DART was created in 1983 to replace a municipal bus system and funded expansion of the region's transit network through a sales tax levied in member cities.

[5] DART was created on August 13, 1983, as a regional replacement for the DTS (Although the name "Dallas Area Rapid Transit" was intended to reflect the new agency's coverage of the greater Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, its acronym DART almost immediately evoked comparisons to San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit system, known as BART).

[6][7] In 1985, member cities Carrollton and Farmers Branch held elections to pull out of DART, though the measures failed.

When Dallas officials protested, DART president and executive director Gary Thomas—who had known about the shortfall for at least eight months—announced the agency would borrow more money.

The overhaul, branded as DARTzoom, was intended to improve the bus system's service reach, frequency, and hours of operation.

DARTzoom saw many short or low-use routes consolidated or removed, and bus stops were re-organized to be a constant distance apart.

The system utilizes custom-built Kinki Sharyo SLRV vehicles, which are electrically powered and feature level boarding in the center segment of the car.

[16] After several cities (specifically Duncanville, Grand Prairie, and Mesquite) voted not to join the agency and a 1988 bond plan to fund the system failed, DART settled on a pared-down system, consisting of 66 miles (106.2 km) of light rail and 18 miles (29 km) of commuter rail.

As of the third quarter of 2024, the TRE has 4,100 average weekday boardings, making it the 17th-most ridden commuter rail system in the U.S.[3] The Silver Line is a proposed 26-mile (42 km) commuter rail service that will run between Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Plano along a former St. Louis Southwestern corridor.

The line, first proposed as part of DART's original 1983 rail plan, is currently under construction and is expected to commence service by 2026.

[25] The A-train is a 21-mile (34 km) commuter rail service connecting Denton and Lewisville to DART member Carrollton.

[26] The A-train connects with DART's Green Line at Trinity Mills station, which allows further travel to downtown Dallas.

In 1998, the agency began using liquefied natural gas buses alongside them as part of a broader environmental initiative.

[35] In 2023, DART ordered an additional Proterra bus, this time a ZX5 Max, as a trial for long-range electric buses; it is currently used on route 20 (Northwest Highway).

DART runs its bus system similar to the hub-and-spoke model some airlines use, with specified bus-only facilities that serve as timepoints and transfer locations for multiple routes.

[37] DART On-Call East Plano In February 2018, GoLink was introduced as a modernized on-demand service, similar to ridesharing apps.

The service was developed in association with Uber; riders are given the choice between hailing an UberPool and a vehicle from DART's own fleet (both at the same fare).

Trips can be scheduled in 34 zones throughout DART's service area, each of which connect to designated rail and bus stations.

Service is available from 5 AM to midnight every day, except for the Inland Port Connect zone in southern Dallas County, which is only available from 5 AM to 8 PM on weekdays.

Patrons with physical, cognitive, or visual disabilities can schedule curb-to-curb trips to nearby passenger facilities, such as park-and-rides or rail stations.

If the disabilities are severe enough that the patron cannot use DART's rail or bus services at all, they are able to schedule trips to any location within the member cities.

[39] A non-ADA demand-response service, dubbed DART Rides, is available for elderly or disabled residents of Carrollton, Dallas, Plano, and Rowlett, as well as certain ZIP codes in Addison, Farmers Branch, and Irving.

[40] Collin County Transit provides curb-to-curb service to elderly, disabled, and low-income residents of Celina, Lowry Crossing, McKinney, Melissa, Princeton, and Prosper for a fixed fare.

Overall, DART is one of the lowest-performing transit systems in the U.S., when measured against comparable peer cities, for number of passenger trips, operating cost per mile, and fare recovery rate.

[48] In 2022, about 3% of DART's operating income came from passenger fares, compared to 61% from local sales taxes and 18% from COVID-19 relief grants.

[50] In 2012, a court ruled that DART could exceed this limit so long as the debt is not solely backed by sales taxes.

The Inland Port Connect GoLink, a partnership between DART and STAR Transit, operates in southeast Dallas County, including Hutchins.

The Inland Port Connect GoLink, a partnership between DART and STAR Transit, operates in southeast Dallas County, including Lancaster.

[41] STAR Transit operates the COMPASS shuttle, which connects Mesquite High School and DART's Lawnview station, as well as a curb-to-curb service.