And then McKinney exploded. A Collin County seat thirty miles north of Dallas, it became one of the fastest-growing cities in America and was named the number-one Best Place to Live in America by Money magazine in 2014. Yet for all the new neighborhoods ringing it, the square is still the heart of the place — a farmers market, festivals, live music, and a Saturday crowd that still orbits the same old courthouse. McKinney has topped national lists again and again since, but the answer is always the same: the square, the schools, and Dallas an easy drive away.
Our McKinney logo carries the Texas longhorn above ‘Texas Republic — Est. 1845,’ the shared retro emblem of our Texas towns; the longhorn stands for the cattle-and-frontier heritage and the star for the Lone Star, and 1845 marks the year Texas joined the Union. Rendered in black-and-white, like an old cattle brand or rodeo poster, it ties McKinney to every other Texas town we make. What makes this one McKinney is the town behind the brand — the square, the 1875 courthouse, and the man who helped sign Texas into being.
Why People Visit McKinney
Visitors choose McKinney for its handsome square, approachable museums, and easy walkability. It balances small-city heritage with everyday outdoor spaces, from the courthouse and Chestnut Square to the Heard sanctuary and the park trails. Families and day-trippers find a friendly layout and an unhurried pace, with year-round appeal in its parks, paths, and public spaces — and the historic square always at the center of it.
