One Dallas Morning News reader asked Curious Texas: are there roundabouts in North Texas? And where?
The simple answer is yes, in less populated suburban areas, but to really understand the impact of specific traffic patterns, Curious Texas dug a little deeper.
Dallas-Fort Worth traffic ranks among the worst in the state.
According to an annual report from the Texas Department of Transportation, Woodall Rogers Freeway sat at No. 3 in 2025, with drivers spending more than 1 million hours delayed per mile on this stretch. Several other roads in the D-FW metro ranked in the top 20.
Curious Texas
Although immediate solutions may not exist for our interstates, highways and toll roads, some North Texas cities combat these issues in smaller doses using roundabouts.
What is a roundabout?
A roundabout is a one-way circular intersection where traffic flows counterclockwise without interference from stop signs or traffic lights, designed to slow drivers down to 25 miles per hour or less. Drivers enter from various entrances, yield to oncoming traffic and exit in the direction of their desired path. They’ve been proven to reduce high-speed crashes like head-on collisions.
Maintenance costs less than traditional traffic signal-controlled intersections because electrical maintenance is not required.
Traffic circles and rotariesdo not prevent accidents because they still have high-speed entries,are large and hard to navigate.
What North Texas cities are implementing roundabouts?
The city of Fort Worth has actively promoted modern roundabouts since 2021 to reduce traffic costs and address public safety concerns. Roundabouts have shown to reduce fatal crashes by 90%, injury crashes by 75% and pedestrian crashes by 30-40%. Other positive results include safer crossing paths for pedestrians and cyclists and reduced drive time.
The city of Frisco noted rising popularity in the area and nationwide. Frisco has eight multi-lane roundabouts and is planning to add more to the Gaylord Parkway, Ohio Drive and on Frisco Street between Main Street and Cobb Hill Drive. They’re currently scheduled to be completed in 2027 and 2028.
Traffic maneuvers a roundabout at Gaylord Parkway and John Hickman Parkway in Frisco on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
However, not all roundabouts function properly. A roundabout in Oak Cliff is notorious for accidents. Dallas City Councilman Chad West has been working to improve the roundabout’s safety by implementing temporary wooden walls until a permanent solid wall can be built, according to multiple media reports.
A road sign announces the roundabout in Oak Cliff at N Polk St & N Tyler St as a wall is built around the island on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Dallas, TX.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Why doesn’t Dallas have more roundabouts if they improve safety?
Building roundabouts is not as easy in metropolitan areas. Suburban areas have more available land, less traffic and are built around neighborhoods, unlike highly developed, densely populated areas like Dallas.
The Federal Highway Administration noted in a roundabout informational guide, that space and open area is required for construction. Dallas is built on both old and new infrastructure. Many intersections handle high traffic volumes; implementing roundabouts in those areas would be complicated and costly, with some projects costing upwards of $1 million.