About Rockwall, TX
Is Rockwall, TX a good place to live?
In 2020, Money Magazine ranked Rockwall as the 4th best place to live. It’s a place with a small-town charm with all the big city benefits.
According to the website niche.com, Rockwall County ranks #2 for counties with the best public schools in Texas. It ranks #3 for the best counties for families in Texas, #4 for the healthiest counties in Texas, #5 for the best counties to live in Texas and #13 for the best counties to buy a house in Texas.
Where is Rockwall, TX?
Rockwall is located 23.2 miles east of Downtown Dallas along Interstate 30. And when people talk about Rockwall, they could be talking about Rockwall, the city or Rockwall, the county. The county is made up of a bunch of little cities. Here you'll find, of course, the City of Rockwall but also Heath, McLendon-Chisholm, portions of Fate, a sliver of Rowlett, and a section of Royse City.
Rockwall is split into north and south Rockwall by Interstate 30. On the north side of Rockwall is the zip code 75087. On the south side of Rockwall is the zip code 75032. And then as you go further east and to Royse City, you get into the zip code 75189.
Rockwall, TX Homes for Sale - What are they like?
Rockwall County blends lake-life views with easy-living suburbs and a little Texas elbow room. You’ll find everything from lock-and-leave townhomes to custom estates on acreage—often within a short drive of Dallas. Here’s how the options break down by city:
Rockwall
The county’s namesake mixes established neighborhoods with newer pockets near Lake Ray Hubbard. Expect a wide range of single-family homes plus some townhomes/condos close to shopping and restaurants. You’ll see traditional brick, modern farmhouse, and updated classics—many with open kitchens, home offices, and covered patios. Lake-adjacent streets and walkable areas near the historic downtown square are big draws.
Heath
Heath skews upscale and residential, with custom homes, larger lots, and golf-oriented and lake-proximate communities. Architecture leans timeless—think stone, stucco, and high-end finishes—with three-car garages, outdoor kitchens, and generous primary suites common. If you’re eyeing luxury or lake views, Heath is often the first stop.
Fate
Fate is newer and master-planned. Neighborhoods often include community pools, playgrounds, trails, and pocket parks. Homes tend to have efficient floor plans—open living areas, kitchen islands, and flexible spaces that convert to offices or playrooms. It’s a great fit if you want “newer, low-maintenance, amenity-rich” without over-the-top pricing.
Royse City
Royse City offers strong value and steady growth. You’ll find starter and move-up homes, plus several newer communities adding inventory. Closer to downtown Royse City, some homes have classic, small-town charm; farther out, you’ll see modern plans with larger secondary bedrooms and handy storage. Buyers often choose Royse City for space and budget stretch.
McLendon-Chisholm
Looking for room to breathe? McLendon-Chisholm blends semi-rural living with newer planned neighborhoods. Many properties offer larger lots—sometimes acreage—along with custom builds and spacious, single-story floor plans. It’s popular with buyers who want privacy, workshops or hobby space, and starry-night backyards.
Which area fits you?
Water + dining + convenience: Start with Rockwall and Heath.
Amenities + newer homes: Put Fate high on the list.
Best budget stretch: Check Royse City.
Space + privacy: Explore McLendon-Chisholm.
What are the Rockwall, TX attractions?
From lakefront sunsets to small-town festivals, Rockwall County packs a lot into five cities. Here’s a quick, visitor-friendly guide—plus a few seasonal events locals love.
Rockwall
The Harbor District (Lake Ray Hubbard): Stroll the waterfront, grab dinner, catch a movie, and watch the sun drop behind the marina. In summer, the Concert by the Lake series brings free Thursday shows to the amphitheater.
Downtown & San Jacinto Plaza: Live music most Friday and Saturday nights May–October, steps from the historic square.
Rockwall Farmers Market (May–Sept): A Saturday staple with local produce, baked goods, and live music on the square.
Founders Day (May): The city’s birthday party—daytime fun downtown and evening concerts at Harry Myers Park.
Heath
Buffalo Creek Golf Club: Scenic 18-hole course tucked by the lake—popular for morning tee times and twilight rounds.
Heart of Heath 5K & Family Run (Easter season): Community race + family activities each April.
Independence Day in the Park (July 4): Old-fashioned parade and patriotic fun.
Christmas in Heath (December): Tree lighting and holiday festivities at Towne Center Park.
McLendon-Chisholm
Small-town events at City Hall: Family-friendly favorites include the Easter Eggstravaganza and the Christmas Tree Lighting—easy ways to meet neighbors and snap photos with Santa.
Fate
Robert Smith Family Park: Trails, playgrounds, disc golf, pickleball—and a splash pad (typically open summer hours) for hot days.
Celebrate Fate (September): Live music, food vendors, and a fireworks finale to cap summer.
