Car Insurance in Irving, TX [Cheap Rates + Best Coverage]

Although Irving, Texas is nestled in between two of the state’s largest cities, Fort Worth and Dallas, Irving is anything but overshadowed.

The bustling city of Irving has excellent art museums, a lake, a music stadium, and much more. If you are already putting together a to-do list of places you want to visit in Irving, make sure that if you are driving around you have proper coverage for your car.

If the process of searching for the perfect provider and coverage seems overwhelming, this guide is for you. We will cover everything you need to know about rates, providers, and coverages in Irving, Texas.

We will also go over crucial living information, such as the average costs of houses in the city and living expenses. Finally, we will go over important driving and living laws, so that you can avoid expensive tickets.

If you want to start comparison shopping for rates today, enter your ZIP code in our FREE online tool above.

The Cost of Car Insurance in Irving

Is the cost of car insurance ruining your yearly budget? Cars are expensive enough to maintain on their own, between the cost of gas, oil changes, and yearly upkeep.

When you add the cost of car insurance onto this, having a car can sometimes seem like an extravagant necessity. If you are looking to lower the cost of your car insurance to make owning a car more affordable, this section is for you.

We will cover how much insurance costs in Irving, as well as what effects these rates. So stick with us to find out how you can save on car insurance.

Male vs. Female vs. Age

Data USA, a major resource of city data across the U.S., lists the median age in Irving as 31.9 years. Age is an important part of how insurers determine rates, so as drivers age their rates will go down.

Most drivers over 30 years of age in Irving will be close to paying rates for 35-year-olds, which is usually the second-cheapest age bracket. Let’s take a look at Quadrant’s data on age and gender.

35-year-old drivers will pay about $6,000 less than 17-year-old drivers.

However, we want to take this age data and combine it with information on gender.

Basing rates on gender has been outlawed in  California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Montana, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and parts of Michigan.

However, since gender as a price factor hasn’t been banned in Texas, you will see rates similar to the ones listed below.

• Male Average Rate is $4,373.
• Female Average Rate is $4,125.

When you combine age and gender demographics, Irving’s average rates are as follows:

Males tend to pay more than females for car insurance, due to various research studies that show males are riskier drivers.

Cheapest ZIP Codes in Irving

Most people don’t realize that a move just a few blocks away can result in different car insurance rates. Below are the cheapest ZIP codes for car insurance in Irving.

The pricing between these ZIP codes isn’t dramatically different. A move from 75039 to 75038 will only cost a driver about an extra $300 a year.

You may be wondering why these prices change at all.

Insurers look at crime, natural disasters, and fraud in your area to determine how risky it is to cover a vehicle.

So if you move to a new neighborhood with a high number of break-ins, you’ll probably end up paying more for car insurance.

What’s the best car insurance company in Irving?

You now know a few basics about rates in Irving, but we want to dig even deeper into rates. To do this, we are going to look at rates by companies, so that you can see what the cheapest company is for your needs.

Although as we go through Quadrant’s data on companies’ rates in Irving, it’s important to remember that cheaper doesn’t always mean better. Make sure to also consider companies’ customer service and financial stability.

Right now, though, we are going to stick to looking at what different companies will charge you for car insurance in Irving.

Cheapest Car Insurance Rates by Company

Let’s start by looking at the basic rates for companies before we dive into the different factors that change rates (beyond gender and age).

How old are you? If you are under 35 years of age, it is important to shop around at different companies to find a cheaper rate. Otherwise, you could be paying thousands more than you have to.

Best Car Insurance for Commute Rates

While long commutes will cost you more because of vehicle maintenance, your insurer may also charge you more. After all, your insurer is taking on more risk the longer you are the road.

Most Texas drivers travel an average of 15,533 miles a year. This is a long commute, which means most Texas drivers are paying more than usual for car insurance.

Below, you can see which insurers have the cheapest rates for a long commute distance.

USAA has the cheapest rate for a long commute, but State Farm isn’t far behind.

Best Car Insurance for Coverage Level Rates

Need better coverage on your vehicle? If you choose an economical provider, it is easier to upgrade to a higher coverage level.

