Waxahachie, Texas
Waxahachie is the seat of Ellis County, on the Blackland Prairie farmland about 26 miles south of Dallas. It grew wealthy on cotton in the late nineteenth century, and that prosperity left a large stock of ornate Victorian homes and public buildings, including the elaborate Richardsonian Romanesque Ellis County Courthouse that anchors its downtown square.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 50,090
- Change from 2020 base
- +21.9%
- Land area
- 49.7 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Ellis County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Ellis County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
Local character
Start with Waxahachie itself
A few landmarks, stories, and everyday places that help give Waxahachie its shape.
Historic Landmark
Waxahachie's 1897 courthouse is one of Texas's most recognized buildings
The Ellis County Courthouse in downtown Waxahachie was completed in 1897, built of red sandstone and granite in a Victorian Romanesque style.
Film History
Waxahachie was a filming location for several 1980s Hollywood movies
In the 1980s, Waxahachie's preserved Victorian streets attracted four major Hollywood films that used the town as a period set.
Historic Neighborhoods
Waxahachie has a large collection of preserved Victorian-era homes
Waxahachie is called Gingerbread City for its hundreds of well-kept Victorian homes. Many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Then zoom out to Ellis County
County Origin
Ellis County was carved from Navarro County in 1849
Texas created Ellis County on December 20, 1849, probably naming it for Richard Ellis, who led the 1836 convention that declared Texas independence.
Property Tax Basics
Two different offices handle your property tax in Ellis County
The Ellis County Appraisal District sets your property value, but a separate Tax Assessor-Collector office sends the bill and collects the money.
Agricultural History
Cotton farming once made Ellis County a powerhouse in Texas agriculture
When the Houston and Texas Central Railroad arrived in 1872, Ellis County shifted from cattle range to one of Texas's top cotton-producing counties.
Nearby
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Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Waxahachie
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