Ferris is a city located in Ellis County and Dallas County, Texas, about 20 miles south of downtown Dallas along the Interstate 45 corridor. With a population of 2,788 at the 2020 census and continued growth since, Ferris occupies a position on the expanding southern edge of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, combining a long local history with a rapidly evolving commuter character. The city's identity was built on agriculture and brickmaking. Ferris was long known as the "brick capital of the nation," with four brick plants operating during the 1950s and abundant local clay deposits supporting a thriving brick industry from the late nineteenth century onward. Agriculture complemented brickmaking as the backbone of the local economy for generations, and the town grew as a small commercial center for the surrounding Ellis County farmland. Ferris's trajectory has shifted decisively toward commuter growth. Its position on Interstate 45, a major route into downtown Dallas, has made it increasingly attractive to households seeking a smaller-town environment with direct access to the metroplex's jobs and amenities. The population has risen notably in recent years as new residential development has arrived, yet the city retains its small-town framework of schools, churches, and civic institutions. The Works Progress Administration even built the former Ferris School in the late 1930s, a reminder of the town's deeper civic roots. Public education is provided by the Ferris Independent School District, which serves the city and surrounding portions of Ellis County and southern Dallas County. For households looking for a Dallas-area home base with space, history, and highway access, Ferris represents the kind of once-rural community now being reshaped by metropolitan growth.