UT Arlington Buys 51 Acres for Fort Worth Campus

The University of Texas at Arlington is the latest educational institution to expand its campus footprint in Fort Worth.

The UT System Board of Regents this week approved the purchase of a 51-acre site in Parker County, about 26 miles southwest of downtown Fort Worth, for the future UTA West campus, the Dallas Business Journal reported. The price wasn’t disclosed.

The campus is set to open in fall 2028 and is designed to accommodate 10,000 students.

It will be located at the southeast corner of Interstate 20 and Interstate 30, according to the board of regents agenda. The acreage is in an area called Highland Hills, within the 7,200-acre Walsh Ranch master-planned community.

The Highland Hills community in Walsh Ranch, will also feature 80,000 square feet of office space, 20,000 square feet for retail and restaurants, and 379 multifamily units. Existing commercial developments on the site include a 40,000-square-foot Cook Children’s facility.

The future campus bodes well for the city’s growth and economic future by helping to shape a skilled workforce, said Robert Allen, president of the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership.

This expansion aligns with a broader trend of universities increasing their presence in Fort Worth.

Tarleton State University opened a campus in 2019 on Chisholm Trail Parkway, in an area of southwest Fort Worth considered to be an emerging nexus for developers.

Texas A&M University, which has been active in Fort Worth since 1986, is constructing a three-building campus downtown. A building designated for law and education is expected to open at the campus in the first quarter 2026.

Population growth and the economic potential of the western part of the metroplex are factors that inspired the expansion, UTA President Jennifer Cowley said.

“I believe this is going to be a home run,” UT System Chancellor James Milliken said.

— Andrew Terrell