Melissa, Texas
City in the United States in Collin County
About Melissa
Melissa is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States and is part of the Dallas metropolitan area. The population was 4,695 at the 2010 census, up from 1,350 at the 2000 census; in 2020, its population grew to 13,901.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How Melissa is governed
Form of government not yet listed.
0 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Melissa
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
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The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
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City Manager / Administrator
Executive
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The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
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Police Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the police department.
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Fire Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the fire and emergency services department.
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Public Works Director
Administration & departments
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Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
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Finance Director
Administration & departments
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The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
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Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
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Land use, zoning, building permits.
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Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
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Parks, programs, and public facilities.
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City Council
Legislative
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The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
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City Clerk
Administration & departments
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Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
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City Attorney
Administration & departments
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The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
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Boards & Commissions
Legislative
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Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
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Municipal Court
Judicial
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Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
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Municipal Judge
Judicial
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Presides over the municipal court.
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- Website
- cityofmelissa.com
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Population over time
From 4,695 in 2010 to 29,969 in 2025 (+538.3%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 29,969 |
| 2020 | 13,901 |
| 2019 | 12,117 |
| 2010 | 4,695 |
History
Among Melissa's earliest inhabitants were Paleo-Indians; archaeological finds in the area have been dated to approximately 9500 BC. In the centuries since, several Native American tribes called the area home, including the Caddo, Cherokee, Delaware, and the Kickapoo. The Tonkawa people had a settlement in the area, northeast of McKinney. These people were focused primarily on agriculture and a hunting-and-gathering lifestyle, living peacefully from the land's bounty.
Initially settlers came from the old Highland community, two and a half miles north of present-day Melissa. C.H. Wysong, a blacksmith, was one of the earliest settlers. A post office was established in 1853 at Highland. The Houston and Texas Central Railroad arrived in Melissa in 1872 and established a depot. The town was laid out at this time. The railroad encouraged many families to come to Melissa. The town is believed to have been named for the daughter of a railroad executive, George A. Quinlan (1838–1901) of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. There is some disagreement about this, as others argue that the town was named after Melissa Huntington, daughter of C. P. Huntington, another well-known railroad executive. Anna, Texas, is named after Anna Elizabeth Quinlan (1878–1952), the only daughter of George Austin Quinlan and his wife Mary Kate Saunders (1851–1884). Quinlan, Texas, is named after George Austin Quinlan himself.
The first school in Melissa was built on land purchased in 1882 by trustees James Graves, John Gibson, and George Fitzhugh (son of William F. Fitzhugh), who were early settlers of the area. The first teacher was Mary Huckerston, who taught there for five years. The school began with 38 pupils. Church services were held there for all faiths on Sundays. A two-story brick schoolhouse was built on this site in 1910 to accommodate growth brought by the railroad.
Melissa was an important shipping point in the early 1900s. Corn, wheat, alfalfa hay, wood, and livestock were all sent out on the railroad.
A deadly F4 tornado struck Melissa on April 13, 1921, killing 13 people and injuring many more. The tornado tore the roof off of the brick school building, but the children inside were not seriously injured. However, all churches in the town, three cotton gins, every business house except a bank, the post office, and the Houston and Texas Central railway station, were wrecked. The Waldon Hotel was lifted by the winds, turned halfway around, and thrown up against the school building.
Eight years later, on August 8, 1929, a fire burned down many of the buildings that had been rebuilt after the tornado. Population declined from a high of 500 in 1925 down to 285 in 1949.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.