Cleburne, Texas

Cleburne (/ˈkliːbɜːrn/ KLEE-burn) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Johnson County. Located within the prairies and lakes region of North Texas, the city is located south of Fort Worth and southwest of Dallas. The closest neighboring state is Oklahoma to the north, and the closest international border is to the south with Mexico. Cleburne is the second-most-populous city in Johnson County at 31,352 in 2020. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, of which Cleburne is a part, has a total population of 8,477,157 in 2025, fourth-largest in the U.S. Cleburne was founded near Buffalo Creek as Camp Henderson in 1862 and incorporated in 1871, changing its name to honor Patrick R. Cleburne. Ready access to fresh water and being located at the center of the county accounted for the town's early growth. Water access played a key role in luring the Santa Fe shops, where it became the largest employer for the next century. The population grew steadily until the Great Depression, when it contracted until the postwar boom after 1945. The city from then on saw steady growth as people moved to the DFW Metroplex. Cleburne is crisscrossed with many railroads, thus sees much freight move through, which BNSF Railways controls. Industry makes up a large portion of the economy and is concentrated in the north of town in the industrial parks, many using the railroads. Public services such as city/county employees and school district employees make up large numbers of employed people, as well as retail stores. Proximity to the DFW Metroplex has led to a construction boom in both the residential and industrial sectors. Cleburne houses many cultural centers, including the Layland Museum of History, Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, Cleburne Railroad Museum, J.N. Long Cultural Arts Center, Cleburne Public Library, Dudley...