Mesquite is positioned at the crossroads of four major highways (Interstates 30, 635, 20, and U.S. Route 80), making locations such as downtown Dallas, Lake Ray Hubbard, Dallas Love Field, and DFW International Airport accessible.

[6] In 2016, Mesquite received a Playful City USA designation[7] for the fourth year in a row.

[11] Companies and institutions with a major presence in the city are the United Parcel Service, Sears, AT&T, Charter Spectrum, Eastfield College, Ashley Furniture,[12] and FedEx.

[13][12] Centuries before American settlers moved into the area, Mesquite was an open prairie land and a key trading ground for indigenous peoples.

[14] The city of Mesquite was founded on March 14, 1878, on land along the Texas & Pacific Railway, which ran from Dallas to Shreveport, Louisiana.

Bass missed the $30,000 hidden by the express agent in the unused pot belly stove.

[15] Mesquite prospered through the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a farming community, growing cotton, hay, corn, and sugarbeets, and using the railroad to ship raw goods.

The town remained predominantly agrarian until after World War II, when the suburban boom took root in Mesquite.

[13] By 1970, the LBJ Freeway (I-635) was constructed, connecting Mesquite to its neighbors, Garland to the north and Balch Springs to the south.

The mall was used by director Ron Howard to film portions of the movie Cotton Candy in 1978.

By 1998, the facility was expanded to include a convention center, exhibition hall, and a Hampton Inn and Suites.

The measure had been considered several times for many years, but was always blocked by strong protest against the proposed sales.

It was one of the few cities without beer and wine sales in eastern Dallas County before the law came into effect.

In June 2015, the Mesquite Arts Center added a Freedom Park exhibit, in memorial of September 11.

Located at the lower end of Tornado Alley, Mesquite and the rest of Dallas–Fort Worth are prone to extreme weather.

The largest Christian body in the city is the Catholic Church, served by the Diocese of Dallas (19.6%), followed by Baptists (13.2%), Methodists (4.8%), Pentecostals (3.1%), Presbyterians (1.6%), Episcopalians (1.0%), Latter-Day Saints (1.0%), Lutherans (0.7%), and 12.4% from another Christian faith including the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern-rite Catholic churches.

[25] Their settlement, one of the earliest of the Indian Americans in the DFW area, was influenced by proximity to Dallas-based hospitals such as Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and Parkland Hospital, as well as having initial low income and difficulties moving to mostly white northern suburbs.

[26] The second-largest religion in Mesquite is Islam (3.6%) followed by Judaism (0.7%), and eastern faiths including Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism (0.9%).

[30] The hike and bike trail system consists of 4.25 miles of concrete trails and sidewalks, three trailheads, and other improvements that connect residents from their homes to the Mesquite Golf Club, schools, recreation centers, sports fields, shopping, and more.

Operated by the City of Mesquite, the course is open seven days a week and features a pro shop and driving range.

While another small area in Kaufman County is within the Forney Independent School District, the section has no residents.

The Mesquite Independent School District operates KEOM, a high-school sports and classic-hits radio station.

[39] Mesquite Metro Airport is popular among transient aircraft due to its location near Dallas and favorable fuel prices.

Mesquite is not a member of Dallas Area Rapid Transit, but on April 12, 2011, the DART Board changed its policy to permit DART to contract with nonmember cities for services, such as passenger rail and express service.

The city and DART staffs have developed a coordinated plan to have a weekday commuter service in operation between the Hanby Stadium visitor parking lot and the DART's Green Line Lawnview Station.

[41] Union Pacific Railroad operates an intermodal facility for its freight rail service as part of the Skyline Industrial Park.

The recent expansion of this intermodal facility won a Silver award in the Industrial Paving Category by the American Concrete Pavement Association.