Smith County, Texas

Not to be confused with Deaf Smith County, Texas.

Smith County, Texas
County
Smith County Courthouse in Tyler
Smith County Courthouse in Tyler
Official seal of Smith County, Texas
Seal
Map of Texas highlighting Smith County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Coordinates: 32°23′N 95°16′W / 32.38°N 95.27°W / 32.38; -95.27
Country United States
State Texas
FoundedJuly 1846
SeatTyler
Largest cityTyler
Area
 • Total
950 sq mi (2,500 km2)
 • Land921 sq mi (2,390 km2)
 • Water28 sq mi (73 km2)  3.0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
233,479
 • Estimate 
(2025)
252,549 Increase
 • Density254/sq mi (97.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.smith-county.com Edit this at Wikidata

Smith County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 233,479.[1] Its county seat is Tyler.[2] Smith County is named for James Smith, a general during the Texas Revolution. Smith County is part of the Tyler metropolitan statistical area and the Tyler–Jacksonville combined statistical area.

History

Smith County veterans display, the Wall of Memories, in Tyler Plaza
Confederate States of America memorial in Tyler Plaza
Korean War Memorial in Tyler Plaza

For thousands of years, indigenous peoples occupied this area of present-day Texas. The first known inhabitants of the area now known as Smith County were the Caddo Indians, who were recorded here until 1819. That year, a band of Cherokee, led by their chief, "The Bowl" (also known as Chief Bowles), migrated from Georgia and settled in what are now Smith and Rusk counties.[3] The Treaty of Bowles Village on February 23, 1836, between the Republic of Texas and the Cherokee and 12 affiliated tribes, gave all of Smith and Cherokee counties, as well as parts of western Rusk County, southern Gregg (formed from Rusk County in 1873) and southeastern Van Zandt counties to the tribes.[4]

Native Americans remained on these lands until the Cherokee War in the summer of 1839, as part of European-American conflicts with Native Americans in Texas. The Cherokee were driven out of Smith County. In this period, Cherokee and other Native American nations were forced from the Southeast United States to west of the Mississippi River to Indian Territory during Indian Removal.

After 1845, some Cherokee returned when Benjamin Franklin Thompson, a white man married to a Cherokee, purchased 10,000 acres of land in Rusk County and allowed them to settle. The Mount Tabor Indian Community developed here,[5] some six miles south of present-day Kilgore. The community later grew and incorporated areas near Overton, Arp, and Troup, Texas.

In July 1846, Smith County separated from the Nacogdoches District and was named for James Smith, a general of the Texas Revolution. At this time, Tyler was designated as the county seat.[6]

During the American Civil War, Camp Ford was the largest Confederate prisoner-of-war camp west of the Mississippi River. Here, Sheriff Jim Reed of Collin County and Judge McReynolds, former chief justice of the district, were seized and lynched by "Regulators".

The original site of the camp stockade is now a public historic park owned by Smith County, as such it is exempted from making any County property tax contribution, and is managed by the Smith County Historical Society. The park contains a kiosk, a paved trail, interpretive signage, a cabin reconstruction, and a picnic area. To date, it has never been the site of a paid venue, nor public event. It is located on Highway 271, 0.8 miles north of Loop 323.

20th century to present

Camp Fanin, a World War II US army replacement training facility, was located in the area known as Owentown, northeast of Tyler along US Hwy 271. Many of its original buildings still exist.