Once again, USAA and State Farm have the cheapest rates for a high level of protection. The cost to upgrade from low to high coverage at USAA costs an average of $225, which is cheap.

To put this price change in perspective, American Family charges about $1,000 to upgrade from low to high coverage.

Best Car Insurance for Credit History Rates

Do you pay off your credit card bills on time? Are you in debt? These are the questions insurers will consider as they look at your credit score. This is partly because drivers with poor credit scores are more likely to file claims after an accident.

If you have a poor or fair credit score, you may have to pay hundreds of dollars more for car insurance.

As usual, USAA and State Farm have the best rates. If you have poor credit, you can help fix your credit by signing up with a cheaper car insurance company.

Otherwise, the price you pay for car insurance could make your credit score even worse.

Best Car Insurance for Driving Record Rates

Are there any accidents on your record? Once again, how much you pay for blips on your driving record depends on the insurer.

Carefully consider what offenses you have on your record before you choose an insurer. For example, Geico has a cheaper rate for a DUI than Nationwide, but Nationwide has a cheaper rate for an accident.

So make sure to shop around depending on what your driving record, credit score, and other demographics are. Doing so could save you a significant sum on car insurance every year.

Car Insurance Factors in Irving

While you may think that your driving record or credit score are the main factors that determine your rates, insurers also use the economic position of a city and residents to set their rates.

Remember when we briefly talked about location factors in our discussion of the cheapest ZIP codes? Well, we are going to dig deeper into these location factors to show you what the economic situation in Irving is like.

This will help give you a good idea of average salaries and housing costs, which both have an impact on car insurance rates.

Metro Report — Growth and Prosperity

Brookings completed a 2019 study on the growth and prosperity in the 100 largest cities in the U.S. We looked at the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area to see where Irving ranked out of the top 100 cities.

In the first area, growth, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area ranked 27th out of 100. This is good. It means that the area’s economy and entrepreneurial activity are doing well and should continue to do well.

Let’s look at little closer at the factors that contributed to this growth rating.

• Jobs: +2.6 percent (17th of 100)
• Gross metropolitan product (GMP): +1.9 percent (62nd of 100)
• Jobs at young firms: +4.6 percent (36th of 100)

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area managed to increase its number of jobs 2.6 percent and its jobs at young firms 4.6 percent. This means that there is a good chance of being able to find a job in the city.

However, to truly make sure that the area is flourishing, we want to take a look at prosperity (wealth and income). Overall, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area ranked 86th out of 100 for prosperity.

To get a better idea of why the area ranked so low, take a look at the factors below.

• Productivity: -0.7 percent (87th of 100)
• Standard of living: -0.2 percent (87th of 100)
• Average annual wage: +0.8 percent (59th of 100)

While the area’s average annual wage went up slightly, the levels of productivity and standard of living took a slight plummet. Hopefully, the increase in growth will help counter the dip in prosperity.

Median Household Income

Since we know that the standard of living has taken a slight turn for the worse in the Irving area, we want to look at Data USA’s information on the median household income in Irving.

In 2017, Data USA reported that Irving households’ average annual income was $58,196. This is less than the U.S. average annual income ($60,336).

The good news, however, is that Irving’s average annual income in 2017 was actually a six percent increase from 2016 when the average annual income was $54,868.

Because the average cost of car insurance in Irving is $6,330, though, the average household spends about 11 percent of their income on car insurance.

If you want to know how much of your income you spend on car insurance each year, use our free calculator below.

Homeownership in Irving

Insurers care if you own a home. Homeownership suggests reliability, as homeowners are consistent in mortgage payments. Some insurers will actually offer a discount if homeowners purchase auto and home insurance at the same insurer.

Unfortunately, Data USA found that only 37.7 percent of Irving residents owned their homes in 2017.

This is a low rate of homeownership. In comparison, the national average of homeownership is 63.9 percent, almost double Irving’s rate.

However, the median value of a home in Irving is $155,200. While below the U.S. median average of $193,500, Irving’s value is still fairly expensive. This value, combined with the expense of city living, could be why homeownership is lower.

