Rice Kinder Institute · May 14, 2021
The Triangle as an economic system ↗
J.H. Cullum Clark’s perspective on integration and shared challenges. Comparisons belong to the article’s 2021 context.
The reading room
Follow the evidence.
Original reporting, research and data. Our summaries are a starting point; the work belongs to the people and institutions linked below.
How to read this guide
Research checked September 28, 2026. Each item keeps its original date. Estimates, survey results, historical research and forecasts are labeled separately. We do not reproduce complete articles or imply that a publisher endorses this guide.
Population panels use four metropolitan statistical areas, not a fixed legal “Texas Triangle” boundary. Building considerations are general information, not a site-specific market study or a promise of project returns.
Publisher disclosure: TriTex Building Systems, LLC sponsors and publishes this free guide and provides commercial construction services. Links to TriTex are business links. The other organizations have not been presented as partners or sponsors.
Rice Kinder Institute · May 18, 2021
Sustaining and sharing regional prosperity ↗
Book excerpts on education, transportation, resilience and rural connections; not a current economic forecast.
Rice Kinder Institute · March 23, 2021
A metropolitan policy agenda for Texas ↗
Fulton, Shelton, Pedigo and Clark propose shared priorities. Recommendations are not evidence of later implementation.
UT Austin / Regional Plan Association · April 2007
Connecting the Triangle: integration and transportation ↗
Research by Ming Zhang, Frederick Steiner and Kent Butler. Its 1936 phrase-history reference cites an etymologist, not an attached original railroad document.
UT Austin · CM² · October 2023
How the Triangle’s urban footprint expanded ↗
Ming Zhang’s report uses a 66-county region. Its land-expansion analysis covers 2001–2016, not 2023–2026.
Southwest Airlines · History · Historical account
The original Dallas–Houston–San Antonio connection ↗
Company history records the start of service on June 18, 1971. This does not establish who coined “Texas Triangle.”
U.S. Census Bureau · Vintage 2025 · released March 2026
Metro population estimates, 2020–2025 ↗
This guide uses July 1, 2025 MSA estimates from CBSA-EST2025-ALLDATA. All four totals use the same vintage.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas · February 23, 2026
Different cities, different industry clusters ↗
Overview of the third At the Heart of Texas edition. Its historical industry-growth analysis covers 2016–2023.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas · September 28, 2026
September’s manufacturing pulse ↗
Texas survey: 63 manufacturer responses, collected September 15–23. Index values are not percentage growth rates.
Texas A&M · Texas Real Estate Research Center · May 21, 2025
The smaller spaces behind manufacturing growth ↗
Daniel Oney’s statewide 2025–2026 space-demand projection. A forecast, not a vacancy measurement or proof of local shortage.
Texas A&M · Texas Real Estate Research Center · September 10, 2026
Warehouse supply and demand through summer 2027 ↗
A conditional forecast across real-estate sectors. Industrial warehouse data should not be relabeled as self-storage data.
AGC of America / NCCER · September 3, 2026
Construction workforce capacity in 2026 ↗
National participating-firm survey, with 1,830 people responding to at least one section in July–August. Not a Triangle-specific shortage count.
Whole Building Design Guide · Reference guide · accessed September 28, 2026
Planning warehouse and storage environments ↗
Building-design considerations, including operational layouts and controlled-humidity storage. Project requirements need qualified design review.
Texas Department of Transportation · Program information · accessed September 28, 2026
The Triangle’s interstate freight connections ↗
Identifies the I-35, I-45 and I-10 corridors connecting the major metropolitan areas.
U.S. Census Bureau · 2025 cartographic boundaries
Original map: boundary and place data ↗
Texas boundary is public-domain Census data. City dots use 2025 Census internal points; all interstate paths are schematic.
Texas Historical Commission · History education resource
Indigenous Texas and exploration ↗
An introduction to Indigenous communities and Texas history before and during European exploration.
Texas State Library and Archives Commission · Historical reference
The history of Texas annexation ↗
Distinguishes admission to the United States in December 1845 from the formal transfer of government in February 1846.
U.S. National Archives · June 19, 2020 · historical document feature
The original Juneteenth order ↗
Presents General Order No. 3, issued in Galveston on June 19, 1865.
Texas State Historical Association · Updated August 25, 2023
Urbanization: how Texas cities developed ↗
David G. McComb’s historical overview of transportation, industry and urban growth. Historical figures are not current market statistics.
Texas Department of Transportation · Summer 2026
Texas Triangle planning update ↗
Latest update linked from the plan page when checked September 28, 2026. Describes analysis, engagement and next steps; not funded construction commitments.
Texas Department of Transportation · Plan in development · checked September 28, 2026
Texas Triangle Multimodal Strategic Plan ↗
Official planning page and regional map. The published schedule targets final-plan work in early to mid-2027; it is not a construction schedule.
Wikipedia · Background reference · checked September 28, 2026
Texas Triangle: geography and further references ↗
An overview and starting point for further reading. Definitions vary; this guide uses Census data for its four-metro population panel.
Wikipedia · Background reference · checked September 28, 2026
History of Texas: a broad overview ↗
A broad historical survey with references. Not the source of this guide’s current population or economic figures.
Texas Monthly · Magazine · ongoing coverage
Texas stories, places and culture ↗
Independent magazine coverage. Linked as further reading; some articles may require a subscription. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Map & population methods
The introductory map is an original geographic diagram derived from the Census 2025 Texas boundary and Census city internal points. Interstate paths are simplified. The I-35E/I-35W relationship follows FHWA’s description. It is not a navigation map or an official boundary.
Population source: CBSA-EST2025-ALLDATA CSV, July 1, 2025 estimates for CBSA codes 19100, 26420, 41700 and 12420. The four values total 21,815,869. Bar lengths are proportional to each metro’s population, using DFW as the maximum.
The detailed regional map is the user-supplied map shown on TxDOT’s TTMSP page, reproduced with source attribution. Its broader geography is distinct from the four-MSA population panel.
Texas flag: public-domain flag artwork via Wikimedia Commons. TriTex logo supplied from the approved company website assets.