DFW / North Texas
Ellis County, Texas
A porch-side guide to the county: the stories that give it a shape, practical local checks, and a few things worth knowing before they surprise you. Every note points to its source.
8 stories · 14 practical · 5 good to know
The practical part
Ellis County offices and deadlines
Appraisal district & tax office →
The Comptroller's official directory for Ellis County: who sets your value and who sends the bill.
Homestead exemption →
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district. It is free. The regular deadline is April 30, and late filing is allowed for up to two years.
Protest your appraisal →
The usual deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice arrives, whichever is later.
Estimate a tax bill →
Model a bill from local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Start here
A little of what makes this place itself
Waxahachie · Historic Landmark
Waxahachie's 1897 courthouse is one of Texas's most recognized buildings
The Ellis County Courthouse in downtown Waxahachie was completed in 1897, built of red sandstone and granite in a Victorian Romanesque style.
Forreston · Early Settlement
Forreston is considered the oldest Anglo settlement in Ellis County
Forreston, in southern Ellis County, is one of the county's oldest Anglo settlements. Settlers were there before the county was even formally created in 1849.
Waxahachie · Historic Neighborhoods
Waxahachie has a large collection of preserved Victorian-era homes
Waxahachie is called Gingerbread City for its hundreds of well-kept Victorian homes. Many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Practical Farm and ranch land can be taxed on productivity, not market value In Ellis County, qualifying farm or ranch land is taxed on what it can produce, not what it could sell for. That can cut the tax bill by a lot. Practical Turkey season in Ellis County only applies west of I-35 Only the western half of Ellis County, west of Interstate 35, falls within the turkey hunting zone under TPWD regulations. Good to know Midlothian is home to major cement and steel manufacturing Midlothian grew around limestone, cement plants, and steel, so its local identity includes both small-town Ellis County and heavy industry.
All 27 local notes
The full county shelf is mixed so stories and useful checks travel together. Use the filters when you need one kind.
Showing all 27 notes.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Waxahachie's 1897 courthouse is one of Texas's most recognized buildings The Ellis County Courthouse in downtown Waxahachie was completed in 1897, built of red sandstone and granite in a Victorian Romanesque style. Waxahachie
- Practical Money & Taxes Farm and ranch land can be taxed on productivity, not market value In Ellis County, qualifying farm or ranch land is taxed on what it can produce, not what it could sell for. That can cut the tax bill by a lot.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Forreston is considered the oldest Anglo settlement in Ellis County Forreston, in southern Ellis County, is one of the county's oldest Anglo settlements. Settlers were there before the county was even formally created in 1849. Forreston
- Practical Outdoors Turkey season in Ellis County only applies west of I-35 Only the western half of Ellis County, west of Interstate 35, falls within the turkey hunting zone under TPWD regulations.
- Good to know History & Culture Midlothian is home to major cement and steel manufacturing Midlothian grew around limestone, cement plants, and steel, so its local identity includes both small-town Ellis County and heavy industry. Midlothian
- Stories & local character History & Culture Waxahachie has a large collection of preserved Victorian-era homes Waxahachie is called Gingerbread City for its hundreds of well-kept Victorian homes. Many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Waxahachie
- Practical Outdoors Deer hunters in Ellis County face specific antler rules Ellis County is under Texas antler restriction rules, which limit how many large-antlered bucks a hunter can take in a season.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Waxahachie was a filming location for several 1980s Hollywood movies In the 1980s, Waxahachie's preserved Victorian streets attracted four major Hollywood films that used the town as a period set. Waxahachie
- Practical Outdoors TPWD public hunting land is limited in Ellis County — know your options Public hunting land is limited in Ellis County. Most hunters use private leases, but a TPWD Annual Public Hunting Permit opens access to areas across Texas.
- Good to know Outdoors The Trinity River forms the eastern edge of Ellis County The Trinity River runs along the eastern edge of Ellis County. Several local creeks drain the county and feed into the Trinity system.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Cotton farming once made Ellis County a powerhouse in Texas agriculture When the Houston and Texas Central Railroad arrived in 1872, Ellis County shifted from cattle range to one of Texas's top cotton-producing counties.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Out here, no zoning doesn't mean no rules: the fire marshal still gets a say In unincorporated Ellis County, commercial buildings, public buildings, and four-or-more-unit multifamily projects need a county fire-code permit.
- Stories & local character Cars & Driving I-35E is the main artery through Ellis County — and it can get congested Interstate 35E runs north-south through Ellis County and is the primary route for commuters traveling to and from the Dallas area.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Throwing a big event on rural Ellis County land? The county wants to hear first Any gathering on unincorporated Ellis County land gets emailed to the county for review, and once you expect 2,500 people you cross into permit territory.
- Good to know Home & Property Check the FEMA flood map before buying property in Ellis County Parts of Ellis County fall in FEMA flood zones. Check the flood map before you buy property near Waxahachie, Ennis, Midlothian, Red Oak, or other local communities.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Ellis County was carved from Navarro County in 1849 Texas created Ellis County on December 20, 1849, probably naming it for Richard Ellis, who led the 1836 convention that declared Texas independence.
- Practical Rules & Licenses A pond or a carport in rural Ellis County still needs a county permit Unincorporated Ellis County treats pools, sheds, ponds, tanks, shops, barns, and carports as development-permit items.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Ellis County was the planned site of a massive cancelled physics project The Superconducting Super Collider was being built near Waxahachie in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Congress cut funding and cancelled the project in 1993.
- Practical Money & Taxes File a homestead exemption to lower your property tax bill Texas law lets homeowners who live in their home claim a homestead exemption that reduces the taxable value of the property.
- Good to know Home & Property Ellis County sits on Blackland Prairie — clay-rich soil that swells and shrinks The heavy clay soils of the Blackland Prairie that cover Ellis County expand when wet and shrink when dry, which can damage foundations and pipes.
- Practical Money & Taxes Some Ellis County properties sit inside special taxing districts Some Ellis County subdivisions sit inside MUDs or similar water and sewer districts that can add a separate tax or fee line.
- Practical Money & Taxes Two different offices handle your property tax in Ellis County The Ellis County Appraisal District sets your property value, but a separate Tax Assessor-Collector office sends the bill and collects the money.
- Good to know Home & Property Ellis County sits in a hail-prone corridor of North Texas Ellis County residents should treat hail as a real roof-and-car risk, especially during North Texas storm season.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Unincorporated Ellis County has no zoning, but it has some rules Rural Ellis County outside city limits has no zoning. Neighbors can run businesses or keep livestock without city-style rules, though the county still has some development standards.
- Practical Money & Taxes You can protest your property value each year in Ellis County Texas law gives Ellis County property owners the right to challenge their appraised value each year through a formal protest with the appraisal district.
- Practical Home & Property You need a permit before installing a septic system in Ellis County Homes outside city sewer service areas need an on-site sewage system, and Ellis County adopted its own rules for permitting and inspecting those systems.
- Practical Cars & Driving Ellis County vehicles need an emissions test every year Ellis County gasoline vehicles usually need an emissions test before registration renewal.
Nearby counties