nil. Tarrant County is also home to the Dallas Wings, who play in women’s basketball’s top league, the WNBA. The Wings host home games at UT Arlington’s College Park Center. It’s an easy drive for girls high school basketball destinations just west of us. Two of motorsports’ big leagues, NASCAR and the IRL, make left turns at Texas Motor Speedway in north Fort Worth.

Very sensitive subject matter here. Football in the state of Texas is religion. There are, for the moment, two schools in our five-city study that play in a Power Five conference. Texas and TCU are both in the Big 12. Our Horned Frogs, once belittled by the elite on the Forty Acres, have dominated the bigger Longhorns program — going 7-3 in the last 10 years. Cockroaches no more, Darrell Royal. Cockroaches no more. Sonny Dykes has big shoes to fill in keeping this trending in the right, Fort Worth direction.

We’re the Safe Bet

Fort Worth isn’t the safest city in Texas — we have small towns like Trophy Club to compete with — but Cowtown is still safer than “The Defunders,” Austin, followed by San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston, the least safe big city in the state, according to FBI crime data. We have seen crime statistics rise in recent years, but our police department is on the case. We live, work, shop, and play in the safest big city in Texas.

Let’s Rodeo All Year Long

Houston might have the biggest rodeo in Texas, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best — a very un-Texas thing of us to suggest biggest does not mean best, we know. But hear us out. First, our own Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is the oldest indoor rodeo — being established in 1896. Second, our rodeo season doesn’t begin and end with the three-week exposition. No, we rodeo all year long at the Stockyards — from weekly bull riding at Billy Bob’s to a legit Friday and Saturday night rodeo at the Cowtown Coliseum. Big buckles, boots, and cowboy hats aren’t just a seasonal thing in the Fort.

Spilling the Beans on Beans

Beans, beans, the magical fruit. We Fort Worthians have been blessed to eat the best out of a can. Our first solid food as a tenderfoot was Ranch Style Beans, manufactured out of its iconic plant, which sat perched just east of downtown since 1913. Well, it did until ConAgra closed it down in 2006. Ranch Style Beans were a favorite of President Lyndon Johnson, who was said to have had them specially ordered. Humphrey Bogart, too. Ranch Style Beans are still made here in Fort Worth in a new facility in north Fort Worth. The city, doing what it could to keep our companies here, gave ConAgra financial incentives to stay and build a new plant. ConAgra stayed put. In addition to beans, the company’s brands include Rotel, Vlasic, and something called Healthy Choice. Given the choice, we’ll insert one of those thumbs-down emotys on that last one.

Lots of Seats in That There Stadium

Texas Motor Speedway was born with a chip on its shoulder. The track’s founding president and general manager Eddie Gossage was always quick to say how many AT&T Stadiums could fit inside the expansive confines of TMS. The truth is, TMS, in north Fort Worth, is the biggest sports venue in the state, with a capacity to hold 200,000 spectators for a race, including more than 159,585 and 53,000 on the infield. Austin’s Circuit of the Americas can hold 150,000. That’s not all, however. TMS is home to the world’s largest HD video board, “Big Hoss,” who stands Texas tall at 94½ feet tall, 218 feet wide, and 20,666 square feet in all. That is 79% larger than the icon of sports video screens, Jerry Jones’ video board at AT&T Stadium.

“Every city in America is envious of this airport and the opportunity we have,” said Bob Bolen more than 30 years ago as he dug a shovel into the ground at the groundbreaking of Alliance Airport. “We’re going to be the airport and aviation capital of the nation.” Alliance and the surrounding communities have indeed blossomed like the most beautiful, bountiful field of bluebonnets, which now includes an ecosystem designed to advance and commercialize autonomous logistics. Add in existing companies like American Airlines, Bell Helicopter, Lockheed Martin, American Aero, and Fort Worth Aviation, and Fort Worth is a national aviation center, which enjoys a storied history as a pioneer in the evolution and innovation of aviation and aerospace, starting with the WWI air training fields that popped up all over Fort Worth and Carswell Air Force Base, named in honor of a North Side and TCU boy who gave all, that followed later after WWII. They carried nukes on that bad boy.

