Denton County's population has grown dramatically since the 1960s

For most of its history, Denton County was rural farmland with a college town at its center. That changed sharply after the 1970s. Suburban growth from Dallas and Fort Worth pushed north along I-35, filling in cities like Lewisville, Flower Mound, and The Colony.

By 2014 the population had reached over 750,000. That fast growth explains why the county has so many new master-planned communities, MUDs, and PIDs. Infrastructure is still catching up in some areas. Roads, schools, and water systems in newer parts of the county can lag behind housing development.