Rio Vista is a small city in southern Johnson County, Texas, in North Central Texas about seven miles south of Cleburne, the county seat, and roughly 20 miles south of Fort Worth. Its population was 1,008 at the 2020 census, and the town covers about one square mile within a surrounding landscape of farms, pasture, and scattered rural homes. The city's location places it at the southern edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex's influence, close enough for commuting but far enough to retain a distinctly rural, small-town character. The town was founded in 1885, and its name is Spanish for "River View," a reference to its setting near the Nolan River, a tributary of the Brazos River. The city's area drains toward the Nolan, and the river and its associated bottomland are part of the community's geographic identity. Like many North Central Texas towns, Rio Vista developed around a rail and agricultural economy before gradually becoming a residential community tied to the larger metro region. Today Rio Vista functions as a quiet, family-oriented community with a rural-suburban mix. Public education is provided by the Rio Vista Independent School District, a small rural district based in the city whose boundaries extend into a portion of northern Hill County. The schools anchor community life, and the district's small scale keeps families closely connected. The community's appeal lies in the balance it offers: a small-town pace and open countryside, with the employment and amenities of Fort Worth and the metroplex within commuting distance. State Highway 174, U.S. Highway 67, and the Chisholm Trail Parkway provide the principal connections north toward Cleburne and the larger cities, while the rural roads south and west lead toward the Brazos River valley and Lake Whitney.