The Smith County Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 1959 by individuals and business firms dedicated to discovering, collecting, and preserving data, records, and other items relating to the history of Smith County. More information can be found at the Smith County Historical Society Website.[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 950 square miles (2,500 km2), of which 921 square miles (2,390 km2) are land and 28 square miles (73 km2) (3.0%) are covered by water.[8]

The county infrastructure includes some 1,180 miles (1,900 km) of two-lane county road.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated place

  • Emerald Bay

Unincorporated communities

  • Antioch
  • Bascom
  • Blackjack
  • Bostick
  • Browning
  • Carroll
  • Copeland
  • Dogwood City
  • Elberta
  • Flint
  • Garden Valley
  • Gresham
  • Jamestown
  • Lee Spring
  • Midway
  • Mount Sylvan
  • New Harmony
  • New Hope
  • Omen
  • Owentown
  • Pine Springs
  • Pine Trail Estates
  • Red Springs
  • Salem
  • Sand Flat
  • Shady Grove
  • Sinclair City
  • Starrville
  • Swan
  • Teaselville
  • Thedford
  • Walnut Grove
  • Waters Bluff
  • Wood Springs
  • Wright City

Ghost towns

  • Burning Bush
  • Douglas
  • Utica

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18504,292—
186013,392212.0%
187016,53223.4%
188021,86332.2%
189028,32429.6%
190037,37031.9%
191041,74611.7%
192046,76912.0%
193053,12313.6%
194069,09030.1%
195074,7018.1%
196086,35015.6%
197097,09612.4%
1980128,36632.2%
1990151,30917.9%
2000174,70615.5%
2010209,71420.0%
2020233,47911.3%
2025 (est.)252,549[9] Increase8.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1850–2010[11] 2010[12] 2020[13]

Racial and ethnic composition

Smith County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[14] Pop 1990[15] Pop 2000[16] Pop 2010[12] Pop 2020[13] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 95,585 109,853 118,598 130,246 134,452 74.46% 72.60% 67.88% 62.11% 57.59%
Black or African American alone (NH) 28,059 31,289 33,129 37,195 38,003 21.86% 20.68% 18.96% 17.74% 16.28%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 233 478 562 734 746 0.18% 0.32% 0.32% 0.35% 0.32%
Asian alone (NH) 353 623 1,201 2,550 4,129 0.27% 0.41% 0.69% 1.22% 1.77%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [17] x [18] 29 63 77 x x 0.02% 0.03% 0.03%
Other race alone (NH) 99 80 119 225 695 0.08% 0.05% 0.07% 0.11% 0.30%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [19] x [20] 1,547 2,613 8,096 x x 0.89% 1.25% 3.47%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4,037 8,986 19,521 36,088 47,281 3.14% 5.94% 11.17% 17.21% 20.25%
Total 128,366 151,309 174,706 209,714 233,479 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 233,479. The median age was 37.5 years, with 24.0% of residents under the age of 18 and 17.9% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.4 males age 18 and over.[21]

As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 61.9% White, 16.5% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 9.4% from some other race, and 9.6% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 20.3% of the population.[22]

As of the 2020 census, 65.1% of residents lived in urban areas while 34.9% lived in rural areas.[23]

As of the 2020 census, there were 88,567 households in the county, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18; 49.4% were married couples, 16.6% were male householders without a spouse or partner, and 28.9% were female householders without a spouse or partner. About 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.[21]

As of the 2020 census, there were 97,539 housing units, of which 9.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.9% were owner-occupied and 35.1% were renter-occupied; the homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.0%.[21]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, Smith County had a population of 209,714, up from its 1850 population of 4,292.[12] Among its 2010 population, the racial and ethnic makeup was 62.11% non-Hispanic white, 17.74% Black or African American, 0.35% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.22% Asian alone, 0.03% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.11% some other race, 3.47% multiracial, and 17.21% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[12]

American Community Survey

At the 2021 American Community Survey, Smith County had a median household income of $63,115; its mean household income was $86,661.[24]

Among the owner-occupied housing units of the county, the median value was $169,600, and there was a median real estate tax of $2,634.[25] Owner-occupied housing units without a mortgage had a median value of $173,700 and median real estate tax of $2,203.[26]

Throughout the county, an estimated 12.51% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.[27]

Politics

Smith County is a stronghold of the Republican Party. In presidential elections, it has voted for the Republican candidate each time since 1952, and Democratic Party candidates have only managed 40 percent of the county's vote four times over that time, the most recent being Jimmy Carter in 1976. From 2000 onward, no Democrat has managed even 30 percent of the county's vote.