Education in Irving

Data USA found that Irving universities awarded a total of 3,843 degrees in 2016. The largest universities are:

1. North Lake College (awarded 1,397 degrees)
2. The University of Dallas (awarded 881 degrees)
3. DeVry University-Texas (awarded 695 degrees)

North Lake College is a community college, making it an affordable option for many students in the Irving area. The school offers multiple one or two-year accreditations or degrees in various fields ranging from Management to Photography.

So what degrees do students get from Irving’s universities? The most popular majors are:

1. General Studies (81.4 percent of students in 2016)
2. General Business Administration and Management (3.11 percent of students in 2016)
3. Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (2.38 percent of students in 2016)

Of course, general studies students will have to select their majors after one or two years, but this is a very popular option in Irving.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

We went over the average wage in Irving and how it differs from the U.S. average, but there are other wage discrepancies in Texas. According to Data USA, the highest paid race/ethnicity is Asians, followed by whites.

Take a look a the table below to see what the highest-paid races/ethnicities are in Texas, and how much of their wages are going to car insurance.

These are the highest-paid races/ethnicities, which means other races/ethnicities are paying much more for car insurance.

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

It’s no surprise that salaries are different for males and females. The gender wage gap is an ancient discrepancy, though hopefully, it will continue to reduce as we make strides in gender equality.

So how much more are Texas males making than Texas females?

Data USA found that while the average salary for males is $64,953, the average salary for females is only $45,959.

This nearly $20,000 difference is significant. It means that while male drivers only spend 10 percent of their salary on car insurance, females spend about 14 percent.

This wage gap can be seen in various job categories in Texas.

These wage differences mean that females will be stuck paying a higher percentage of income on car insurance. While males pay a little more because insurers consider them to be riskier drivers, the price difference barely makes a dent in the difference between salaries.

Poverty by Age and Gender

Given what we just witnessed between gender salary differences, it’s not surprising that in Irving, there are more females than males living in poverty.

According to Data USA, the largest demographic groups living in poverty in Irving are:

1. Females ages 25-34
2. Females ages 34-44
3. Males ages 6-11

Let’s take a closer look at poverty by age and gender.

Once the genders reach a wage-earning age (around 16 or 17), there are more females than males living in poverty.

In addition, 14.3 percent of the population living in poverty in Irving live below the poverty line. This is higher than the national average living below the poverty line (13.4 percent).

However, Irving’s percentage isn’t’ drastically higher, so the city doesn’t seem to have a major poverty crisis.

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Another set of demographics that Data USA measured poverty levels in is poverty by race/ethnicity. In 2017, the following amounts of people were living in poverty in Irving:

1. White (18,964 people)
2. Hispanic (18,879 people)
3. Black (5,016 people)
4. Other (5,007 people)
5. Asian (2,938 people)
6. Two or More Races/Ethnicities (1,354 people)
7. Native American (122 people)

Whites and Hispanics have the largest amount of people living in poverty by about 13,000 more people than the third-highest poverty group (Blacks).

Employment by Occupations

To avoid falling into poverty, you may be wondering what job field you can go into in Irving. Data USA found that the three most common occupations in Irving are:

1. Office and Administrative Support Occupations (17,024 people)
2. Sales and Related Occupations (11,699 people)
3. Management Occupations (11,336 people)

If you have a degree in one of these fields, there should be opportunities for you in Irving.

Driving in Irving

Are you ready to drive around Irving? While you may think you are prepared for any road, it can help to know of local road issues, tolls, and traffic laws.

Otherwise, you may find yourself taking the wrong exit or breaking a local law, costing you time or money.

So if you want to learn how to navigate Irving’s roads, keep reading for a breakdown of driving in Irving.

Roads in Irving

Since roads are what get you from point A to point B in a city, we want to start by looking at what Irving’s road layout is like. After all, Irving is nestled in between Dallas and Fort Worth, so you’ll want easy access to highways if you are planning a trip out of the city.

