Celina is a city in Collin and Denton counties, Texas, United States, with a 2020 census-tabulated population of 16,739.
History
Celina was established south of its current location in 1879. A Methodist church, which also served as a schoolhouse, was built in 1880. When a post office opened in 1881, it was named for Celina, Tennessee, the hometown of the first postmaster. By 1884, Celina had a gristmill, cotton gin, school, several general stores, and a population of 150. The population had declined to 50 by 1892.
When the St. Louis, San Francisco and Texas Railway reached the area in 1902, the town moved north to be near the rail line. The business section was erected as a row of frame buildings facing the railroad tracks; the first mayor, J. Fred Smith, later had the business section rebuilt as uniform brick buildings around a square. Celina incorporated in 1907.
Celina Pike, the first road in the county built exclusively for automobiles, opened in Celina in 1915. At that time, Celina had a newspaper, two banks, and a municipal water works. In 1921, Lone Star Gas organized Farmers Gas Company to provide natural gas to Celina and other small rural towns. In 1924, Texas Power and Light began supplying electricity to Celina, replaced in 1937 by Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative. The population of Celina decreased during the Great Depression, from 1,126 in 1920 to 994 in 1940. Celina grew steadily after World War II, from 1,051 in 1950 to 1,520 in 1980. There were 135 businesses in Celina in 2000.
Geography
Celina is centered mostly on State Highway 289 with its downtown just west of the roadway.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Celina has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,739 people, 4,675 households, and 3,967 families residing in the city. The population density was 17.4 people per square mile. In the 4,675 households, 79.3% were married couples living together, 2.5% had a male householder, 12.7% had a female householder, and 5.5% were non-families. The average persons per household size was 3.3.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.8% aged 19 and under, 8.2% from 20 to 29, 17.3% from 30 to 39, 15.3% from 40 to 49, 10.2% from 50 to 59, and 15.7% who were 60 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. The ratio of male to female was reported as exactly 50% males to 50% females.
The median income for a household in the city was $111,146. The per capita income for the city was $44,666. About 4% of persons were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Most of the city is in Celina Independent School District while the southern portions are in Prosper Independent School District.
Schools operated by Celina ISD include Celina High School, Celina Junior High School, Celina Primary School, Celina Sixth Grade Center, Lykins Elementary School, and O'Dell Elementary School.
Schools operated by Prosper ISD include Johnson Elementary School, and Light Farms Elementary.
The Texas Legislature designated Collin College as the community college for all of Collin County and for Celina ISD, in addition to some other parts of Denton County. Most parts of Denton County (including the Prosper ISD part of Celina) are in the zone for North Central Texas College.
90.2% of individuals had attained high school or higher education, while 34.6% obtained a Bachlor's degree or higher. Of the population, the highest education received by individuals included 9.8% with no degree, 20.9% with a high school degree, 34.7% with some college, 26.4% with a bachelor degree and 8.3% with some post-graduate education.
Notable people
Ryan Merritt, Major League Baseball pitcher and former Celina Bobcat
Craig James, sportscaster and 2012 U.S. Senate candidate
