Fort Worth
Cowtown became defense capital in WWII—Lockheed Martin (18,000 employees, F-35), Bell, American Airlines HQ. Hit 1M residents in 2025, now Texas's aviation/defense capital.
Fort Worth metamorphosed from cowtown to defense capital in a single generation, and that transformation explains its present economy. Established in 1849 as a US Army outpost protecting frontier settlers, the town became Cowtown when over four million head of cattle trailed through between 1866 and 1890. The Fort Worth Stockyards, established in the 1880s, attracted Swift and Armour meatpacking plants and made the city synonymous with ranching culture.
World War II triggered the metamorphosis. Consolidated Aircraft Corporation built B-24 bombers at a new factory that employed 32,000 workers at peak production. In a single decade, aircraft manufacturing replaced livestock as Fort Worth's largest industry. The Stockyards' peak year for processing cattle—1944, with 5.3 million head—was also the year aviation permanently overtook ranching in economic importance. The transformation was complete: the cowboy capital became a defense manufacturing hub.
The succession continued. Consolidated became Convair, then General Dynamics, then Lockheed Martin Aeronautics—now producing F-35 Lightning II fighters with over 18,000 employees. Bell Textron builds military and commercial helicopters. American Airlines moved its corporate headquarters to a 300-acre campus near DFW Airport. BNSF Railway operates one of America's largest freight networks from Fort Worth. Alcon Laboratories adds healthcare to the mix. The city hosts over 600 aerospace and defense companies employing 23,500 workers at an average salary of $100,000.
Fort Worth crossed 1 million residents in 2025, overtaking Austin to become Texas's fourth-largest city. The DFW metroplex added 177,922 people in 2024—the fastest numeric growth of any US metro. Governor Abbott designated Fort Worth the Aviation and Defense Capital of Texas. Bell announced a $632 million plant for assault helicopter components, adding 500 jobs.
By 2026, Fort Worth will test whether defense manufacturing concentration is resilience or vulnerability. The F-35 program extends for decades, but geopolitical shifts and budget politics create pressure. The city that transformed from cattle to aircraft may need to demonstrate it can transform again.