We also want to take a look at the road conditions in Irving to make sure you won’t have to swerve around potholes on your way to work.

Major Highways

The vast state of Texas has 25 active interstates that contribute 3,500 miles of roadway.

The major highways crossing through Irving are:

• I-635 (LBJ Freeway): Travels east/west along Irving’s northern border, providing access to Dallas to the east and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Airport to the west.
• SH-114 (John W. Carpenter Freeway):  Travels east/west through north Irving, providing easy access to both I-35E (Stemmons Freeway) and also to northwest Fort Worth.
• SH-183 (Airport Freeway): Travels east/west through central Irving, providing access east to I-35E to Dallas and the mid-cities and north Fort Worth to the west.
• Loop 12 (Walton Walker Boulevard): Travels north/south on Irving’s eastern border, merging with northbound I-35E just past Irving’s northern border.
• SH-360: Travels north/south through eastern Arlington, just west of Irving. It is easily accessible from SH-183 and travels south to I-30 (Tom Landry Freeway) and I-20 (Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway).
• SH-161 (President George Bush Turnpike): Provides quick access from SH-183 north to SH-114 and I-635 and south to Arlington on I-30.

Traveling on these highways isn’t always free, though. There are some toll roads on SH-161 (President George Bush Turnpike), which means you’ll need to bring along some spare change or invest in a TxTag.

A TxTag sticker (mounted on your windshield) pays your tolls electronically, which means that you move through toll stops faster. You will have to purchase a TxTag and put money into a prepaid account, but the initial cost of the TxTag should pay itself off.

This is because TxTag users pay the lowest toll amount, which saves money over time for frequent highway users.

Popular Road Trips and Sites

While there is plenty do in the city of Irving, sometimes its good to get out of the city for a day.

So once you’ve visited attractions like Mandalay Canal Walk in Irving, check out the list of fun road trips around Irving below.

• Christmas Lights Road Trip. This trip will take you to the best light displays in Texas.
• Haunted Cemetary Road Trip. It’s perfect for lovers of haunted houses and scary movies.
• Fall Foliage Road Trip. Take this trip to see some of the best fall scenes in Texas.
• Small Town Road Trip. Need a taste of the small-town life? Escape the big city on this road trip.

You should now have a good idea of what Irving and surrounding areas in Texas have to offer for entertainment.

Road Conditions

TRIP, a major researcher of road conditions, found that roads in the Irving area were in the following conditions:

About half of Irving’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition, which means you will see some roads in need of repair when you drive around Irving and the surrounding cities.

In fact, the conditions of the roads will end up costing you about $609 per year in vehicle maintenance costs. So make sure to budget a little aside for new tires.

Does Irving use speeding or red-light cameras?

Texas doesn’t use speeding cameras, and Governor Greg Abbot of Texas signed a bill in June 2019 that banned the use of red-light cameras.

As a result, Irving shut down its red-light cameras in June 2019.

Of course, you can still be ticketed for speeding or red-light cameras, but there won’t be cameras on intersections now, just police officers working to keep the streets safe from reckless driving.

So don’t use the lack of cameras as an excuse to speed or run red-lights.

Vehicles in Irving

Now that we’ve covered the roads in Irving, we want to take a look at what vehicle ownership in Irving is like. Doing so will help you prepare for vehicle disasters, such as vehicle theft.

It will also give you an idea of what types of vehicles Irving residents own, and what traffic is like in the city. So stick with us as we go through facts on vehicle ownership, traffic, and vehicle theft.

Irving Cars Per Household

Data USA found that in 2017, 42.5 percent of Irving residents owned two cars. The remaining 57.5 percent of Irving residents were broken up into the following percentages of car ownership:

• 29.3 percent own one car.
• 16.1 percent own three cars.
• 6.63 percent own four cars.
• 2.94 percent own five or more cars.
• 2.71 percent own zero cars.

Less than three percent of Irving residents lack cars and depend on public transportation or alternate methods.

Irving Households Without a Car

Let’s look further into households without cars, as one of the benefits of city living is easier access to public transit.

The number of households without vehicles increased slightly from 2015 to 2016.

