Terrell, like most Texas towns, originated as a depot town. The Texas rail road and a transcontinental railroad that ran from Eastern Texas to California were routed through Terrell's train depot. In 1873, Robert Terrell donated 100 acres to the railroad company in exchange for the depot. After the depot was established, the town grew exponentially. Churches began construction followed by a public school system. The Terrell State hospital quickly acquired over 2,300 patients making it the largest hospital west of the Mississippi. World War II brought on the addition of the first British Flight Training School for the British Royal Air Force at the southern edge of Terrell.
Today, Terrell is home to six public schools. Four elementary schools serving grades PK-K, 1 and 2, and two serving grades 3-6, a middle school for grades 7 and 8, and a high school for grades 9-12 make up the Terrell Independent School District. Terrell is also the home to the Trinity Valley Community College and the Southwestern Christian College. Terrell has a pretty good public school system offering for those of you looking to start and raise a family, but you may want to consider the crime rate in the city. With an average crime index rating over the past 11 years of 598.1, Terrell shouldn't be considered one of the safest towns in the area. The United States average crime index rating is 319.2, just for reference. While this rating has been decreasing over the past few years, it's still rather high.
With a population of 19,599 as of 2009, Terrell showed a 44% increase in population since 2000 and has four main neighborhoods to choose from. Each offers a different price point for families that have different budget requirements with the low end starting at around $50,000. The largest of the neighborhoods has upwards of 9,500 households available to choose from. Due to Terrell's size, the city offers a rather large variety of shopping choices. There's a Walmart in town, another grocery store, a jewelry store, several liquor stores, a music shop, and several clothing stores. On top of the in town options, residents also have the choice to drive to the Dallas/Fort Worth area because it's only 30 miles away. This also makes Terrell a living option for people who work in the Dallas area that are willing to commute every day that might not want to live in the big city.