We can’t say we know who the authority is on zoo rankings, but, according to USA Today (heard of ‘em?), our very own Fort Worth Zoo is not only the best zoo in the state, but the best zoo in all of North America. But, so we don’t come across as having any publication bias, it doesn’t end with USA Today, either. The Fort Worth Zoo also cracks “Best Zoo” lists from Bloomberg, Yahoo! Travel, and Zagat. Oh, and we have Brazos.

A City with Expansion Plans

Fort Worth is not only one of the fastest-growing big cities in the USofA. We’ve also got a bunch of space to put more of them. We remember the days when Fort Worth was contained to Tarrant County and with a sliver of Johnson County. Today, the city stretches across five counties — Tarrant, Johnson, Denton, Parker, and Wise. Wise is home to Crafton, hometown of Amon Carter, so that seems very appropriate. The Walsh Ranch development alone, west of town, will be bigger than many cities by the time it’s built out — 50,000 residents. The north start of AllianceTexas continues to grow like a wave to shore.

Where’s the Beef? Right Here

Fort Worth grew from a sleepy ol’ settlement to the “Wall Street of the West” on the backs of cattle. Rather than ship cattle off to be processed, a visionary named Louville Niles and a partner, both Bostonites, by the way, thought a better, more profitable way would be to do all the work here. Niles City became the “richest little city in the world” before being annexed by Fort Worth. Each year, Fort Worth hosts the Cattle Raisers Convention and Expo at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The largest cattle and ranching industry event in the southwest with more than 4,000 attendees is put on by the Texas &  Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, based in Fort Worth. So, if anyone asks, “Where’s the beef?,” you tell ’em in Fort Worth, Texas.

Yes, we know that if you walk in any direction — north, south, east, or west — you will find a more-than-fairly-righteous taco in San Antonio. We bow to your contributions to the taco. However, do they have one that has gone viral. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop began as a one-store operation on West Berry Street near TCU in 2003, not quite 20 years ago. Fuzzy’s has gone from that life as a caterpillar to today a taco empire specializing in “Baja-style fare,” with nearly 150 franchise- and corporate-owned locations in 18 states, including across the South and now into the American West. And, we’ll still put Jessie Garcia’s tacos on the Family Meal at Joe T. Garcia’s up against any challenger.

The Best City Would Naturally Have the Best Burgers, Right?

Fort Worth’s heart and soul will forever be tied to the cattle industry, and nowhere is that more evident than in Fort Worth’s cuisine of choice: beef. We love barbecue, of course, and a good steak, but Fort Worthians love burgers even more — and what do they like more than the burgers? Arguing about them. You want to start a fight in Fort Worth? Say Kincaid’s has the best burgers in town, then duck. Fort Worthians will beat their chests until they bleed to sing the praises of their favorite burger joints. Their names are seared into their psyches: Fred’s, Charley’s, Tommy’s, Fuego Burger, Kincaid’s, and on and on. It’s a never-ending debate, a battle with no winner. You got your place; we got ours. Fort Worth’s unapologetic passion for burgers recalls an appropriately Texas quote: “Come and take it.” 

The Buck Starts Here, Harry Truman

Fort Worth generates more money than anyone else among the five cities or anyone else in Texas. It prints money … literally. The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing on at the junction of Blue Mound Road and U.S. 287 was the first currency printing plant outside Washington, D.C. City leaders ponied up $15 million to attract the business of Uncle Sam. Tarrant County chipped in some sweat equity.

