Landsat Records 50 Years of Growth in Dallas-Fort Worth

Landsat 1 celebrated its 50th anniversary on July 23, 2022!

Landsat 1's first satellite image shared with the world was a view of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Over the course of five decades, Landsat satellites have captured the Dallas-Fort Worth area 2033 times, compiled into individual scenes in the Landsat Archive.

These false-color Landsat images accentuates the size and growth of the cities. The bright, white areas showcase the twin cities; the reds and pinks are forest and vegetation in the area. Water bodies appear from light to dark blue. Over time, the suburbs sprawl outward, replacing the farm fields seen in the 1970s. Soon after subdivisions appear, strips of business develop along highways. In the 1970 US census, the area hosted a population of 2.3 million. By 2020, the population more than tripled registering at over 7.6 million.

For more information about the Landsat program visit: www.usgs.gov/landsat