Speed Traps in Irving

Luckily, Irving didn’t make it onto Speedtrap.org’s list of the top 10 worst Texas cities for speed traps.

However, Dallas and Fort Worth are on the list, so make sure to keep an eye out for hidden cops when you visit these cities. Of course, it is also wise to follow the speed limit in Irving. Just because Irving isn’t on the list doesn’t mean there aren’t speed traps in the city.

Vehicle Theft in Irving

According to the FBI’s 2018 crime report, there were a total of 720 vehicles stolen in Irving in 2018. Another major tracker of crime in cities is Neighborhood Scout, which lists out crimes by cities and the safest places to live.

According to Neighborhood Scout, the safest neighborhood in Irving is Ranchview Dr/N Macarthur Blvd.

Other safer neighborhoods are:

• W Royal Lane/N Belt Line Drive
• Rochelle Blvd/Hidalgo St
• Brushwood Dr/Cimarron Tri
• Market Pl/Walton Blvd
• E Royal Ln/N O Connor Blvd
• S Macarthur Blvd/W Shady Grove Rd
• N Macarthur Blvd/Waterside Dr
• N Britain Rd/E Pioneer Dr
• N Macarthur Blvd/W Northgate Dr

Living in one of these neighborhoods will help reduce the chance of your car being stolen or vandalized, as well as your chance of being the victim of a violent crime.

In Irving, residents have a one in 467 chance of being the victim of a violent crime, which is better than your chance in Texas overall (a one in 243 chance).

So just how much violent crime occurs in Irving? According to Neighborhood Scout, the violent crimes below were committed in 2018.

Irving has a low number of violent crimes, which is good. However, Irving only has a crime index rating of 18, which means Irving is safer than 18 percent of US cities.

Irving’s overall crime rate isn’t bad, but it’s still better to be safe and live in one of the better neighborhoods if possible.

Traffic

Unfortunately, traffic is something all city dwellers have to deal with on a daily basis. Insurers are aware of how much traffic is in your area, as traffic raises the risk of a crash. If you frequently drive during rush hour, insurers may raise your rates.

If you want to get an idea of what traffic in Irving is like and what risks to watch out for, keep reading.

Traffic Congestion in Irving

Irving isn’t on any major traffic scorecards, such as Inrix or TomTom, which is great news. However, Dallas and Fort Worth are listed as some of the worst cities for traffic, so you will have to deal with heavy traffic if you visit these cities.

Transportation

We covered traffic in Irving, but exactly how much time will you waste on your daily commute?

According to Data USA, the average commute time in Irving is 23.3 minutes, which is just slightly below the national average of 25.1 minutes.

This means that most Irving residents will spend a total of 46.6 minutes a day commuting to and from work.

However, an unfortunate 1.51 percent of Irving’s residents will have super commutes of 90+ minutes, meaning they will drive an average of three hours a day to and from work.

Hopefully, you belong to the first group.  Now that we know how much time you’ll spend commuting to work, we want to look at common commute methods.

• 79.1 percent of Irving residents drive alone.
• 11.5 percent of Irving residents carpool.
• 3.67 percent of Irving residents work from home.

The remaining percentage is made up of transportation methods like walking to work, taking a taxi, or riding a bike.

Busiest Highways

According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area has some of the most congested roadways in Texas.

Some of the worst congested roads are:

• Woodall Rodgers Fwy/SS 366
• US 75
• Stemmons Fwy/IH 35 E/US 77

If you are traveling on any of these roads, it is smart to allow extra time for your trip.

How safe are Irving’s streets and roads?

When we ask this question, we aren’t talking about crime. Rather, we mean how likely a crash is to occur when you drive on Irving’s roads.

To find the answer to this, we are going to look at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) data on fatalities in Irving (Dallas County). To start, let’s take a look at the overall crashes recorded over a few years.

Unfortunately, the number of fatal crashes in Dallas County did increase from 2014 to 2018. The main causes of these crashes can be found below.

In 2018, the leading cause of fatalities was single-vehicle crashes, followed by roadway departures and drunk driving. Now that we know what caused fatalities in Irving, let’s look at what type of people were killed.

