Target Corp. is preparing to open its first location in Little Elm next month, adding a 148,000-square-foot retail space to the community. The store will be situated at 26550 E. University Drive, located along the U.S. 380 corridor near the boundary between Little Elm and Aubrey. Little Elm is about 12 miles east of Denton.
The retailer plans to operate the new facility daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and expects to hire roughly 200 employees. This opening marks one of two new Target locations scheduled to debut in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during July. The second store will open in Forney at 11520 E. U.S. 80.
The Little Elm project is a component of Target’s broader $5 billion capital investment strategy for 2026. That plan includes the construction of 30 new stores and the renovation of 130 existing locations across the company’s network. The expansion aligns with significant demographic shifts in the region, as Little Elm’s population has grown to nearly 70,000 residents, representing an increase of more than 40 percent since 2020.
Target currently maintains a substantial presence in North Texas, ranking as the third-largest owner of retail space in the region. According to CoStar data, the company controls approximately 7.15 million square feet of retail property across more than 40 locations in the area. The retailer has also noted its economic impact through charitable contributions, stating that it provided over $27.3 million in product and cash donations statewide in 2025.
