Little Elm, Texas

Lakeside Living 

Leading Strategic Development for “The Town with a Lake Attitude” 

For those unfamiliar with Little Elm, Texas, the town’s slogan says it best: “The Town with a Lake Attitude.” With 66 miles of shoreline and a vibrant, community-driven spirit, Little Elm has evolved from a modest settlement into a thriving municipality of more than 60,000, people, without losing its home-town charm.  

“It’s fun, it’s high quality of life, it’s laid back, and there’s a strong community spirit,” says Jeanette Espinosa, Executive Director of Economic Development and Chamber of Commerce. “It’s centered around an exciting, growing population and an enjoyable lake.” The lake is both the centerpiece and the catalyst for much of Little Elm’s development, shaping not only recreation but also tourism, economic priorities, and the town’s overall vision for the future. 

Fostering engagement in a growing population 

For Matt Mueller, Town Manager, the “hometown feel” isn’t about size, it’s about connection. “To a core, hometown feel means connection. That’s something our group has been very intentional with for decades,” he says. Mueller has witnessed the community grow from roughly 25,000 residents when he arrived 13 years ago to more than 60,000 today. Two decades earlier, the population hovered around 5,000. Such rapid change brings opportunity, but it also requires a deliberate approach to community-building. 

Maintaining close ties amid that growth means creating intentional touchpoints with residents. The town invests heavily in engagement, through neighborhood gatherings, festivals, and parks programming, ensuring that the personal connections at the heart of small-town life aren’t lost. “We are truly a place where people live and play,” Mueller says. “And we lean into that every day.”  

With an average age of just 34, Little Elm’s residents are busy with careers and young families, which means engagement strategies need to be efficient and impactful. “We don’t mistake silence for apathy,” Mueller says. The town focuses on engagement during planning phases for significant projects, using surveys, master plans, and public meetings to gather input that directly shapes decisions. 

Drew Bailey, Director of Tourism and Communications, highlights the balancing act between welcoming visitors and supporting residents. “Our biggest economic driver is tourism, but we also have to make sure residents feel included and valued,” she says. “It’s a tricky slope, making sure we don’t neglect our residents while attracting visitors.”  

The lakefront vision 

The town’s Lakefront District is central to this strategy. Surrounded by water on three sides, it is home to the marina, largest beach in North Texas, boat ramp, shopping, dining, and entertainment venues. Mueller explains that the vision for the Lakefront District is to create a hub of quality-of-life attractions that blend leisure, dining, and entertainment. The district is designed to be as appealing to a young family spending the day at the beach as it is to a couple enjoying a night out at a local restaurant. 

Unlike some of the master-planned districts in neighboring cities, Little Elm’s Lakefront District is made up of multiple property owners. The town, its Economic Development Corporation (EDC), and private developers work together to create a cohesive experience despite the fragmented ownership. Public investment has gone into infrastructure, including roads, utilities, and park amenities. Private partners have brought in mixed-use developments, restaurants, and the privately operated marina, which functions under a concession agreement with the town. “It’s about attracting residents and regional visitors to boost our economic engine,” Mueller says, noting that the mix of public and private contributions creates a more prosperous and more sustainable development pattern. 

Diversification and strategic growth 

While the lake shapes much of Little Elm’s identity, the town is also home to significant industry. Its manufacturer, Retractable Technologies, Inc. (RTI), produces medical syringes and has been a strong community partner. “COVID was good for them; we did our third expansion during that time,” Espinosa notes. RTI received a large federal grant to reshore production from overseas, and the town is now working with the company to attract complementary research and development operations on an adjacent 22-acre parcel. The goal is to maximize the site’s potential through flexible options such as ground leases, build-to-suit arrangements, or leasing out newly built space. 

Still, Little Elm’s geography presents limits. With much of the land already developed or occupied by the lake, there is limited space for large-scale industrial or office campuses. This reality has led the EDC to prioritize sales-tax-generating retail development. “We want to provide goods and services locally, so residents don’t have to leave town,” Mueller says. Reducing sales tax leakage strengthens the local economy while enhancing convenience for residents. 