Smith County was one of the first areas of Texas to break off from a Solid South voting pattern. The last Democrat to carry Smith County was incumbent President Harry S. Truman in 1948.[28] The county's conservative white voters began splitting their tickets as early as the next election, when it swung from a 29-point win for Truman to a 17-point win for Dwight Eisenhower. In 1964, it rejected Democratic President and Texas native Lyndon B. Johnson in favor of Barry Goldwater, albeit by fewer than 500 votes. It was one of three East Texas counties, along with Panola and Gregg, to vote for Goldwater. At that time, most Blacks and Latinos in the county were still disenfranchised due to the state's discriminatory use of certain barriers.[29]


United States presidential election results for Smith County, Texas[30][31]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1912 485 14.93% 1,936 59.61% 827 25.46%
1916 773 22.21% 2,422 69.58% 286 8.22%
1920 707 15.13% 2,965 63.45% 1,001 21.42%
1924 1,079 18.85% 4,473 78.16% 171 2.99%
1928 3,493 59.85% 2,343 40.15% 0 0.00%
1932 750 9.15% 7,424 90.53% 27 0.33%
1936 660 8.47% 7,116 91.37% 12 0.15%
1940 1,557 14.19% 9,410 85.74% 8 0.07%
1944 936 9.81% 6,671 69.94% 1,931 20.25%
1948 3,181 28.13% 6,473 57.24% 1,655 14.63%
1952 10,947 56.40% 8,450 43.53% 13 0.07%
1956 12,255 65.21% 6,468 34.42% 69 0.37%
1960 12,042 57.84% 8,494 40.80% 285 1.37%
1964 12,960 50.88% 12,474 48.97% 38 0.15%
1968 12,079 39.51% 8,897 29.10% 9,595 31.39%
1972 23,671 74.37% 8,041 25.26% 115 0.36%
1976 22,238 56.62% 16,856 42.92% 181 0.46%
1980 28,236 64.61% 14,838 33.95% 626 1.43%
1984 40,740 72.60% 15,227 27.13% 152 0.27%
1988 34,658 64.67% 18,719 34.93% 215 0.40%
1992 27,753 47.03% 17,514 29.68% 13,739 23.28%
1996 32,171 59.97% 18,265 34.05% 3,207 5.98%
2000 43,320 71.46% 16,470 27.17% 834 1.38%
2004 53,392 72.48% 19,970 27.11% 302 0.41%
2008 55,187 69.36% 23,726 29.82% 648 0.81%
2012 57,331 72.02% 21,456 26.95% 814 1.02%
2016 58,930 69.52% 22,300 26.31% 3,538 4.17%
2020 69,080 68.85% 29,615 29.52% 1,639 1.63%
2024 74,862 72.07% 28,041 26.99% 976 0.94%
United States Senate election results for Smith County, Texas1[32]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 72,205 69.95% 28,971 28.07% 2,052 1.99%

Smith County is represented in the Texas House of Representatives by Matt Schaefer (R) of Tyler and the Texas Senate by Senator Bryan Hughes (R). Its U.S. Representative is Nathaniel Moran (R).

Government and infrastructure

The county is governed by a Commissioners Court, made up of four members elected from single-member districts and a county judge elected at-large.

Smith County has the tenth most road miles of any county in the state of Texas, with 1,170 – about the distance from Tyler, Texas to Paradise, Nevada. The Smith County Road & Bridge Department maintains the county's bridges and roads, including mowing the rights of way.

The $39.5 million Smith County Road Bond passed with 73% of the vote on November 7, 2017. The issuance of bonds was for road and bridge construction and major improvements. Road work around the county is well underway. For a list of road projects in the two-phase, six-year bond program, visit www.smith-county.com.

