Pelican Bay

Welcome to Pelican Bay, TX! Located about seventeen miles northwest of Fort Worth in the northwestern corner of Tarrant County, Pelican Bays is a small community along Eagle Mountain Lake. The town was born of one man’s desire to build a friendly community.

In 1970, Olen Yandell owned a struggling dairy farm called the Circle-Y, just north of Azle, off FM 730, next to Eagle Mountain Lake. On the land that his 150 cows grazed, Yandell envisioned “A retirement community, but not just a retirement community. I just wanted it to be a friendly place with nice people,” said Yandell.

Yandell named his 148-acre development Pelican Bay, after Pelican Island, southeast of the shore. The early settlers of Pelican Bay were governed by a homeowners association, until the need for better roads and law enforcement led to a series of petition drives and, eventually, an incorporation election. Over the objections of Fort Worth and Azle – which saw the community as a target for expansion – residents voted by a 3-1 ratio to become a city.

Today, Pelican Bay still looks a lot like it did in the early days with a mix of site built and manufactured homes. Long time residents have raised multiple generations here at the ‘Bay’ and more recent residents have discovered this secret oasis outside the Metroplex. The city park has been remodeled with a new playground, a swim beach was opened at the lake on leased land and other projects are in the works. Pelican Bay is a friendly place to live with nice people.

The City of Pelican Bay is served by the Azle Independent School District [AISD].