Bristol, Texas

Geography

Bristol is located along Farm to Market Road 660 in northeastern Ellis County, approximately six miles northeast of Palmer and eighteen miles northeast of Waxahachie. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.88 square miles (15.2 km²), of which 5.78 square miles (15.0 km²) is land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km²) is water.

History

Settlement of the area dates back to the 1840s. The community was first called Brockville and a post office operated under that name from 1854 to 1869. Later, the community was unofficially known as Heelstring.

Years later, Captain Steven Mills came to the area and opened a store. Having done business in Bristol, England, he named the store Bristol and the community eventually adopted the name. By 1890, Bristol had grown into a farming community of approximately 200 residents. The population peaked at around 300 in the early 1930s and declined thereafter. The community continues to serve as a supply and service center for area farmers.

In 2010, Bristol was defined as a census-designated place (CDP) by the U.S. Census Bureau. The boundaries include the original community of Bristol and surrounding areas.

Demographics

At the 2010 United States Census there were 668 people, 239 households, and 188 families residing in the CDP. The racial makeup of the city was 91.2% White (81.4% Non-Hispanic White), 0.4% Native American, 2.8% African American, 0.1% Asian, 4.8% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.8% of the population.

Education

The Ennis Independent School District, Ferris Independent School District, and Palmer Independent School District each serve portions of the Bristol area.