The neighborhood lies directly east of the elevated I-45/US 75 (unsigned I-345) freeway and extends to Exposition Avenue, connected to downtown by, from north to south, Pacific, Elm, Main, Commerce, and Canton streets.

The railroad junction's historical pre-eminence can still be seen in the surrounding neighborhood, sometimes also called Central Track, the name of which is derived from the rail line.

[3] These areas and the connecting downtown segment of Elm St. across the dividing, dry Trinity River bed, together, likely retain the most distinct history in Dallas.

During the period of the Great Depression in the 1930s, African Americans received assistance from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which positively influenced the area.

Although African-American neighborhoods pulled together during these hard times, some negative reports derailed their efforts by exposing African Americans’ terrible living conditions.

M (2005) said, "historical communities in Deep Ellum were leveled to the ground because excessive speculation during the period of rising interest rates had caused the 'bubble' of the real estate boom to explode of the 1970s and the 'bust' of the 1980s.

More affluent white citizens replaced the black community because of increasing property values, which drove many businesses out of Deep Ellum and into less expensive neighborhoods elsewhere.

Robert S. Munger built his first cotton-gin factory, the Continental Gin Company, in a series of brick warehouses along Elm Street and Trunk Avenue in Deep Ellum in 1888.

As the business grew to become the largest manufacturer of cotton-processing equipment in the United States, Munger expanded the factory by adding additional structures along Trunk and Elm in 1912 and 1914.

[8] As Neiman Marcus and Titche-Goettinger were catering to wealthy Dallasites a mile away in downtown, Henry Ford selected Deep Ellum in 1914 as the site for one of his earliest automobile plants.

As Conrad Hilton was building in downtown the "whites only" Dallas Hilton, (the first of his burgeoning empire), and the luxurious Adolphus Hotel was hosting Big Band luminaries such as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, the Boyd Hotel in Deep Ellum attracted numerous black musicians, such as Leadbelly and Blind Lemon Jefferson, who would become known as some of the early greats of the blues.

For a time, Deep Ellum struggled with a perception of a high crime rate that made people reluctant to visit the area.

In mid-2006, local papers had begun to report the near-demise of the neighborhood, as a large percentage of the long-time live-music venues had closed that year, leaving mostly clubs oriented more towards recorded dance music and drinking, radically altering the "vibe".

In 2007, the City of Dallas encouraged large-scale residential, multifamily dwelling construction in Deep Ellum, in hopes of making it more financially successful.

[16][17] In 2014 and 2015, several projects that improved infrastructure were undertaken, such as a comprehensive repaving of the street and road surfaces to add more parking and make the rough and worn sections of the pavement much better for vehicular and foot traffic.

Despite the decline of a decade ago, visitors can now walk down Elm Street on a weekend and witness hundreds of pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles, with dozens of venues, restaurants, storefronts, and parking lots, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A peaceful protest following the murder of George Floyd turned violent when a small group clashed with police, broke out windows, looted businesses, and set fires.

In the 1920s and 30s, the neighborhood had become a hotbed for early jazz and blues musicians, hosting the likes of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson, Robert Johnson (who recorded 27 tracks with Don Law in a nearby Vitagraph recording studio in downtown Dallas), Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter, the young T-Bone Walker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Whistlin' Alex Moore, and Bessie Smith.

[24] Sometime around World War I, Lead Belly and Blind Lemon Jefferson got together and began composing folk tunes, with Dallas often in the lyrics.

In 1969, a new elevation of Central Expressway truncated Deep Ellum, completely obliterating the 2400 block of Elm Street, viewed by many as the center of the neighborhood.

For its part, Deep Ellum on the east side of downtown near Fair Park became known as an organic, DIY breeding ground for the Dallas Art, Roots (Americana), and Punk Scenes.

[27] With the insurgence of new nightclubs and venues, Deep Ellum began to explode as a music spot, featuring local stalwarts such as The Reverend Horton Heat, Shallow Reign, Three on a Hill, and Loco Gringos, and underground regional acts such as The Flaming Lips from Oklahoma City, Butthole Surfers from San Antonio, Meat Puppets from Arizona, and True Believers (band) from Austin.

[28] Young artists such as Rhett Miller, Sara Hickman, and The Dixie Chicks frequently busked for tips on the streets and in small shops.

Local radio stations began playing demo tapes and broadcasting the live performances of "Deep Ellum Bands."

Alternative media and music weeklies such as The Dallas Observer and Buddy Magazine devoted regular columns to covering the scene.However, throughout the mid '80s, the neighborhood still faced serious safety issues, including all the usual vices (sex during the onslaught of AIDS, drugs, underage drinking) and the presence of skinheads, but as Deep Ellum continued to expand, the threats dwindled.

[29] By the 1990s, musical acts including Toadies, Erykah Badu, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, Tripping Daisy, and Old 97's began to gain prominence as not only local successes, but national stars.

Older stalwarts like Ronnie Dawson (musician) and Ray Wylie Hubbard found a new audience in venues such as Deep Ellum's Sons of Hermann Hall.

[29] Although Deep Ellum's popularity and vitality continues to wax and wane through the years, its relevance as a music hub for Dallas and the region persists.