Both pedestrian and pedal cyclist deaths went up significantly from 2014 to 2018.

To reduce your risk of being hit or getting into a crash, stay away from dangerous roads, especially during rush hour.

Most of the crashes in Texas occurred on arterial roads, which is a high-capacity urban road. These roads may be classified as an arterial road (highways and interstates) or a minor arterial road (handles a smaller volume of traffic). A collector arterial road gathers traffic from local roads and takes it to high traffic arterial roads.

So which highways should you watch out for in Irving? According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), railroad and highway crash incidents in Dallas County occurred in the following areas:

Irby Lane and Nursery Road have had the most crashes in the city of Irving.

Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report

Every year, Allstate uses its driving app data and claim data to determine which 200 cities have the best drivers in America.

Irving ranks near the bottom, and its rating actually dropped five places from 2018 to 2019. The average time between collisions is only seven years, which means most drivers are getting into claimable accidents less than a decade apart.

In comparison, the average claim time in the U.S. is about 10.5 years. So Irving drivers are filing more often than other cities in the U.S., which is probably why it’s near the bottom of the list.

Ridesharing

Ridesharing is readily available in many cities, providing a convenient alternative to public transportation. It’s also great for when car owners need a ride to the airport to avoid paying parking fees or are going out for a night with friends for a drink or two.

According to an area search made on RideGuru, the following rideshare options are available in the city of Irving.

• Taxi — This will generally be the cheapest option.
• Lyft — Similar, if not the same, in price to Uber.
• Uber — Costs a little more than a taxi.
• Curb — A traditional taxi cab option that costs about the same as Uber/Lyft.
• Carmel — Luxury cab service.

We want to point out that while Lyft and Uber are some of the cheaper options if you choose luxury rides from either company, it will raise the rates significantly.

E-STAR Repair Shops

It’s always a good idea to have a reputable repair shop’s number in your contacts. If you are in an accident, you’ll have someone you know and trust to repair your car, rather than scrambling for a shop last minute.

One of the ways you can find a good shop is through Esurance’s E-STAR Repair Shop program, which is just a list of reputable shops. You can search for a shop in your area with their shop locator.

To save you some time, though, here is a list of 10 E-STAR shops in and around Irving.

• Caliber Collision Centers Training
  2941 Lake Vista Drive
  Lewisville, TX 75067
  P: (949) 224-0300
• Caliber – Arlington
  926 W Division St.
  Arlington, TX 76012
  P: (817) 277-5291
  F: (972) 906-7164
• Caliber – Colleyville
  5900 Colleyville Blvd.
  Colleyville, TX 76034
  email: [email protected]
  P: (817) 788-0161
  F: (972) 906-7164
• Caliber – Dallas
  3201 Manor Way
  Dallas, TX 75235
  email: [email protected]
  P: (214) 352-4041
  F: (972) 906-7164
• Service King – Carrollton
  2309 Midway Rd.
  Carrollton, TX 75006
  email: [email protected]
  P: (972) 407-0275
  F: (800) 214-2373
• Service King – Euless
  1751 W. Airport Freeway
  Euless, TX 76040
  email: [email protected]
  P: (817) 283-0636
  F: (800) 214-2373
• Service King – Grapevine
  2601 William D. Tate Ave.
  Grapevine, TX 76051
  email: [email protected]
  P: (817) 410-7640
  F: (800) 214-2373
• Service King – Irving
  3910 W. Airport Freeway
  Irving, TX 75062
  email: [email protected]
  P: (972) 790-4509
  F: (800) 214-2373
• Service King – Lewisville
  2765 S. Stemmons Freeway
  Lewisville, TX 75067
  email: [email protected]
  P: (972) 315-6505
  F: (800) 214-2373
• Service King – Northwest Dallas
  11565 Reeder Rd.
  Dallas, TX 75229
  email: [email protected]
  P: (972) 247-1212
  F: (800) 214-2373

Weather

You’re stuck with whatever weather your city gives you, which is why it’s important to be prepared beforehand. If you’re moving somewhere with a lot of snowfall, you’ll need winter tires. Or, if the area is prone to flooding, you’ll want comprehensive coverage.

