Dallas and Fort Worth sit about 30 miles apart and could not be more different. Dallas is urban, modern and fast. Fort Worth is western, relaxed and proud of it. Arlington, where Globe Life Field and AT&T Stadium are located, sits right between them.
If you have limited time in the DFW area, here is how to decide which city to prioritize. (The short answer: visit both.)
Dallas is the bigger city with a skyline, a sprawling arts district and some of the best restaurants in the state. The energy skews cosmopolitan.
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza covers the Kennedy assassination on the actual site. The Dallas Museum of Art has free general admission. Reunion Tower offers 360-degree views from the GeO-Deck. Klyde Warren Park is a five-acre deck park built over a highway with food trucks and outdoor programming.
The Deep Ellum neighborhood is the creative center of Dallas, with live music venues, street art, craft breweries and some of the best barbecue in the area (Terry Black’s and Pecan Lodge).
Dallas leans toward upscale dining and trendy restaurants. Mi Cocina is a polished Tex-Mex chain with strong margaritas. Deep Ellum has barbecue, tacos and brewpubs. NorthPark Center, one of the largest malls in the country, has high-end dining alongside luxury shopping.
Visitors who want nightlife, dining variety, museums and a more urban feel. Dallas also has the DART light rail system, making it easier to get around without a car within the city limits.
Fort Worth calls itself “Cowtown” and leans into that identity. The city is more affordable, more walkable in its downtown core and more authentically Texan in atmosphere.
The Fort Worth Stockyards are the main draw. The longhorn cattle drive runs twice daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. CT along East Exchange Avenue. Cowtown Coliseum hosts a year-round indoor rodeo on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. CT. Billy Bob’s Texas has live country music, indoor bull riding and a massive dance floor.
Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth is a walkable plaza with restaurants, live music and fountains. The Kimbell Art Museum has free general admission and a Louis Kahn-designed building that is worth visiting for the architecture alone.
Fort Worth is steak and Tex-Mex territory. Cattlemen’s Steak House has been in the Stockyards since 1947. Joe T. Garcia’s is a Fort Worth institution for Tex-Mex (cash only, no menu; they bring you fajitas or enchiladas). Goldee’s BBQ on the south side earned top honors in the 2021 Texas Monthly barbecue rankings.
Visitors who want a more relaxed pace, lower hotel prices and a deeper dose of Texas cowboy culture. Fort Worth is also a good base during the 2026 global soccer event because hotel rates tend to be lower than Arlington, with transit to the stadiums available via the TRE commuter rail to CentrePort Station.
Arlington sits between Dallas and Fort Worth and is home to both stadiums. The Arlington Entertainment District has Globe Life Field (home of the Texas Rangers), AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys and a host venue for the 2026 international soccer tournament) and Texas Live!, a 200,000-square-foot dining and entertainment complex.
Staying in Arlington puts you within walking distance of both stadiums and Texas Live! but offers fewer dining and nightlife options than Dallas or Fort Worth outside the district.
If you have three or more days, spend one day in each city and use the remaining days for events in Arlington. Dallas is 25 minutes east of Arlington by car. Fort Worth is 30 minutes west. You can do both cities in a day if you are willing to hustle, but one city per day gives you more time to explore.
The Texas Rangers play home games throughout the summer. Check the schedule and build a Rangers game into whichever day you spend in Arlington.
About 30 miles, or roughly 35 to 45 minutes by car depending on traffic.
Fort Worth is generally more affordable than Dallas, especially during major events in Arlington when nearby hotel prices spike.
Yes, but it is a full day. Picking one city per day allows more time to explore. Dallas is 25 minutes east of Arlington, and Fort Worth is 30 minutes west.
The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) connects Dallas and Fort Worth, with a stop at CentrePort Station near the Arlington Entertainment District. Arlington itself does not have a public bus or train system.
Both have top-tier options. Dallas has Terry Black’s and Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum. Fort Worth has Goldee’s BBQ. Arlington has Hurtado Barbecue near the stadiums.
If you plan to visit both cities and take day trips, a rental car is the most practical option. Within the Arlington Entertainment District, everything is walkable. Within central Dallas, DART rail covers many attractions.
