What's Being Built in Kaufman County Right Now?

Short answer: a lot. Kaufman County is adding thousands of new homes in places like Forney, Heartland and Terrell, along with a hospital, big-box retail, warehouses and highway work on US 80 and FM 548. It was the third-fastest-growing county in the whole country from 2024 to 2025. (U.S. Census Bureau)

Here's what's actually underway, with a source for every piece. (Sources checked Oct 12, 2026.)

How fast is Kaufman County growing?

Fast. The Census Bureau estimates 209,235 people lived here on July 1, 2025, up from 145,337 in April 2020. That's about 44% growth in five years. (Census QuickFacts)

From 2024 to 2025 alone the county grew 5.7%, ranking third nationally among counties with 20,000+ people. (Census Bureau, Vintage 2025)

New master-planned communities

Meraki (Forney). Tellus Group is building a 2,700-home community on nearly 1,100 acres just north of US 80. (Bisnow) Westfield Homes said its homes there would be available starting summer 2026, and students are zoned to North Forney High School. (Westfield Homes / PR Newswire)

Gateway (Forney). The larger Gateway development covers about 2,000 acres between US 80 and I-20, with Forney ISD's Willett Elementary inside the Gateway Parks neighborhood. Ashton Woods lists Phase 2 of Gateway Parks as opening fall 2026. (Ashton Woods)

Devonshire (Forney). An amenity-heavy community near US 80 and FM 548 in Forney ISD, with a clubhouse, pool, trails and an amphitheater. (Ashton Woods)

Windmill Farms (Forney area). Planned for about 7,000 units on 3,800+ acres. (BGE, Inc.)

Heartland (Crandall ISD). Still building, with on-site Crandall ISD schools including Dietz Elementary and Heartland Middle School. (Pacesetter Homes)

Terra Nova (Terrell). In April 2026, Terrell approved the construction plat for the first phase of this 1,550-acre community near FM 245 and Griffith Road: 423 home lots to start, and 3,600 single-family homes plus 1,200 multifamily units at full build-out. First model homes are expected in early 2027. (Bisnow)

Road projects: US 80, FM 548 and more

TxDOT's latest Kaufman County sheet lists seven active projects, about $334 million in total. (TxDOT Dallas District) The big ones:

• US 80, Lawson Rd. to FM 460: freeway rebuild and bridge replacement, 93% complete and scheduled to wrap around September 2026.
• FM 548, Windmill Farms to US 80: widening to 6 lanes, running Oct. 2025 to Aug. 2028.
• US 175 at the FM 148 Bypass (Crandall area): interchange improvement, 95% complete.
• Spur 557, US 80 to I-20 (Terrell): resurfacing through Nov. 2026.

What's next on US 80: TxDOT has planned the reconstruction and widening of US 80 from FM 460 east to Spur 557, plus Spur 557 down to I-20, about 12 miles through Forney and Terrell. (TxDOT public hearing) As of TxDOT's Q3 2026 list, those segments are still unfunded, so there's no construction date yet. (TxDOT planned projects)

Loop 9: only a small eastern piece touches northwestern Kaufman County near Seagoville. (TxDOT Loop 9) The segment closest to us (I-45 to I-20) has had a feasibility study, but planning is inactive for now. (TxDOT fact sheet) Don't buy expecting Loop 9 soon.

Shopping, healthcare and jobs

Village at Gateway (Forney). The Home Depot opened in November 2025, and a 139,000-square-foot H-E-B opened Feb. 4, 2026. BJ's Wholesale Club, Target, EVO Entertainment and Burlington are expected later in 2026. (Forney EDC)

Texas Health Hospital Forney. Under construction at US 80 and Reeder Road, set to open fall 2027. (Forney EDC)

Amazon in Terrell. A roughly 1.2-million-square-foot distribution center at 3201 Airport Road, with state filings showing work from Aug. 2026 to Aug. 2027. (TDLR filing) Amazon has said it's still in early planning and the project is expected to bring 1,000+ jobs. (Dallas Morning News)

More industrial. VanTrust's Terrell Logistics Center at US 80 and Spur 557 is targeting completion in Q2 2027. (VanTrust) In Forney, the 113-acre Forney Logistics Center by Seefried Properties went to Planning and Zoning for a final plat in September 2026. (City of Forney)

Data center near Talty. Flexential bought 110 acres and plans a three-building campus, with site work expected in early 2027. Forney's council has directed staff to draft zoning changes to prohibit new data centers in city limits. (NBC 5 DFW)

What this means for buyers and sellers

Buyers: you have a lot of new-construction choices, and more are coming. Ask which school each community is zoned to, check road plans near the lot (especially along US 80 and FM 548), and compare new builds against resale homes nearby before you pick.

Sellers: you're competing with builders. New retail, the hospital and new jobs help the area's story, but buyers can always walk down the street to a model home. Pricing to the comps and showing what your home offers that a new build doesn't (an established yard, no construction next door) matters.

FAQ

Is Kaufman County still growing? Yes. It added an estimated 11,000+ people from July 2024 to July 2025. (Census Bureau)

When will US 80 be widened through Forney and Terrell? The Lawson Rd. to FM 460 section is nearly finished. The segments east of FM 460 are still unfunded, so no start date has been set. (TxDOT)

When does the Forney hospital open? Texas Health Hospital Forney is scheduled for fall 2027. (Forney EDC)

Is Loop 9 coming to Kaufman County? Only a small piece would reach the county, and planning on that segment is inactive right now. (TxDOT)

Thinking about buying or selling in Kaufman County?

Text Dylan at 972-951-6987. I'll walk you through which communities, schools and road projects matter for the homes you're looking at.

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Serving Rockwall County, Kaufman County and the greater DFW area.

Dylan Hernandez, Team Leader, DH Real Estate Group | Real Broker, LLC | TREC #0787987. Texas law requires all license holders to provide the Information About Brokerage Services and Consumer Protection Notice. Dylan Hernandez, Loan Officer, NMLS #2681224 | One Real Mortgage, NMLS #198414. Equal Housing Opportunity. This is general information, not a commitment to lend or legal advice.