Is your startup or small business ready to move out of the garage and into some real space? If so, where do you look? Which areas are best for your business? For your customers? For your employees? For you? In this article, we provide a brief tour of the top industrial and warehouse office space neighborhoods in the Dallas area.

The Stemmons Corridor

Just northwest of downtown, along I-35E (Stemmons Freeway), is a heavy industrial/commercial area littered with hotels and office towers. Although one of the most congested freeways in the country, this part of I-35E is also the widest stretch of road in the DFW area, boasting a total of 16 high-speed and access lanes. If you’re expecting a lot of orders and deliveries at your warehouse space, this area is a great location for your business.

What You’ll See:

• A wide variety of space options
• Mostly older properties
• Mostly very accessible
• Variety of dock heights and grade levels
  
  

Addison

Though also a great place to live and play (and eat, apparently, with close to 200 restaurants), Addison has over 12 million square feet of office space. There’s a vibrant, friendly energy to this place – ideal for a startup – with a steady stream of special events and community activities.

What You’ll See:

• Plenty of nearby apartments and homes for your employees
• More flex office options than serious warehouse space
• Options offering half-office, half-showroom/warehouse
• Mix of old and new properties
  
  

Carrollton/Farmer’s Branch

Located about 20 miles north of downtown, central to much of DFW, the City of Carrollton is a vibrant corporate and residential community with over 9,000 businesses. Like Addison, Carrollton and Farmer’s Branch are also residential neighborhoods, which provides a great mix of food, entertainment and services. Unlike Addison, this area offers more commercial space options.

What You’ll See:

• A variety of industrial and warehouse space
• Newer construction than areas closer to downtown Dallas
• More dock height options
• More options offering 3-6 offices
  
  

Richardson

Home to The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and about 5,000 businesses, Richardson is an affluent suburb just north of Dallas. Though home to the world's largest telecommunications companies (AT&T, DIRECTV, Verizon, Samsung, Texas Instruments, etc.), the largest employment base is provided by the insurance industry (Blue Cross Blue Shield, GEICO, State Farm, etc.). As you can imagine, Richardson has the retail, restaurants and housing options to support all these heavyweight corporations.

What You’ll See:

• Lots of flex office space
• Large warehouse options
• Some new construction (mostly large box)
  
  

Garland

Located a few miles northeast of Dallas is Garland, perhaps the low-cost provider of corporate space in the DFW area. Named 2nd Best City in Texas in 2017, Garland offers families and businesses great shopping, dining, entertainment and a historical downtown that’s perfect for walking around. Also, since it borders on the eastside of Lake Ray Hubbard, it’s great for the outdoor types.

What You’ll See:

• More economical space options
• Mix of older, small industrial spaces and big box
• Fewer options for office flex space
  
  

Las Colinas/Irving

Home to many Fortune 500 companies, as well as the largest equine sculpture in the world (the Mustangs at Las Colinas), Las Colinas (in Irving) is of the first master-planned developments in the United States and once the largest mixed-use development in the Southwest. With major freeways running right through it (SH 183, LBJ/I-635, SH 114 and the President George Bush Turnpike) – and part of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport being inside city limits – Las Colinas is great for getting stuff (and people) in and out.

What You’ll See:

• Newer construction
• Mix of all kinds of industrial/warehouse spaces
• Mix of flex space
• Mix of dock heights and grade levels
  
  

Plano

With a slew of new residents like Toyota and Liberty Mutual, Plano has become the country’s go-to corporate headquarters city. This means world-class business parks and amenities, improved infrastructure and, as it relates to this article, a nice inventory of office, flex and industrial space. It also helps that everything is just north of Dallas and surrounded by major freeways.

What You’ll See:

• More new construction options
• Slightly higher pricing than Las Colinas/Irving
• Good mix of warehouse and flex office space
• Big-time entertainment, restaurant, hotel and residential developments
  
  

Lewisville

With business headquarters, plenty of warehouses, about 100,000 residents and more than its fair share of auto dealerships, Lewisville is thriving. Lewisville's lakeside location has made it second in the nation in overall boat sales, too.

What You’ll See:

• Plenty of dock height warehouses, especially along I-35E/Stemmons
• Lots of newer properties
• Mix of flex office space
• Old Town offers lower-end industrial metal buildings

We hope you have found this brief tour of the top industrial and warehouse commercial space neighborhoods in the Dallas area to be helpful. And congratulations on moving out of the garage.