Officials

Twenty-eight elected officials serve Smith County citizens (county auditor is not an elected position):

Official Function
County judge County administration (as presiding member of the commissioners court) and judicial jurisdiction
Commissioners (four, one per precinct) County administration (commissioners court)
Sheriff Security and law enforcement
District attorney Law enforcement and criminal prosecution
Constables (five, one per precinct) Law enforcement
Justices of the peace (five, one per precinct) Judicial/legal jurisdiction
District clerk Judicial support to district courts
County clerk Clerk of record for the county
County tax assessor-collector Collector of property taxes and special fees
County treasurer County's chief banker
County court at law judges (three) Judicial/Legal jurisdiction
District judges (four) Judicial/legal jurisdiction

Education

These school districts serve school-aged children in Smith County:

  • Arp Independent School District
  • Bullard Independent School District (also partially in Cherokee County)
  • Chapel Hill Independent School District
  • Gladewater Independent School District (also partially in Gregg County and Upshur County)
  • Lindale Independent School District (also partially in Van Zandt County)
  • Troup Independent School District (also partially in Cherokee County)
  • Tyler Independent School District
  • Van Independent School District (also partially in Van Zandt County)
  • Whitehouse Independent School District
  • Winona Independent School District

Those wishing to attend institutions of higher learning in the area can attend:

Media

Smith County is part of the Tyler/Longview/Jacksonville DMA. Local media outlets are: KLTV, KTRE-TV, KYTX-TV, KFXK-TV, KCEB-TV, and KETK-TV.

KTBB, an AM radio station based in Tyler, provides a news-talk format to the area.

The daily Tyler Morning Telegraph is the primary newspaper in the county, based in Tyler. Coverage of the area can also be found in the Longview News-Journal, published in Longview, in Gregg County.

See also

  • Caldwell Zoo
  • Carnegie History Center
  • Cotton Belt Depot Train Museum
  • Goodman-LeGrand House
  • List of museums in East Texas
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Smith County, Texas
  • Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Smith County
  • Texas Rose Festival
  • Tyler Museum of Art
  • Whitaker-McClendon House

References

  1. ^ "Smith County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Clarke, Mary Whatley (1971). Chief Bowles and the Texas Cherokees: A History. p. 17.
  4. ^ Winfrey, Day (1825–1916). Indian Papers of Texas, Volume I: Treaty between Texas and the Cherokee Indians. pp. 14–17.
  5. ^ Pynes, Patrick (2007). Historic Origins of the Mount Tabor Indian Community: Northern Arizona University. p. 74.
  6. ^ Texas State Historical Association Online. "Smith County". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  7. ^ "To discover, collect and preserve the history of Smith County". Smith County Historical Society. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  8. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  9. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  10. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  11. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  12. ^ a b c d "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Smith County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Smith County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ^ "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics- Texas - Table 15. Persons by Race and Table 16. Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 21-46. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2022.
  15. ^ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics- Texas - Table 3. Race and Hispanic Origin: 1990" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 29-138. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2026.
  16. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Smith County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  17. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  18. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  19. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  20. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  21. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  22. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  23. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  24. ^ "S1901 INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2021 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) - 2021: ACS 1-Year Estimates - Smith County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. July 1, 2021.
  25. ^ "S2506 FINANCIAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR HOUSING UNITS WITH A MORTGAGE - 2021: ACS 1-Year Estimates - Smith County, Texas". July 1, 2021.
  26. ^ "S2507 FINANCIAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR HOUSING UNITS WITHOUT A MORTGAGE - 2021: ACS 1-Year Estimates - Smith County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. July 1, 2021.
  27. ^ "S1701 POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS- 2021: ACS 1-Year Estimates - Smith County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. July 1, 2021.
  28. ^ The Political Graveyard; Smith County, Texas
  29. ^ "5.3 Historical Barriers to Voting", Texas Politics, University of Texas website, 2018
  30. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  31. ^ Nelson, Jane (November 5, 2024). "PRESIDENT/VICE-PRESIDENT". Secretary of State of Texas. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  32. ^ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Texas by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
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