Texas · United States
Dallas travel guide
Dallas is a city in Texas, United States, home to about 1,304,000 people.
- Best months
- November
- Nearest airport
- DAL8 km · Dallas Love Field
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/Chicago
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Dallas
Dallas is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in northern Texas, it is the ninth-most populous city in the United States and third-most populous city in Texas, with a population of 1.3 million at the 2020 census.
It is virtually impossible to neatly categorize Dallas. It is a wonderful place with an immense and diverse set of attractions, food and people. From the posh, ultra-modern Uptown and Victory developments, to the old-world elegance and upper-crust attitude of Turtle Creek, to the "real life" feel of largely-suburban North Dallas. The home of Erykah Badu, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Chicks, Norah Jones, and St. Vincent, Dallas is an eclectic place with cultural influences from all over the South and West.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Dallas
See
Dealey Plaza in Downtown Dallas was the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Sixth-Floor Museum maintains a collection of artifacts related to JFK and his assassination. The JFK Memorial Plaza is a stark but elegant space for quiet reflection on the President's life. Dallas City Hall in Downtown Dallas is an imposing Brutalist edifice by famous architect I.M. Pei. Recognizable to film buffs as OCP headquarters from the movie Robocop, which was mostly filmed in Dallas.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Dallas to stay in
The heaviest concentrations of hotels can be found in North Dallas along I-635 and North Central Expressway and in Northwest Dallas along I-35E, while Downtown offers more high-end accommodations. Some travelers may find it more convenient to stay in Irving closer to DFW airport, in Arlington near the amusement parks, or in one of the northern suburbs such as Lewisville, Carrollton, Plano, or Richardson.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Dallas
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Dallas are November. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 36 °C; May is the wettest, with about 119 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Dallas: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Dallas Love Field (DAL), about 8.1 km from the city centre in a straight line; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW, 25 km) and Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (FTW, 52 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth (equally inconveniently for both), is American Airlines' largest hub and is served by all other major domestic carriers. Various shared-ride shuttle services are available, with door to door pickup and drop off, costing ~$30 for ~20 miles (~30 km), which will get you to most places. Like all major airports in the United States, you can easily hail a cab outside of any terminal by following the signs for the taxi stand, and most car rentals and chain hotels have courtesy shuttles.
Getting around
The car is by far the simplest and most reliable way to get around Dallas. Local rental companies offer better prices, but national chains offer more convenient locations and return policies. As in most cities, the worst traffic is in the direction of the city center during the morning and away from it in the afternoon. The roads where rush hour is the worst, especially in the mornings, are I-35, US-75 (where what would be a 20-minute trip without traffic can become a 1-2-hour trip with traffic), and the stretch of I-635 between them. Dallas' street system is built on three nested grids.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
DAL · Dallas Love Field
DFW · Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
FTW · Fort Worth Meacham International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Dallas
Drink
Uptown, the area bound by Haskell on the north, Woodall Rogers Freeway on the south, Turtle Creek on the west and Central Expressway on the east, is where Dallas' beautiful people go to see and be seen. Trendy to the nth degree, this neighborhood contains very upscale fashionable clubs. Some of the hottest clubs, such as Candleroom, are private. If you want to check out one of these places be sure to go with someone that is a member or have a concierge call ahead for you. Republic is also cool nightspots, with no membership required. No shorts, jeans, team jerseys, tennis shoes, or flip-flops.
Stay safe
Tourists should avoid anywhere south of the Trinity River at night (and maybe even during the daytime), with the exceptions of North Oak Cliff, the Bishop Arts District, and Fair Park. There is little to see outside those areas anyway. South and West Dallas are mostly low-income, high-crime residential and industrial areas: as in any such area, know where you are going, stay there, and don't dawdle or wander, especially at night. Avoid Downtown's Government District at night (the few blocks around City Hall). It's not inherently dangerous, but it has a lot of homeless people running about. Stick to West End and the Arts District. Uptown and North Dallas are generally safe after dark.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Dallas: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Dallas?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Dallas are November. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 36 °C; May is the wettest, with about 119 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Dallas?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Dallas Love Field (DAL), about 8.1 km from the city centre in a straight line; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW, 25 km) and Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (FTW, 52 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Dallas?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Dallas
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.