and an attractive location for tourism , new business and new residents .
“ In that respect we have great chamber presidents and great economic directors from our county economic director to the directors in our cities .”
The major challenge , those same officials say , is how best to plan for and manage that growth .
“ We accept , welcome and are dealing with our growth ,” Stringer said . “ At the same time we don ’ t want to forget where we came from and what and what makes us special . The history of Johnson County made us what we are , and that is what people are coming for . So it ’ s important we move forward and grow without changing that .”
Whereas many Metroplex cities and areas surrounding Fort Worth and Dallas have experienced substantial growth in recent decades , Johnson County remains wide open for both growth and a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the major metropolitan areas of Tarrant , Dallas and surrounding counties .
Economic growth in the form of new business and home building has steadily increased in recent years , Harmon said . All signs point to sustained and increased growth in those areas in the years ahead , Harmon added . And yet , much of the county remains rural , an oasis apart the larger nearby cities of Fort Worth and Dallas , but also easily accessible to those and other area cities thanks to the Chisholm Trail Parkway and U . S . 67 . Johnson County is one of the fastest-
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growing counties in Texas , according to official U . S . Bureau numbers , which indicate the county has grown about 21 percent since 2000 .
The county ’ s population in 2016 stood at 159,990 , compared to 150,943 in 2010 , according to Census Bureau estimates .
That growth is expected to continue , and even speed up , especially between Cleburne and Fort Worth because of the Chisholm Trail Parkway , a 27.6-mile toll road , running from Fort Worth to Crowley before continuing through the western side of Johnson County and ending at U . S . 67 in Cleburne .
Johnson County consists of 734 square miles south of Fort Worth , including the county seat , Cleburne , and more than a dozen additional towns .