Ellis County, Texas
27 local notes for Ellis County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. DFW / North Texas.
Money & Taxes
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.
Homestead Exemption
File a homestead exemption to lower your property tax bill
Texas law lets homeowners who live in their home claim a homestead exemption that reduces the taxable value of the property.
Ag Valuation
Farm and ranch land can be taxed on productivity, not market value
In Ellis County, qualifying farm or ranch land is taxed on what it can produce, not what it could sell for. That can cut the tax bill by a lot.
Special Districts
Some Ellis County properties sit inside special taxing districts
Some Ellis County properties sit inside special districts that add extra taxes on top of county and city rates. Check before you buy.
Tax Protest
You can protest your property value each year in Ellis County
Texas law gives Ellis County property owners the right to challenge their appraised value each year through a formal protest with the appraisal district.
Home & Property
Septic Systems
You need a permit before installing a septic system in Ellis County
Homes outside city sewer service areas need an on-site sewage system, and Ellis County adopted its own rules for permitting and inspecting those systems.
Flood Risk
Check the FEMA flood map before buying property in Ellis County
Parts of Ellis County fall in FEMA flood zones. Check the flood map before you buy property near Waxahachie, Ennis, Midlothian, Red Oak, or other local communities.
Development Rules
Ellis County has its own rules for dividing land and building roads
If you want to split land or build roads in rural Ellis County, the county has rules you must follow before you start.
Soil and Land
Ellis County sits on Blackland Prairie — clay-rich soil that swells and shrinks
The heavy clay soils of the Blackland Prairie that cover Ellis County expand when wet and shrink when dry, which can damage foundations and pipes.
Growth & Development
Ellis County is growing fast as DFW expands southward
Ellis County sits about 30 miles south of Dallas on I-35E. Its northern cities have grown fast as the DFW metro pushes south.
Weather Hazards
Ellis County sits in a hail-prone corridor of North Texas
Ellis County gets regular severe thunderstorms with large hail. It is in a storm-prone part of North Texas.
Cars & Driving
Vehicle Registration
Ellis County vehicles need an emissions test every year
Ellis County is in the DFW area, so most gas-powered vehicles must pass an emissions test every year before the owner can renew registration.
Roads & Commuting
I-35E is the main artery through Ellis County — and it can get congested
Interstate 35E runs north-south through Ellis County and is the primary route for commuters traveling to and from the Dallas area.
Outdoors
Deer Hunting
Deer hunters in Ellis County face specific antler rules
Ellis County is under Texas antler restriction rules, which limit how many large-antlered bucks a hunter can take in a season.
Public Hunting Access
TPWD public hunting land is limited in Ellis County — know your options
Public hunting land is limited in Ellis County. Most hunters use private leases, but a TPWD Annual Public Hunting Permit opens access to areas across Texas.
Turkey Hunting
Turkey season in Ellis County only applies west of I-35
Only the western half of Ellis County — west of Interstate 35 — falls within the turkey hunting zone under TPWD regulations.
Waterways
The Trinity River forms the eastern edge of Ellis County
The Trinity River runs along the eastern edge of Ellis County. Several local creeks drain the county and feed into the Trinity system.
Rules & Licenses
Burn Rules
Outdoor burning in Ellis County is regulated by the county fire marshal
The Ellis County Fire Marshal manages burn bans and outdoor burning rules for areas outside city limits.
Land Use
Unincorporated Ellis County has no zoning — but it has some rules
Rural Ellis County outside city limits has no zoning. Neighbors can run businesses or keep livestock without city-style rules — but the county still has some development standards.
History & Culture
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.
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.
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.
Industrial Economy
Midlothian is home to major cement and steel manufacturing
Midlothian, in northern Ellis County, grew into a heavy industrial city in the 20th century because of large limestone deposits used for cement production.
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.
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.
Science History
Ellis County was the planned site of a massive cancelled physics project
The Superconducting Super Collider was being built near Waxahachie in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Congress cut funding and cancelled the project in 1993.
Early Settlement
Forreston is considered the oldest Anglo settlement in Ellis County
Forreston, in southern Ellis County, is one of the county's oldest Anglo settlements. Settlers were there before the county was even formally created in 1849.