Royse City
Music on Main (spring & fall): Free Friday-night concerts at Cookston Court—bring lawn chairs and stroll the shops.
FunFest (October): The city’s biggest fall festival with vendors, activities, and live entertainment.
Stone River Golf Club: Casual 18-hole track with memberships, leagues, and public tee times.
County-wide staples (any time of year)
Lake life: Picnics, lakeside patios, marina vibes, and sunset views around The Harbor.
Live-music culture: From harbor concerts to downtown series, you can usually find a free show on warm evenings.
Seasonal fun: Spring races and egg hunts, summer splash pads and markets, fall festivals, and tree-lightings across the county.
Rockwall, TX weather - is it good or bad?
Short answer: if you like warm, sunny days with a true spring and fall and a short, mostly mild winter, you’ll love it. If you’re heat-averse or hate the occasional thunderstorm, there are trade-offs.
The feel of the seasons
Spring (March–May): The “porch season.” Highs often in the 70s–80s with wildflower days and some stormy nights. North Texas’ severe weather peaks in spring, so you’ll get rumbles of thunder, occasional hail, and quick downpours.
Summer (June–August): Hot and humid. Normal highs run in the mid-90s (July/August), and DFW averages ~20 days at or above 100°F most years. First 100° typically arrives around July 1 and the last near late August. Evenings are warm. Lake breezes help a bit near the water.
Fall (September–November): Crowd favorite—70s–80s, lower humidity, and lots of festival weather.
Winter (December–February): Generally mild: normal January high ~56°F, low ~36°F, with freezes on roughly a month’s worth of mornings each year. Snow/ice is uncommon and usually brief.
Rain & sun at a glance
Rain: About 37 inches a year, with May and October among the wetter months. Downpours happen, but all-day rain is less common.
Sun: Plenty of it—around 60% of possible sunshine on average.
“Is it good or bad?”—the honest take
Good if you want lots of patio days, long pool season, and quick winters.
Challenging if you dislike heat or the spring storm season. Spring brings the most thunderstorms and the highest chance of severe weather in North Texas.
How’s the traffic in Rockwall?
Rockwall’s traffic is a tale of two realities: off-peak trips are generally easy, but rush hour tightens up—especially around the I-30 lake crossing—because a major, multi-year construction program is underway. TxDOT is widening I-30 from Bass Pro Drive all the way to the Hunt County line and adding continuous frontage roads, including new bridges over Lake Ray Hubbard. The goal is to relieve the notorious “bridge bottleneck” and keep traffic moving even when incidents block the main lanes. Most of this work runs through 2027, so lane shifts and periodic closures are part of daily life right now.
Morning commutes heading west toward Dallas feel the tightest as you approach the lake; a small fender-bender can ripple into heavy backups. Evenings flip the pattern, with eastbound slowdowns as drivers return to Rockwall, Fate, and Royse City through active work zones. This is exactly what the added frontage-road bridges are meant to fix long-term: more crossings over the water and more options when the main lanes get pinched.
Day to day, expect lots of construction choreography—traffic switches near Ridge/Horizon/SH-205, rolling closures, and work that moves around the corridor. The City and County post frequent updates and weekly lane-closure notices, which are worth checking before a peak-hour trip.
Bottom line: Rockwall isn’t LA or NYC, but rush hour is slow right now because the corridor is being rebuilt. The upside is real—more lanes, more lake-crossing capacity, and better interchanges once the dust settles—but until then, give yourself buffer time for westbound mornings and eastbound evenings, and peek at the weekly lane-closure updates before you go.
Rockwall County Fun Facts
Rockwall County is full of surprises for such a small place—Texas’s tiniest Texas County by area, with big-lake sunsets, historic squares, and neighborhoods that keep adding new faces. The name comes from that curious “rock wall” formation discovered in the 1850s, a natural sandstone network that launched a legend and gave the county its identity. Life here feels outdoorsy and musical: Lake Ray Hubbard anchors weekend plans, and Rockwall’s “Music Friendly” vibe means you can catch free shows much of the year without planning ahead.
What really grounds the county, though, is how modern growth sits right alongside pockets of nostalgia. You can spend a Saturday picking blueberries under the trees at Blase Family Farm, then come back in the fall for pumpkins and cozy, small-town photo ops. Over in the countryside, Tate Farms turns the season into an event, with hay-ride energy and plenty of room for kids to run. Farm stands pop up with local honey and produce, and the Rockwall Farmers Market keeps artisan breads and fresh veggies in the rotation all summer. It’s the kind of place where newer neighborhoods meet long-loved, family-run spots—so you get the convenience of a growing suburb with the comfort of knowing there are still real farms just down the road.
That blend is the county’s signature: lake life and live music, yes—but also blueberry-stained fingers, pumpkin-patch Saturdays, and local businesses that feel like they’ve been part of the story for generations.