So let’s take a look at U.S. Climate Data’s information on Irving’s average weather.

The weather is warm in Irving, so heavy winter jackets probably aren’t needed. However, there have been a number of natural disasters in Dallas County (19), so you may want to consider comprehensive coverage on your vehicle (it also protects in cases of theft, vandalism, and animal collisions).

Dallas County has had the following natural disasters:

• Storms (seven)
• Hurricanes (six)
• Floods (five)
• Tornadoes (five)
• Fires (four)
• Winds (two)
• Flash Flood (one)
• Winter Storm (one)
• Other (one)

Some of these natural disasters have been assigned to more than one category, so a hurricane could also be counted in the flood category.

Public Transit

Wondering if you’ll ever need a car if you live in Irving? The city has plenty of public transportation available for residents. It is served by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

DART offers both buses, rails, and a Trinity Railway Express, which connects Irving to other cities like Dallas and Fort Worth. However, if you want to travel locally, DART buses regularly run through the city (generally every half hour or hour).

You can find DART schedules at local libraries, supermarkets, or online at the website. You can also call DART at 214-979-1111.

As for fares, basic prices are set at local, regional, and reduced rates.

Reduced fares are available for seniors (65+), people with disabilities, medicare holders, children (ages five to 14), high school students, and college students.

Alternate Transportation

Don’t want to be stuck on a bus or train all day? While Irving doesn’t have Lime or Bird rentals (these are in Dallas, though), the city does offer VBikes.

To unlock one of these bikes, you’ll need to download the VBike app. The cost to ride a bike is $2 per hour. If you find yourself using these bikes often, you may want to have a monthly membership, which is $14.95 per month for unlimited rides.

These bikes are a great way to travel short distances and get exercise at the same time, so consider trying one out next time there’s nice weather.

Parking in Metro Areas

As in all cities, street parking is operated by meters. Parking time is usually limited to a few hours unless you have a resident parking permit.

Generally, these meters can be paid with coins or a debit/credit card.

If you need to park for longer, you can park at one of many parking lots and garages in Irving. Just make sure the parking garage is in good condition.

There is also satellite parking available at major airports around Irving, such as the DFW International airport. Of course, you’ll have to pay to park your car at satellite locations, so it may be more cost-effective to take a taxi or Uber to the airport.

Have an electric vehicle?

It’s important to make sure the city you live in has plenty of charging options around the city. According to ChargeHub, there are 330 charging stations in the city.

Most of these charging stations are Level Two, though a few are Level Three. Out of the 330 stations available, 68 of them are free.

Air Quality in Irving

Poor air quality can contribute to or worsen poor health in people. Vehicles are a major source of pollutants, even though steps have been taken since the creation of vehicles to limit pollution.

Since the last thing you probably want is compromised health, we are going to go over the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) data on Irving’s air quality.

Dallas County’s air quality has grown slightly worse over a three-year period. The number of days unhealthy for sensitive groups increased, and in 2018 there were three days that were unhealthy.

If you are sensitive to air quality, this may be problematic for your health.

Military and Veterans

It can sometimes be hard for military members and veterans to find discounts on car insurance. Not all major providers offer them or are clear that there is a discount.

If you are struggling to find a military discount of a military provider, we’ve got you covered. We are going to go through everything military in Irving, from local bases to military providers. Keep reading to find out what Irving offers for service members.

Veterans by Service Period

Data USA found that the most common service periods of local veterans in Irving are:

• 1,937 Vietnam Veterans
• 1,322 Gulf War (1990s) Veterans
• 1,320 Gulf War (2001-) Veterans

There are also a small amount of Korea and WWII veterans living in Irving.

Military Bases Within an Hour

There is just one military base within an hour of Irving.

The Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base at Fort Worth “plays a pivotal role in the training and equipping of aircrews and aviation ground support personnel.”

The base is about 40 minutes from Irving, and it employs about 11,000 personnel.