Tourism is another pillar of the town’s economic strategy. Little Elm has hosted major music acts, filmed high-profile commercials, and brought in large-scale attractions such as the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience, which drew 240,000 visitors from 48 states and multiple countries in a single season. “We go after large-scale, multi-day events, often in the off-season, to keep our businesses thriving year-round,” Bailey says. Scheduling major attractions between October and February helps restaurants our hotel and Airbnb operators maintain steady business outside of the lake’s peak summer months. 

Standing out in competitive region 

In the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, competition for attention, investment, and visitors is fierce. “If you took Little Elm and put it in the middle of nowhere, we’d be the shining star for hundreds of miles,” Mueller says. “But here, we’re among some of the best communities in the nation.” This reality has informed the town’s strategy for more than a decade. Rather than trying to replicate what larger neighbors have—such as major highway access or sprawling corporate parks—Little Elm focuses on its distinct advantages. 

The lake and its 66 miles of shoreline provide the foundation for a lifestyle that is both marketable and deeply rooted in place. “Quality of life is the product we can sell,” Mueller says. “We want to be the ‘live, play’ community—where people come for the lifestyle, then stay for the opportunities.”  

Strengthening utilities for long-term 

Supporting the town’s growth requires ongoing investment in infrastructure. One of the top priorities is expanding water and sewer capacity on the west side of town. Robust utility projects over the next few years will secure capacity for future development while ensuring current service levels remain strong. Securing a long-term water contract with the town’s wholesale provider is another key objective. 

Roads present their challenges. The lake interrupts a traditional grid system, and many key thoroughfares are state or county roads outside of direct town control. Little Elm collaborates with these agencies to improve mobility and accessibility, ensuring that visitors can easily reach the town’s attractions. 

Full life-cycle housing 

Housing diversity is another area where Little Elm has made significant strides. Once known primarily for starter homes, the town has expanded its offerings to include apartments, move-up homes, senior living communities, and workforce housing. “We want to be a full lifecycle community,” Mueller says. “If someone wants to make Little Elm their home, they can do it from their first to their last home.”  

Building a safe and scenic community 

Parks and recreation are central to the town’s appeal and identity. The recently updated Parks and Recreation Open Space Master Plan outlines priorities for future investment, focusing on large community and regional parks that can host major events. A recent $11 million park project on the lake includes three pavilions, a lakeside playground, and 19 day-use shelters, creating a space that blends recreation with scenic beauty. 

Public safety is deeply integrated into this quality-of-life approach. Over the past decade, the police department has grown from about 30 officers to 108, and the fire department has expanded from two stations and 30 firefighters to four stations and more than 90 personnel. “We blend our departments, we’re not siloed,” Mueller says. “Events, safety, parks, they all depend on each other.” This integrated approach ensures that public safety, infrastructure, and recreation all work together to create a seamless experience for residents and visitors alike. 

Protecting natural assets 

As a newer town, Little Elm benefits from modern building and energy efficiency standards that many older cities must retrofit into their infrastructure. Streetlights are already LED, and building codes emphasize energy conservation. Stormwater quality is a high priority given the town’s downstream location, with the drainage department working to ensure that runoff entering the lake is clean. 

Planning and zoning requirements, tree preservation ordinances, and green space protections help prevent overdevelopment from erasing the natural beauty that makes Little Elm unique. “We’re not going to tear down paradise to pave a parking lot,” Mueller says, noting that environmental stewardship is both a moral responsibility and a competitive advantage. 

Staying focused, building momentum 

The town’s strategic direction has remained consistent since 2013, and leaders are focused on completing that vision over the next three to five years. Mueller says the priorities include a thriving, bustling Lakefront District with new businesses and restaurants, a more diverse economy that balances property tax with sales tax revenues, continued growth in resident engagement programs, and expansion of quality-of-life amenities from parks to events. Underlying it all is a commitment to ensuring that Little Elm remains a place where people are proud to live.

At A Glance 

Who: Little Elm, Texas 

What: A rapidly growing lakeside community known for its strong sense of connection, recreational opportunities, and family-friendly atmosphere. 

Where: Located along the shores of Lewisville Lake in Denton County, Texas. 

Website: https://www.littleelm.gov/  www.lakefrontlittleelm.com