Dallas is a richly diverse American city, over the years it has become a melting pot of cultures, religions and lifestyles. The history of Texas is deeply rooted in the Hispanic culture. Originally called Tejas, the Spanish founded the state and today there are over six million Latinos living in Texas. In 1839, John Neely Bryan first visited the place that would one day become Dallas. He had come to the three forks area of the Trinity to survey a spot for a possible trading post serving Indians and settlers. The site was the easiest place to cross the Trinity, and also near where the Preston Trail was planned.

The Dallas climate is humid subtropical with hot summers. It is also continental, characterized by a wide annual temperature range. Precipitation also varies considerably, ranging from less than 20 to more than 50 inches. Winters are mild. The highest temperatures of summer are associated with fair skies, westerly winds and low humidities. Throughout the year, rainfall occurs. Usually, periods of rainy weather last for only a day or two, and are followed by several days with fair skies. The average length of the warm season (freeze-free period) is about 249 days.

Dallas boasts a broadly diverse business climate, with technological industries in the lead. Major industries include financial services, defense, information technology and data, life sciences, semiconductors, transportation, telecommunications and processing. Dubbed the "Silicon Prairie," Dallas is among the country's largest employment centers for high technology. In addition, Dallas is known as a center for telecommunications manufacturing employment in the United States. The Telecom Corridor is an area in Richardson, Texas, north of Dallas. Its nickname is in recognition of the proliferation of telecommunications companies in a small section of the community. Real estate and tourism are other major industry sectors in Dallas.

The Dallas County Community College District educates almost 80,000 credit and non-credit students and operates seven campuses in Dallas County, each offering two-year programs in a variety of fields. Southern Methodist University in Dallas is a private school with undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Other Dallas colleges include the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas Christian College; Louise Herrington School of Nursing of Baylor University; Baylor College of Dentistry; Other institutions offering biblical or religious studies or programs from a religious perspective include The Criswell College, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas Baptist University, Paul Quinn College and the University of Dallas.

Most of the pedestrian-friendly areas in the city are near downtown and uptown. The majority of Dallas, whether or not it was developed with the pedestrian in mind, was completely rebuilt or reworked to accommodate the vehicle in the mid 20th century. Walking trails, though once nonexistent, are also starting to be built and improved by the city. The city maintains 800 lane miles of cyclist-selected bike routes along low-volume roadways throughout the city that parallel major thoroughfares. The City does not employ bicycle control devices like bike lanes, as the necessary pre-conditions do not exist.

Everything is a party in Dallas. As a hip and stylish city that appreciates the finest things in life, Dallas is always finding new ways to celebrate everything from movies to food. In the middle of September the city of Grapevine, Texas takes the time to celebrate the fruit of their namesake city. The GrapeFest is a four-day wine tasting event with live music on several stages, grape stomping, auctions, wine competitions, cooking demonstrations and even a tennis match. As the largest wine festival in the Southwest, the Annual GrapeFest allows wine connoisseurs and novices to have the chance to taste award-winning wines from Texas and beyond.