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Italy, Texas
Italy, Texas
Town
	Downtown Italy, Texas
	Motto: "The biggest little town in Texas"
	Location of Italy, Texas
	Coordinates: 32°10′58″N 96°52′46″W / 32.18278°N 96.87944°W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Ellis
Area
• Total	1.80 sq mi (4.67 km2)
• Land	1.80 sq mi (4.67 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	551 ft (168 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	1,926
• Density	1,100/sq mi (410/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76651
Area code(s)	214, 469, 945, 972
FIPS code	48-37072
GNIS feature ID	2412797
Website	www.ci.italy.tx.us

Italy (/ˈɪtli/ IT-lee, unlike the country) is a town in Ellis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,926 in 2020.^[4] The community was named after Italy by a settler who had visited the European country.^[5]

History

Italy was founded in 1879 by settlers who found the surrounding land suitable for growing cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, and wheat. The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad reached Italy in 1890, with the railroad stop making the town an important market center. The population grew steadily, from 1,061 in 1900 to 1,500 in 1925, until the Great Depression sparked a decline lasting over three decades. The town began to see economic and population growth again in the 1970s, with the population rising to nearly 2,000 residents by 2000.^[6]

Geography

Italy is located in southwestern Ellis County. Interstate 35E crosses the northwestern corner of the town at exit 386; it leads north 15 miles (24 km) to Waxahachie, the county seat, north 44 miles (71 km) to downtown Dallas, and southwestward 15 miles (24 km) to its junction with I-35W near Hillsboro. U.S. Route 77 passes through the center of Italy and parallels I-35E. Texas State Highway 34 leads northeast from the center of Italy 20 miles (32 km) to Ennis.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Italy has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all land.^[7]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1890	370	—
1900	1,061	186.8%
1910	1,149	8.3%
1920	1,350	17.5%
1930	1,230	−8.9%
1940	1,224	−0.5%
1950	1,185	−3.2%
1960	1,183	−0.2%
1970	1,309	10.7%
1980	1,306	−0.2%
1990	1,699	30.1%
2000	1,993	17.3%
2010	1,863	−6.5%
2020	1,926	3.4%

**Italy racial composition as of 2020**^[4]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)^[a]
Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	1,133	58.83%
Black or African American (NH)	234	12.15%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	8	0.42%
Asian (NH)	7	0.36%
Mixed/multiracial (NH)	56	2.91%
Hispanic or Latino	488	25.34%
Total	1,926

As of the 2020 United States census, 1,926 people, 765 households, and 561 families resided in the town.

Notable people

Keith Davis, former safety for the Dallas Cowboys
Dale Evans, actress; wife of Roy Rogers
Jack Hyles, pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, founder of Hyles-Anderson College
Kortnei Johnson, athlete
J. B. Milam, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
Art Shires, former first baseman for the Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators and Boston Braves

Education

The town is served by the Italy Independent School District, which includes Italy High School (grades 7–12) and Stafford Elementary (prekindergarten - grade 6), and the S.M. Dunlap Memorial Library.^[10]

In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.^[11]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Italy has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.^[12]

Gallery

Farmers State Bank
City Hall

Notes

^ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.^[8]^[9]