Grand Prairie, city in northeastern Texas, in Dallas, Tarrant, and Ellis counties. The city is located on the Trinity River, in the center of the metropolitan region surrounding Dallas and Fort Worth. Major manufactures include aerospace and transportation equipment, plastics, and paper products. Grand Prairie is the site of a wax museum and a Thoroughbred horse racing track.
The community was established in 1841 as a railroad center and named Dechman for its developer. It adopted its present name in 1873, and incorporated in 1909. The city's growth was spurred by industrial plants developed to supply military goods during World War II (1939-1945). In 1993 a federal commission voted to close Dallas Naval Air Station, adjacent to the city, as part of a base consolidation program.
