Dallas is a major city in
Texas and is the largest urban center of the
fourth most populous metropolitan area in the
United States. The city proper ranks
ninth in the U.S. and
third in Texas after
Houston and
San Antonio. The city's prominence arose from its historical importance as a center for the oil and cotton industries, and its position along numerous railroad lines. The bulk of the city is in
Dallas County, of which it is the county seat; however, sections of the city are located in
Collin,
Denton,
Kaufman, and
Rockwall counties. According to the
2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 1,197,816. The
United States Census Bureau's estimate for the city's population increased to 1,281,047, as of 2014.