Murphy TX was settled by those looking for land grants from Peters colony. However, at the time Murphy TX was known as “Old Decator.” Later it became known as “Maxwell’s Branch.” Finally,   with the arrival of the St. Louis Southwestern Railway in 1888, the town officially become Murphy TX. This was to honor William Murphy who gave the land for the train tracks.

Once the railroad was no longer active, Murphy TX began to fade. By 1961, the population was only 135, and there was no mail service to the town. Once Plano and Richardson began establishing a multitude of businesses, Murphy TX began growing again and is now about 20,500 residents strong.

Schools in Murphy TX are served by two different districts: Plano Independent School District and Wylie Independent School District.

Plano Independent School District: PISD serves over 55,000 students and is celebrated for its high academic ratings. All three senior high schools were ranked in the top 1000 US schools. Unlike many school systems in the US, PISD has high schools for ninth and tenth graders and senior high school for grades eleven and twelve. Homes for sale in Murphy TX in this school district often have high home values contributing to a large operating budget for the school system.

Wylie Independent School District: Enrollment in this district is about 10,000 students. The teacher/student ratio is 1:15. In 2015, all Wylie ISD schools were renovated.

Murphy TX is a small rural town with a small population and few big city amenities within the city limits. However, if you are willing to travel 10 miles, you can view one of the several local museums. Here are two interesting ones:

Heritage Farmstead Museum: This working farm outside of Murphy TX was built in 1891 by Hunter Farrell. The lovely wrap around porches and elaborate trim make it hard to believe this was a practical farm. Nonetheless, the farmstead boasted three barns and several outbuildings on 365 acres. Now, the Heritage Farmstead Museum teaches visitors about agricultural history.

The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary: 80-year-old Bessie Heard decided that the area outside of Murphy TX needed to preserve a place so that future generations could experience nature. She opened the museum in 1967, which now gets more than 100,000 visitors each year.

Murphy TX has worked with the zoning commission to develop a country-living atmosphere. To achieve this goal, all new homes in Murphy TX must have at least a 9,000 square foot lot, and most Murphy TX real estate has lots closer to 12,000 square feet.

Despite the country atmosphere, Murphy TX is close to the President George Bush Turnpike, which has given greater access to the west. This has created much growth and economic stability to the area. When the turnpike was completed in 2002, Murphy TX had a population of just 6500. Eight years later, the population had nearly tripled.

Because of the country feel and easy access, Murphy TX was voted:

• #7 in the “Best Places to Live” in the D Magazine
• #27 in America by “Money’s list of America’s best small towns”
• #2 among over 35,000 US cities and towns, without regard to size, by the “Area Vibes” web site

If you are looking for Murphy homes for sale or new homes in Murphy TX, please reach out to Bishop Country. We have been involved in Murphy TX real estate for over 12 years. We look forward to serving you.