Plano [key], city (1990 pop. 128,713), Collin co., N Tex., less than 20 mi (32 km) NE of Dallas; inc. 1873. In a farm and livestock area on the blackland prairie, Plano is a booming financial and commercial center, with headquarters of many large national corporations. Among its manufactures are plumbing supplies; paper, medical, and metal products; cable; and communications equipment. The city was reached by railroad in 1872 but was almost destroyed by fire in 1881. Major urban growth began in the 1970s; large office complexes and housing developments were constructed in the late 20th cent. as the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area burgeoned. Plano remains one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities.
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