Military Discounts by Providers

Need to save on car insurance? The following providers offer military discounts (we’ve excluded providers that only offer discounts in states other than Texas).

Always ask if a provider has a discount for military members. A provider may not advertise a military discount but will still offer one.

USAA

If you’re military, you’ve probably heard of USAA before. Let’s see how USAA’s rates compare to other Texas providers.

USAA has the cheapest overall rate out of the top providers in Texas. So if you are military, USAA may be worth looking into.

Unique Irving City Laws

Learning about Irving’s laws is the best way to avoid a pricy ticket, especially if you are new to the city. Since cities are allowed to make their own local laws, what was legal in your old city may be illegal in Irving.

To help you get a handle on Irving’s must-know laws, we are going to go through driving, dwelling, and parking laws.

Hands-Free Law

Texting is banned in the state of Texas, which means it’s banned in Irving too. The city doesn’t place any additional laws onto the state-wide cellphone law, which means you’ll have to follow the laws below.

• Hand-Held Ban applies to drivers in school crossing zones or public school property.
• All Cellphone Ban applies to drivers younger than 18.
• Texting Ban applies to all drivers.

Enforcement of these bans is primary. This means officers can pull over and ticket anyone they see breaking these laws.

Food Trucks

A city isn’t a city without a few food trucks parked around a block. In Irving, food trucks (called mobile food units under Irving’s ordinances) must have a permit from the city in order to operate.

To get this permit, owners must complete food safety inspections and provide plenty of paperwork. These permits are valid for one year and must be renewed annually, along with another annual food safety inspection.

Food truck owners must also make sure to park within the appropriate city zones and not park illegally (such as blocking a fire hydrant).

Tiny Home

Ready to downsize and simplify your life? First, you’ll have to make sure your tiny home meets regulations. Called a mobile home in ordinances, a tiny home is treated just like a normal home.

This means you have to hook up your tiny home to water, septic, and other necessities and pass inspection to be cleared to live in it. You’ll also have to pay taxes on your tiny home.

However, it will be much less than taxes on a normal home, making tiny homes a cost-effective housing option. In fact, some neighborhoods in Dallas (Irving’s neighbor) have used tiny homes to help alleviate Dallas’s homelessness problem.

Parking Laws

In Irving, it is illegal to park in the wrong direction on the street. So if you are parallel parking, make sure the passenger side is curbside. Otherwise, you could end up with a ticket.

Wrong direction parking is also dangerous for you, as you will have to pull into oncoming traffic to get into the spot.

If you are worried about finding parking, you can reserve a spot at a parking garage.

Irving Car Insurance FAQs

If you still have a few questions, don’t worry. We are going to go through questions others are frequently asking about Irving city living. So stick with us through this last bit to find answers to questions you may have.

How far is Irving from Dallas?

Since Dallas is a major city in Texas, you may want to pay it a visit on the weekends. Luckily, it is only about 15 minutes from the outskirts of Irving to Dallas.

If you visit during off-traffic hours, this commute may be even shorter.

Is Irving, Texas safe to live in?

Irving has a low crime rate and is safer than 18 percent of U.S. cities. Your chance of being the victim of violent crime is also only a one in 467 chance, which is pretty good.

Bottom line? Living in Irving will be safer than living in a neighboring city like Dallas.

What is Irving, Texas known for?

Irving is known for its museums, lakes, and other attractions, but it is also known for its great location. Since it is near Fort Worth and Dallas, residents can travel to either major city with ease.

What school district is Irving in?

Irving is served by the Irving Independent School District. There are also private schools in the city.

What happens if I get into a car accident in Irving?

Texas is an at-fault state, which means whoever caused the accident is liable for injury and property damage costs. So if you caused the accident, your insurer will have to pay the other driver’s medical and property bills.

As you can imagine, this will result in your insurance rates going up.

Did we answer all your questions about living and driving in Irvine in our guide? Our hope is that you feel fully prepared to move into Irving or buy car insurance.

If you want to compare car insurance rates today, use our FREE rate tool below by entering your zip code.