Ovilla is a city in northern Ellis County, Texas, with a small portion extending into Dallas County, about 20 miles south of downtown Dallas. Its population was 4,304 at the 2020 census. Ovilla is the oldest town in Ellis County, founded in 1844 as a fortified settlement on Red Oak Creek, when settlers gathered for protection from raids. It grew around the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church, whose brush-arbor meetings drew the area's early families. For most of its history Ovilla remained a small farming community. It incorporated in 1963 specifically to preserve its identity from annexation by neighboring cities, a decision that has allowed it to keep a semi-rural character even as the Dallas–Fort Worth suburbs grew toward it. Today the city straddles the Ellis–Dallas county line and retains a blend of larger lots, custom homes, and open space, with suburban growth pressing in from nearby DeSoto, Cedar Hill, and Midlothian. Ovilla's school assignments reflect its split geography: most of the Ellis County portion falls within the Red Oak Independent School District, with some areas in Midlothian ISD, while the Dallas County portion is divided between Cedar Hill and DeSoto school districts. This multi-district arrangement is a distinctive feature for families evaluating the area. The city's location gives it convenient access to Interstate 35E and U.S. Route 67, putting downtown Dallas and the employment centers of the southern Metroplex within reach while preserving a quieter, more spacious way of life. For homebuyers, Ovilla offers historic roots, larger lots, and a rural feel inside one of the nation's largest metro regions.