Rockwall County is a county in Texas, United States, on the northeast edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. It had a population of 107,819 at the 2020 census and covers 149 square miles (386 km2) centred near 32°54′N 96°25′W.
Rockwall is the county seat, and its postal code is 75087. The county holds seven cities and towns plus a handful of unincorporated communities, sits in the Central time zone, and is the smallest county by land area in Texas.
Towns & Villages in Rockwall County
Rockwall County’s population lives almost entirely within incorporated cities; a few older communities have been absorbed into those cities or into Lake Ray Hubbard’s shoreline development. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no city government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwall | City · seat | — | 75087 / 75032 |
| Royse City | City | — | 75189 |
| Heath | City | — | — |
| Fate | City | — | 75132 |
| Rowlett | City (partial) | — | — |
| McLendon-Chisholm | City | — | — |
| Mobile City | City | — | — |
| Blackland | Unincorp. | — | — |
McLendon-Chisholm formed from the historic communities of McLendon and Chisholm, which sat a few miles apart before growing together; Rowlett and Wylie are Dallas-area cities whose city limits extend a short distance into Rockwall County’s western edge, but the bulk of each sits in Dallas and Collin counties respectively, so their county totals above are not repeated here. Dallas itself does not extend into Rockwall County; the old scrape’s listing was a mislabel.
ZIP Codes
- 75087 — Rockwall (also serves nearby unincorporated areas)
- 75032 — Rockwall (east side)
- 75189 — Royse City
- 75132 — Fate
Heath, McLendon-Chisholm, Mobile City and Blackland share ZIP codes with Rockwall or Royse City rather than having a dedicated code of their own.
Geography
Rockwall County sits on the Blackland Prairie, a band of rich clay soil running north-south through central Texas. About 15% of the county is water, dominated by Lake Ray Hubbard, a reservoir on the East Fork of the Trinity River that forms much of the county’s western boundary. The terrain is gently rolling prairie with scattered creek bottoms feeding the lake and the Trinity River system.
Rockwall County borders Collin County to the north, Hunt County to the east, Kaufman County to the south, and Dallas County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 107,819 residents, making Rockwall the largest community and Royse City the second-largest. Rockwall County is Texas’s wealthiest county by median household income, at $124,917 (2023 estimate), well above the Texas median of $75,780. Population density is roughly 848 people per square mile, among the highest of any county in Texas outside the core metro counties.
Economy & Local Life
Rockwall County’s economy runs on Dallas-Fort Worth commuter traffic, retail along the Interstate 30 corridor, and lakefront development around Lake Ray Hubbard. The Harbor, a large mixed-use shopping and marina development in Rockwall, anchors much of the county’s retail and tourism activity. Rockwall Independent School District and Royse City Independent School District are the county’s largest public employers.
History
Rockwall County was created in 1873 out of Kaufman County, making it one of the last Texas counties organized before the modern county map was set. Both the county and its seat take their name from an underground rock formation — a natural clastic dike running for miles beneath the area — that early settlers took for the remains of an ancient wall. The county grew slowly as a farming community into the late 20th century before Dallas’s northeastward suburban expansion reached it in the 1990s and 2000s, driving the rapid population growth that has continued since.
Getting There
Interstate 30 crosses the county east-west, with U.S. Route 67 and State Highways 66 and 205 serving as secondary routes.
- Dallas — 25 miles west
- Greenville — 20 miles northeast
- Terrell — 20 miles south
- Garland — 15 miles west
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, about 35 miles west, is the nearest major commercial airport; Dallas Love Field is closer for some destinations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rockwall County?
It sits on the northeast edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area in northeast Texas, bordered by Lake Ray Hubbard on its western edge.
What is the population of Rockwall County?
107,819 at the 2020 census, making it one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas.
How big is Rockwall County?
149 square miles (386 km2), making it the smallest county in Texas by land area.
What is the county seat of Rockwall County?
Rockwall is the county seat.
How many towns are in Rockwall County?
Seven incorporated cities — Rockwall, Royse City, Heath, Fate, McLendon-Chisholm, Mobile City, and a small portion of Rowlett — plus a few unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Rockwall County?
75087 and 75032 (Rockwall), 75189 (Royse City), and 75132 (Fate) are the county’s dedicated ZIP codes.
Why is it called Rockwall County?
Both the county and its seat are named for a natural underground rock formation, a clastic dike, that runs beneath the area and resembles a man-made wall.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.