Slammin’, Jammin’ with the Flying Wildcats

Houston had Robert Hughes for a bit while he was playing college basketball at Texas Southern, but he settled in Fort Worth, first coaching at I.M. Terrell and then at Dunbar, a career spanning 47 years. At Dunbar, Hughes created the finest high school boys basketball program in the state, and as good as anywhere in the country. As evidence, we present to you a grand total of 1,333 victories over his career, enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and five state championships, including three at Dunbar. Mecca of Texas high school basketball is Stop Six in Fort Worth, Texas.

In short, our cultural arts rock, starting with the Cultural District where people the world over come annually for a world-class art pilgrimage to award-winning depositories. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is the oldest art museum in Texas, having opened in 1892 as the Fort Worth Public Library and Art Gallery. However, our philanthropists have gifted our community with things you simply don’t see every day at the Kimbell Art Museum, whose holdings range from the third millennium B.C to the 20th century and include major works by Fra Angelico, Michelangelo, Bernini, Monet, Picasso, Matisse, and you get the point. The Amon Carter Museum of American Art was begun with Amon Carter’s collection of works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, but it has expanded since its founding in 1961.

A recent study by Certapet ranked Dallas No. 1 in a list of the worst cities in America for mental health. (Keeping our mouths shut.) Second was Houston, and San Antonio and Austin were fourth and ninth. All four in the top 10. Can mean only one thing: Living in Fort Worth is good for your mental health.

I-N-N-O-V-A-T-I-O-N – What’s That Spell? Fort Worth

Fort Worth has always been a can-do, hold-my-beer-watch-this kind of city. Bold, risk-averse cattle drovers, cattle raisers, and, later, wildcatters populated the city in the 20th century and with them established a culture and ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation. “I envision I’ll see an airplane take off from this airport and go off into space, and that airplane will be built at this airport,” H. Ross Perot said as he turned the keys over to that 400 acres that would become Alliance Airport, soon to be renamed Ross Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport. Fort Worth companies, with the help of collaborative incubators, today are making breakthroughs in science and medicine. Autonomous vehicles are getting their wheels at Alliance’s Mobility Innovation Zone, a testing ground for next-gen surface and air capabilities. They’ll be delivering things all over Texas from vessels perfected in Fort Worth.

Everyone Risks It for the Brisket in this Town

Finally, years after this very magazine began touting Fort Worth as Texas’ new barbecue capital, Texas Monthly confirmed it, crowning our own Goldee’s Barbecue as the No. 1 barbecue spot in Texas and Panther City BBQ as No. 10. Texas Monthly broke the news in its Top 50 Texas Barbecue Joints issue last year, which also included Fort Worth’s Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, Smoke-A-Holics BBQ, plus Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington. “Fort Worth (and the mid-cities) went off and became the most exciting place in Texas for new barbecue joints,” TM’s barbecue editor, Daniel Vaughn, wrote last year.  The past few years have been game-changing for FW’s ‘cue scene. Heim BBQ got the ball rolling on craft barbecue in FW, and now barbecue lovers are bypassing onetime craft-‘cue hotbeds, like Austin, in favor of Fort Worth spots such as Brix, Derek Allan’s, and the aforementioned Texas Monthly honorees. What makes the newbies so special, so worth traveling for, is that each has its own identity.

It’s not just about the new kids, though. What makes Fort Worth’s barbecue scene so strong is the fact that there’s more than enough room, and respect, for the old guys. We’re not all about craft barbecue; we’re just all about barbecue, period.

Best Totally Random World Record

Elizabeth Northern has racked up more miles than Forrest Gump ever dreamed of. Northern has won every race at the Cowtown Marathon, including a record-setting finish in the women’s ultra marathon. She’s so good at what she does, she even competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials. Sometimes, though, you have to wonder if she’s toying with us. In 2019, the mother of two, she set a Guinness world record for the fastest 10K run while pushing a double stroller. She eclipsed the former record by more than a minute. Who you got, Austin?

