{"id":371085,"date":"2026-07-13T13:19:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T13:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/371085\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T13:19:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T13:19:10","slug":"your-guide-to-mckinney-things-to-do-restaurants-parks-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/371085\/","title":{"rendered":"Your guide to McKinney: Things to do, restaurants, parks and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

For more than 150 years, McKinney<\/a> has been the heart of Collin County<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The historic county seat was an early agricultural and commercial center for the region long before Dallas suburbia stretched north into Collin County. North Texas\u2019 wider growth<\/a> has reshaped the city, bringing tens of thousands of people to McKinney and hundreds of millions in investments. Even so, the city was named the most affordable city in the country at the end of 2025, making it a popular destination for those moving to\u00a0D-FW.<\/p>\n

Related: This North Texas city was named the country’s most affordable. Some were surprised<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s your guide to McKinney:<\/p>\n

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Fast facts<\/p>\n

Population: 227,515
Median age: 38.8
Median income: $124,177
Unemployment rate: 4.2%<\/p>\n

Race \/ ethnicity<\/p>\n

One race, white: 52.3%
\nOne race, Black or African American: 10.3%
\nOne race, American Indian or Alaska Native: 0%
\nOne race, Asian: 19.6%
\nOne race, Native Hawaiian: 0%
\nOne race, some other race: 3.9%
\nTwo or more races: 12.7%
\nHispanic or Latino origin (of any race): 16.5%
\nWhite alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 48.5%<\/p>\n

Educational attainment<\/p>\n

For ages 18-24 (roughly 7.2% of the population)<\/p>\n

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Less than high school degree or equivalent: 7.2%
\nHigh school graduates (or equivalent): 12.1%
\nSome college or associate’s: 37.8%
\nBachelor\u2019s degree or higher: 21%<\/p>\n

For ages 25+ (roughly 69.4%)<\/p>\n

High school graduates (or equivalent): 13.4%
\nBachelor\u2019s degree: 34%
\nGraduate or professional degree: 22.8%<\/p>\n

Housing<\/p>\n

88,397 units; 85,091 occupied (96.3%)<\/p>\n

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53,793 Owner Occupied
\n31,298 Renter Occupied<\/p>\n

61,208 1-unit detached
\n3,286 1-unit attached
\n23,000 multi-unit
\n903 mobile homes<\/p>\n

Median home value: $555,800
Median rent: $1,900<\/p>\n

Compiled by staff researcher Rachel Friend. Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Tables S0601, S1501, S1903, S2301, DP04<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/p>\n

The historic downtown McKinney in 2025.<\/p>\n

Shafkat Anowar\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

A brief history<\/p>\n

McKinney was founded in 1848, when the state Legislature chose it as the Collin County seat because of its proximity to the geographic center of the county, according to the city\u2019s website<\/a>. The following year local landowners William and Margaret Davis donated 120 acres for the townsite. The town was incorporated in 1849, and re-incorporated 10 years later.<\/p>\n

Growth was slow initially, but accelerated with the arrival of railroads, particularly the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1872. This promoted agricultural development in McKinney and the area became a significant cotton producer with four cotton gins by 1876, according to the city\u2019s website. Beyond cotton, the region also produced wheat, corn and oats in large quantities.<\/p>\n

For most of its history, McKinney was the commercial center of Collin County, according to the Texas State Historical Association<\/a>. Beyond its agricultural prominence, the town also had banks, churches, schools, newspapers and an opera house by the 1880s. It added a telephone exchange in 1883 and electric lights in 1889, according to the city\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

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McKinney grew slowly for much of its first 100 years, only reaching a population of around 10,000 by 1950. By 1970, Plano overtook McKinney as the county’s largest city as it emerged as a leading Dallas suburb. Frisco<\/a> had also overtaken McKinney in population by 2020.<\/p>\n

Still, McKinney remains the center of Collin County today and, much like Plano and Frisco, the city\u2019s population has exploded in recent years. McKinney has gone from a population of just over 20,000 in 1990 to more than 225,000 today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

All that growth has brought some grand plans to McKinney including the commercialization of McKinney National Airport<\/a>, the multiuse Cannon Beach development<\/a> and a 20,000 seat open-air amphitheater<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Adriatica<\/p>\n

Adriatica is\u00a0an imitation Croatian village in McKinney, Texas.<\/p>\n

Mark Lamster<\/p>\n

Notable landmarks<\/p>\n

Historic downtown McKinney: As the longtime Collin County seat, downtown McKinney is home to some of the oldest buildings in the region. Today, the area is a thriving district with more than 120 unique shops and dozens of restaurants.<\/p>\n

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Adriatica Village: This 45-acre Croatian-inspired village is part of the Stonebridge Ranch development. The area features shops, dining and even a bell tower and the lakeside Bella Donna Chapel.<\/p>\n

\"Michelin-recommended<\/p>\n

Michelin-recommended Harvest in McKinney serves grass-fed filet.<\/p>\n

Jason Janik\/Special Contributor<\/p>\n

Things to do<\/p>\n

Bars and restaurants<\/p>\n

Cadillac Pizza Pub
\nFontina Ristorante
\nHarvest at The Masonic<\/a>
\nHutchins BBQ<\/a>
\nLocal\u00a0Yocal BBQ and Grill
\nOne & Only Burgers & Fries
\nRick\u2019s Chophouse
\nThe Guava Tree Cuban Cafe & Cantina
\nThe Yard<\/a>
\nTUPPS Brewery
\nUnion Bear Brewing<\/p>\n

Parks and trails<\/p>\n

McKinney has more than 50 parks and around 80 miles of hike and bike trails throughout the city. Here\u2019s a look at some: \u00a0<\/p>\n

Bonnie Wenk Park
\nErwin Park
\nForest Ridge Park
\nGabe Nesbitt Community Park
\nGray Branch Parkland and Trail
\nPrestwyck Park
\nRobinson Ridge Park
\nRowlett Creek Park
\nTowne Lake Park
\n\"Scottie<\/p>\n

Scottie Scheffler prepared to hit from the 18th tee during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament May 4, 2025, in McKinney.<\/p>\n

Smiley N. Pool\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n

Sports and entertainment\u00a0<\/p>\n

Museums<\/p>\n

Chestnut Square Historic Village and Museum
\nCollin County History Museum
\nHeard-Craig Center for the Arts
\nHeard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary<\/p>\n

Shopping<\/p>\n

Adriatica Village
\nDowntown McKinney
\nMcKinney Farmers Market at Chestnut Square
\n\"The<\/p>\n

The McKinney National Airport is set to become North Texas\u2019 third commercial airport by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n

Jason Janik\/Special Contributor<\/p>\n

A fun fact<\/p>\n

McKinney National Airport (TKI) is set to become North Texas\u2019 third commercial airport by the end of 2026, joining Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) and Love Field (DAL). Budget carrier Avelo Airlines is set to become the first airline operating at the small terminal, with initial flights to Las Vegas and four cities in Florida (Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For more than 150 years, McKinney has been the heart of Collin County. The historic county seat was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":371086,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[107860,102,104,103,49,5964,15680,4432,88338,88949],"class_list":["post-371085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-arts-entertainment-things-to-do","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news","tag-food","tag-listicle","tag-newcomer","tag-things-to-know","tag-tp-collin-county","tag-tp-mckinney"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371085\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/371086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}