It is a growing, upscale community with nearly $1.5 billion in development in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, located on Lake Ray Hubbard.

The creek in turn was named for a waterway running through the property of Daniel Rowlett who moved from Kentucky to Bonham, Texas, in 1835.

Rowlett gained international notoriety in 1996 when local resident Darlie Routier was convicted of murdering her children as they slept.

In 2003, the town made an unsuccessful formal proposal to get the Dallas Cowboys to move to a 1,000-acre (4.0 km2) "5-Point Park" on the banks of Lake Ray Hubbard when the lease for Texas Stadium expires.

(Town of Greece v. Galloway)[15] Atheist proponents then asked the Rowlett City Council to be included in giving invocations.

They were denied based on the Supreme Court ruling and city policy stating the invocation should be given by members of the community's locally established religious congregations.

"[16] On the evening of December 26, 2015, a violent storm produced a deadly EF4 tornado that tore a 13-mile path from the neighboring cities of Sunnyvale, Texas and Garland, Texas through the southeast portion of Rowlett, severely damaging or destroying hundreds of homes and vehicles along with several businesses and a city water tower.

[17] On February 8, 2017, the historic water tower on Martha Lane built in 1980 was demolished two years after it suffered damage from the EF4 tornado on December 26, 2015.

[30] Automobile routes include President George Bush Turnpike, Interstate 30, and Texas State Highway 66 (Lakeview Pkwy).