[3] Before the arrival of settlers, various Native American peoples, including the Kichai and the Lenape, infrequently populated the area.

[5] The Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square was built in 1896, and currently houses various government offices, as well as a museum.

[13] Denton County is located in the northern part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, about 35 miles south of the border between Texas and Oklahoma.

Between 1995 and 2007, the number of natural gas wells in the county increased from 156 to 1,820, which has led to some controversy over the pollution associated with hydraulic fracturing.

[29][30] A Williams Institute analysis of 2010 census data found about 5.2 same-sex couples per 1,000 households in the county.

Justices of the peace are county officials with jurisdiction over landlord/tenant issues, small civil claims, certain misdemeanors involving fines only (no jail time), and other matters.

[35] That election was particularly contentious, with previous sheriff William B. Travis dogged by scandal,[36] and new candidate Murphree making headlines for threatening violence against transgender people.

Denton swung rapidly into the Republican column at the federal level in the 1950s and 1960s as Dallas and Fort Worth's suburbs spilled into the county.

[40] Her district at the time, the former 65th, was located entirely within Denton County, and included significant portions of Carrollton, Highland Village and Lewisville.

Beckley stepped down from the seat in 2022 to run for Lieutenant Governor, and ultimately it was won back by the Republican nominee.

[40] Despite a Republican advantage, Denton County has trended leftward, as Joe Biden managed to win 45.2% of the vote share (compared to Donald Trump's 53.3%) in the 2020 presidential election, the best result for a Democrat since 1976.