A dynamic, growing city
North Richland Hills is part of the Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The area was agricultural until 1950 when Clarence Jones developed his farm into a residential area and named it North Richland Hills to mimic the successful development of the adjacent southern part. In the 1980s, North Richland Hills had a broad commercial base, producing everything from computers to mattresses and other businesses. There were several denominational schools and twenty-two churches representing ten faiths.
The city boundary passed through the northeast campus of Tarrant County Junior College. A community complex built in 1960 and expanded in 1987 housed the police, the water
authority, and the city administration. A second 87,000 square foot Civic Center housed the City Library and Department of Parks and Recreation; The theater in the building was home to the North East Fine Arts League.