Field notes
- Dallas 311 handles non-emergency city service requests 24 hours a day.
- The sanitation department publishes collection schedules and recycling rules by address.
- DART’s GoPass app plans trips and sells passes.
Moving to Dallas involves the usual boxes and leases, plus a few local systems worth learning in the first weeks: how to reach the city, when your trash goes out, how to ride transit and where the parks and trails are. This checklist covers those first, then helps you compare neighborhoods.
Your first-month checklist
- Save the city’s 311 number — Dallas 311. Non-emergency city services, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Find your trash and recycling day — Sanitation Services. Collection schedules and recycling rules are listed by address.
- Set up water service and billing — Dallas Water Utilities. Water bills are handled by the city’s water department.
- Get a library card — Dallas Public Library. Branches across the city, events and an online catalog.
- Install DART’s GoPass app — DART. Plan trips and buy passes on your phone.
Dallas 311
The city’s sanitation department describes Dallas 311 as access to non-emergency city services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can call 3-1-1 or submit a request online for missed collections, roll cart repairs and other issues, and check the status of a request afterward. Learn it early; it is the city’s front door for most everyday problems.
Trash and recycling
Dallas Sanitation Services offers a tool to find your personalized collection schedule, see which items are recyclable and sign up for collection alerts. The department also notes that the city’s 2026-27 budget introduces a tiered residential rate with separate rates for curbside and alley service, effective February 1, 2027, so check which service your street has.
Tip: Sign up for collection alerts the week you move in. It is the easiest way to learn a new pickup day without missing it.
Getting around
DART runs buses, light rail, GoLink on-demand service, paratransit, the Dallas Streetcar and, with Fort Worth, the Trinity Railway Express. Its GoPass app plans trips in real time and sells passes, and registered GoPass Tap cards or contactless bank cards get fare capping, so you pay the best fare for the trips you take. DART also offers a 50% discount GoPass Tap card for riders who qualify. Rail is most useful for downtown, the Arts District and events; for many neighborhoods a car is still the norm.
How to choose a neighborhood
- Commute first: test the drive or transit trip at rush hour before signing a lease.
- Look for a trail nearby. Dallas Parks lists linear trails such as the Katy Trail, Northaven Trail and Preston Ridge Trail that connect parks, neighborhoods and transit.
- Check the closest park and recreation center; the city lists dozens of parks, plus eleven off-leash dog parks.
- Visit on a weekday evening and a Saturday morning; the feel can change a lot.
Three ways to live in Dallas
Some newcomers want walkable streets near downtown, where the Arts District, Klyde Warren Park and the Farmers Market are a walk away; see Dallas Arts District Guide: Museums, Concert Halls and How to Plan a Day. Others want a neighborhood with history and character, such as Oak Cliff across the river or the area around Deep Ellum; see Best Dallas Neighborhoods to Explore: Where to Start and What You Will Find. Families often start from parks and trails, and the 9.4-mile loop around White Rock Lake is a common draw; see Dallas Parks and Trails: The Best Walks, Rides and Nature Paths in the City.
Summer and storms
North Texas summers are long and hot. Plan moves and outdoor errands for early morning, keep water in the car, and learn which room in your new home is best for shelter during severe storms. Outdoor plans change quickly in spring, so it helps to know a few indoor options too; see Dallas on a Rainy Day: Museums and Indoor Places Worth the Trip.
Meeting the city
The fastest way to feel at home is to use the free public places. Klyde Warren Park runs free programming most days, the Dallas Museum of Art has free general admission, and the Dallas Public Library hosts events at its branches. Our Free Things to Do in Dallas: Museums, Parks, Trails and Markets That Cost Nothing lists more.
If someone in your household needs extra help
DART’s paratransit service is a shared-ride, door-to-door option for people with disabilities who cannot use buses or trains and meet DART’s certification criteria. Riders who qualify can also apply for reduced fares. For dog owners, the city’s Dog Park Hotline and Rain Out Line at 214-614-6711 says whether its eleven off-leash dog parks are open after storms.
Local history is a good introduction to your new home too. The Handbook of Texas traces the city to John Neely Bryan’s settlement on the Trinity River in 1841 and to the railroads that arrived in 1872 and 1873.
Finally, keep a short list of the official sites you will use most: Dallas 311, Sanitation Services, Dallas Water Utilities, the Dallas Public Library and DART. Rules, rates and schedules change, and the city’s own pages are always the most current source.