Here's what city King of the Hill is based in
Arlen, Texas has a water tower, a propane dealership, an alley for standing in, and a fictional county called Heimlich. It also has a real-world blueprint, which Mike Judge has named more than once — and then somewhat complicated.
The city King of the Hill is based in is Richardson, Texas — a suburb north of Dallas, about 15 miles from downtown. Judge named it in a 2009 New York Times interview, around the time the original series ended on Fox. Garland, another Dallas suburb where he lived, is the usual second answer. The name "Arlen" itself looks like a blend of Arlington, Garland, and Allen.
"It's Richardson, a suburb of Dallas," Judge told the New York Times in 2009.
He grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has said the accents came from noticing that every adult authority figure of his childhood seemed to have a Texas one.
The towns in the mix
- Richardson — Judge's stated answer, and the one the city has run with.
- Garland — Judge lived there too; the city's own account credits it as part of the blend.
- Arlington — appears in the show as a separate place, hosting the Southwest Propane Gas Trade Show.
- Allen — another North Dallas suburb, and the closest phonetic match to "Arlen".
Richardson's mayor, Amir Omar, told Texas Monthly in 2025 that Arlen reflects his city's landscape, values, and civic culture — while conceding there's a bit of Garland in there too.
The geography doesn't hold up
The show contradicts itself. In the season 9 episode "It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Neighbor Sings", a road sign puts Bill's bus 96 miles from Dallas. Richardson is 15. Arlen's area codes and zip codes have pointed in several directions over 13 seasons, and the Brazos River and Houston both turn up regularly.
Functionally, Arlen operates as a mid-size Texas city in its own orbit — closer to a Waco or a Killeen than a commuter suburb.
What about the revival?
The Hulu continuation leans harder into North Texas than the original ever did. Season 14 premiered on 4 August 2025 and sent Hank and Peggy to the George W. Bush Presidential Center on SMU's campus in Dallas. Season 15 dropped all ten episodes on 20 July 2026, with Hank and Peggy in retirement on Rainey Street and Bobby running a business.
For the record: Arlen wasn't the first name. In early development the town was called Harlen — itself a shortening of Harlottown.