PLANO

city, Collin and Denton counties, northern Texas, U.S., located about 16 miles (26 km) northeast of Dallas. It is situated in a region of blackland prairie and was first settled (184546) by a group called Peters' Colony. The community, originally called Fillmore, was granted a post office in 1851, and its name was changed to Plano. The railroad reached Plano in 1872, and, although the town was almost destroyed by fire in 1881, it continued to develop as a small agricultural centre in the midst of a cotton-producing and cattle-raising area. Plano's main population growth began in the 1960s. It is a financial and commercial centre, and its manufactures include compact discs, printed materials, metals, satellite communication equipment, and bakery equipment. Inc. 1873. Pop. (1990) 128,713.