Emergency Biohazard Cleanup Near Elva Red Oak, TX

Red Oak is a fast-growing suburban city in northern Ellis County, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, covering about 15 square miles.

The area was first settled in 1844 by James E. Patton and his family, and before the community took the name Red Oak in 1849 it was known as Possum Trot, after the animals that lived in the area.

Red Oak was named for the red oak trees that once grew abundantly in the surrounding countryside.

The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad reached Red Oak in 1884 and was completed through the town in 1890, providing rail service between Dallas and Waco.

Red Oak did not incorporate until 1949, a full century after it was named.

Red Oak's population has exploded with suburban growth: 4,301 people in 2000, 10,769 in 2010, and 14,222 in the 2020 census, with the Census Bureau estimating about 20,394 residents by July 2025 — growth of nearly 43% since 2020 alone.

According to Census QuickFacts, Red Oak has about 5,347 households, roughly 75.5% of its homes are owner-occupied, and its median household income is about $104,561.

Most of Red Oak is served by the Red Oak Independent School District, whose campuses include Red Oak High School, a 6A school, and Red Oak Middle School; the Life School public charter system also runs a K-12 campus in the city.

Texas State Technical College operates its North Texas campus in Red Oak, adjacent to Red Oak High School.

In 2023 Google announced a $600 million data center campus on a 375-acre site off Ovilla Road in Red Oak, one of the largest tech investments in Ellis County.