The Greatest Sibling City in the World

Another way Fort Worth has Austin, Houston and San Antonio beat: We have our sibling city, Arlington, which offers a completely different world — a world of sporting events and entertainment — that most of us can reach in about 15 minutes. While Arlington may be best known for providing a home for pro sports teams — and for famously thumbing its nose at public transportation — the city has an often-overlooked restaurant scene whose variety belies Fort Worth’s. Just about any type of cuisine can be found in Arlington, including some foods you can’t find in the Fort, like dim sum. And what the city lacks in buzzy, chef-driven restaurants, it more than compensates for with small, passionate restaurants and their fiercely devoted followers.

Cherry, Black Coffee, Fort Worth Coffee Co., Buon Giorno, Avoca, Ampersand, Lazy Daisy, Crude, Race Street, Arcadia, Sons of Liberty, Vaquero, Casa Azul, and a few we’re undoubtedly missing. The coffee shop to resident ratio gets seemingly smaller by the week and, as a result, our population gets less sleepy — flying in the face of most people’s perception of Fort Worth.

When it comes to Fort Worth’s culinary arts, there’s one basic truth: There are very few things we can’t deep fry and pour gravy over. Because of our craving for the types of meals we ate before cholesterol was ever a concern, Fort Worth’s comfort food options are nearly endless. From West Side Café to Paris Coffee Shop, our city has seemingly as many spots that serve pot roast as there are that don’t (a subjective statistic). Heck, even our boujee spots serve chicken-fried steak. We dare any city to challenge us on this front.

According to statistics provided by Texas Movers, of the five major cities in Texas, Cowtown has ‘em all beat when it comes to average cost of utilities. Unsurprisingly, Austin comes in as the most expensive, followed by San Antonio, Houston, then Dallas. While Fort Worth’s water bills might be on the steeper side, the city makes up for it with the cheapest gas and electricity prices. So, if you avoid bathing and flushing, we’ve got it made.

Our Bass Hall Is Better Than Your Bass Hall

One of the neatest performing arts theaters in Dallas (Lakewood Theater) recently transformed into a … bowling alley. While no Fort Worthian would dare refer to themselves as an art snob, most would still see this news with a deeply confused eye. Unlike our friends out east, between Bass Hall, Stage West, Amphibian Stage, Casa Mañana, Jubilee Theater, and Circle Theater, it’s almost overwhelming the options Fort Worthians have to see live theater on a nightly basis — and none of the aforementioned institutions are scheduled to become bowling alleys anytime soon. To put the proverbial nail in the coffin of this debate, Austin also has a Bass Hall. It’s a big theater with burnt orange seats and décor that looks like it came from the home of Thelma Mae Harper. Our Bass Hall has 48-foot-tall angels playing freaking trumpets. Oh, and Lindsey Buckingham’s Live at Bass Performance Hall was recorded at our Bass Performance Hall. Mic Drop.

When repping your hometown, it’s imperative you have the right threads to back up your belief that your city is the greatest. Thanks to Fort Worth Locals and Morgan Mercantile, few cities have the impressive duds of Cowtown. Like students who wear their school colors or pledges who don their Greek letters, Fort Worthians wear the name of their city loud and proud on their clothing. Other cities’ resident might sport the jersey of their local NBA franchise, but that merely shows praise for a specific player. We’re sure that James Harden jersey got a lot of wear … before he was traded.

Eating Outside — Even in the Texas Sun

Any best-patio-in-Texas list that doesn’t include Joe T. Garcia’s is either wrong or libelous. Sure, cute patios exist in every city, but Joe T’s massive courtyard is like the Disneyland of dining experiences — requiring a long wait in line to boot. If you still wanna fight about it, we recommend downing one of their margaritas (made with Everclear). You’ll likely forget what you were arguing about in the first place.

We Have an Ear for It

We can go back and forth all day comparing current musical artists. Sure, Willie Nelson and Townes Van Zandt called Austin home. But, at some time, they both called Fort Worth home, too. Houston can claim Beyonce, Dallas can claim St. Vincent (and Ashlee Simpson, mind you), and Fort Worth can claim Leon Bridges and Kelly Clarkson (Burleson) — it’s a pointless debate. But, where Funkytown undoubtedly has a leg up on the other Texas cities is in the classical music department. Greatest pianist of all time? Van Cliburn from right here in Fort Worth. Oldest opera in Texas? Also, right here in Fort Worth. Who knew we were so much more cultured?

The Benefits of Being Long in the Tooth

While glass skyscrapers consume the old brick buildings of our fellow Texas Cities, Fort Worth’s skyline has become quite comfortable without the distraction of any working cranes. And, Hollywood has taken notice. Fort Worth’s old architecture has become the backdrop of period pieces like “1883” and “Old Man and the Gun.” So, not only do our residents get to enjoy beautiful art deco structures, but we also get to have the likes of Robert Redford and Sam Elliot in town. Take that, Austin.

This isn’t so much a “mine is better than yours” debate. When comparing mayors, political persuasions no doubt come into play. However, we will note that our mayor, Mattie Parker, is the youngest mayor of the 20-most populated cites in the United States, and one of only five women mayors — and the only woman mayor of the five major Texas cities. We happen to think that’s pretty cool, so we’ll leave it right here.

You’ll Pay to Be Away from Fort Worth

When it comes to cost of living, the whole dang country’s bad right now. But, some places are better than others. Among Texas’ five major cities, Fort Worth ranks second in average annual household income — coming in $8,000 below Austin. Austin also has the highest average home value by, like, a lot; the average cost of a home in Austin was a whopping $595,000 in 2019. Fort Worth, meanwhile, has the third lowest housing cost, besting Dallas and Austin but coming in just over Houston and San Antonio. However, when you take average household income and apply it to a fixed 30-year mortgage (the average Fort Worthian pays $60,000 more for a home than San Antonians but also makes $8,300 more per year), Fort Worthians have the best household income to home value ratio. It’s a whole lotta numbers, but, ultimately, you should know that Fort Worth offers the best deal in the state when it comes to cost of living.

Leave It Up to the Courts

Aesthetic sensibilities and preferences aside — many county courthouses display some of the state’s most jaw-dropping architecture — we think the Tarrant County Courthouse is the best. And, again, it’s not just looks — though, its clock tower, roman columns, and pink granite are awfully eye-catching — it’s also presentation. None of the other four cities have a drive up to a courthouse quite like taking North Main Street south and crossing the Trinity. It’s one of the most breathtaking views in all of Texas — Big Bend be damned.

These Boots Were Made for Kicking Other Cities’ Butts

M.L. Leddy’s, Justin’s, Old Gringo,  Randy Watson Boots, Lane Boots, Ponder Boot Company, Ramblin Trails, Rod Patrick, Morris Boot Company, CITY Boots — whether it’s mass produced or handmade boutiques, this city has everything you need to keep your feet happy — and stylish. While we might be painting with broad strokes, we don’t suspect you’ll find quite as many options for footwear in other cities — unless, of course, they’re overpriced stilettos, Converse, or Crocs.

We Wait a Little Less on the Roads

Next time you’re stuck in your little 20-minute traffic jam on I-30, just remember: You don’t live in Houston, you don’t live in Austin, and you don’t live in McAllen. Yes, according to a traffic study conducted by geolocation technology company TomTom, Fort Worth-Dallas residents don’t have it as bad as Houstonites, Austinites and, hey, what do you call people who live in McAllen? Says the study, the DFW area ranked fourth in Texas, 37th in the U.S., and 305th in the world for traffic congestion.

One Step Closer to Heaven Location, location, location:

Fort Worth’s elevation: 653 feet

We’re closer to Vegas, too. 

Illustrations by Jay&Zac Design Company

Brian Kendall is the executive editor of Fort Worth Magazine.

Malcolm Mayhew writes about food and culture for Fort Worth Magazine. Follow him on Twitter at @MalcolmMayhewFW.

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