Arp, Texas
The town once called Strawberry
Arp is a small town in Smith County, Texas, in East Texas, about 17 miles southeast of Tyler as the crow flies, with a population of about 987.
Median home $106,100 · Median rent $1,037/mo · Household income $72,500/yr Cost of living →
Updated October 2026 · Population: U.S. Census Bureau estimate for July 1, 2024. Land area (2.6 sq mi) and coordinates: U.S. Census Bureau. · Arp on Wikipedia
Coming up near Arp
All events →- Nov11REEL East Texas Film Festival
Kilgore · ~16 mi · Nov 11 – Nov 14
- Nov14Heritage Syrup Festival
Henderson · ~16 mi · Sat, Nov 14
- Apr16East Texas Gusher Days
Gladewater · ~23 mi · Apr 16 – Apr 17
- Jun12Tomato Fest
Jacksonville · ~22 mi · Sat, Jun 12
- Jul22The Great Texas Balloon Race
Longview · ~26 mi · Jul 22 – Jul 25
Dates confirmed on each organizer's site. Check the link before you drive.
Arp from our research
What we've verified about Arp, one line per topic. Each links to the full page and its sources.
- History
- Settled in 1868, made a railroad stop called Jarvis Switch in 1872, built on the East Texas tomato trade, and named in 1899 for newspaper humorist 'Bill Arp.' Details →
- Dining
- 2 verified places to eat and drink. Details → Source: Texas Comptroller sales-tax permit records, checked place by place
- Schools
- 27 public schools within 12 miles, across 9 districts and charters, mainly Whitehouse ISD, West Rusk County Consolidated ISD and Chapel Hill ISD. Details → Source: Texas Education Agency AskTED directory — open campuses, enrollment as of Oct 2025
- Utilities
- A deregulated electricity market on the Oncor grid, CenterPoint gas, City of Arp water from its own wells, and internet options in Smith County. Details →
- Outdoors
- Nearest state parks: Tyler (22 mi), Martin Creek Lake (29 mi), Mission Tejas (48 mi). Nearest lakes: Lake Tyler (7 mi), Lake Striker (18 mi). Details → Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department — park locations
- Contractors
- 1 licensed plumber, 3 licensed HVAC contractors and 3 licensed electricians serve Arp. Details → Source: TSBPE and TDLR license records, checked business by business
Arp City Limits
The official city boundary and the major highways through Arp.
Major roads: State Hwy 135 · State Hwy 64
Boundary & roads: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line).
Arp is in southeastern Smith County. According to the Handbook of Texas, it is 18 miles southeast of Tyler, on State Highway 135 and the Union Pacific Railroad. Kickapoo Creek runs to the south. The Census Bureau counted 892 people here in 2020. The town was first called Jarvis Switch and then Strawberry. It took the name Arp in 1899. It still celebrates that strawberry past with a spring Strawberry Festival at Arp City Park. Arp's schools are Arp ISD, and the teams are the Tigers.
From Jarvis Switch to Strawberry to Arp
The Handbook of Texas says John G. and Eliza Sartain bought land here in 1868. The International–Great Northern Railroad arrived in 1872, and the stop was known as Jarvis Switch.
A post office named Strawberry opened in 1898. In 1899 the town was renamed for William Arp, a popular newspaper editor. KLTV reported a local account of why the name changed: "Strawberry Junction" was too long to stamp on shipping crates.
Commercial farming took off in 1897. That year J. W. Melton moved over from Troup and became, in the Handbook's words, "the first local citizen to ship tomatoes to northern markets." Local nurseries developed a peach variety called the Arp Beauty. By 1914 the town had about 400 people.
The Oil Boom
In 1931, Guy V. Lewis drilled the first successful oil well in Smith County near Arp, according to the Handbook of Texas. The McMurry Refining Company then located in town, and the population peaked at about 2,500 in 1936. That year the white school had 26 teachers and the Black school had six.
The boom faded. The Handbook counts about 1,000 residents in 1952, 816 in 1973 and 812 in 1990. The Census Bureau counted 892 in 2020.
The Arp Strawberry Festival
KLTV reports that the Strawberry Festival ran for decades, stopped during the 2010s and was revived in 2021 by Erin Gerometta of Arp Community Events. It is held in spring at Arp City Park. In 2024 it ran on a weekend in late April, and in 2026 it was held May 9.
KLTV's coverage describes local vendors, live music, food, kids' activities and strawberry items such as jams and baked goods. The 2026 festival advertised more than 100 vendor booths.
Arp ISD
Arp ISD has three campuses: Arp Elementary, Arp Junior High and Arp High School. The Texas Tribune lists about 920 students across the district. The teams are the Tigers.
KETK's Small Town Salute profiled Arp as "Home of the Tigers." It noted that superintendent Shannon Arrington has led the district for almost three decades.
FAQ: Arp, Texas
Smith County. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 place-by-county list places all of Arp in Smith County.
About 18 miles southeast of Tyler, according to the Handbook of Texas. Arp sits on State Highway 135.
The post office opened as Strawberry in 1898. In 1899 the town was renamed for William Arp, a popular newspaper editor, according to the Handbook of Texas. Before either name, the railroad stop was Jarvis Switch.
In spring, at Arp City Park. KLTV covered it on a late-April weekend in 2024, and the 2026 festival was May 9. The festival was revived in 2021 after a break in the 2010s.
Arp ISD. It has three campuses (Arp Elementary, Arp Junior High and Arp High School) and about 920 students, according to the Texas Tribune. The teams are the Tigers.
Yes. Guy V. Lewis drilled Smith County's first successful oil well near Arp in 1931, according to the Handbook of Texas. A refinery followed, and the population peaked at about 2,500 in 1936.
Sources
- Handbook of Texas — Arp, TX
- Wikipedia — Arp, Texas (2020 census)
- KLTV — City of Arp celebrates more than a century of history with annual Strawberry Festival (Apr 2024)
- KLTV — Sweet East Texas festival kicks off May 9 in Arp (May 2026)
- KETK — Small Town Salute: Arp, home of the Tigers
- Texas Tribune — Arp ISD campuses
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Arp in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.
Moving to East Texas: What You Need to Know
Thinking about moving to East Texas? A fact-checked guide to healthcare, schools, getting around, weather, and daily life in Tyler, Jacksonville, and the towns around them.
Read Guide →Things to Do in East Texas
What to do in East Texas, checked against official sources: Tyler's Rose Garden and Caldwell Zoo, Canton's First Monday Trade Days, the Texas State Railroad, state parks, museums and festivals.
Read Guide →Cost of Living in East Texas
What it costs to live in East Texas, using Census figures: home values and rents in Tyler, Jacksonville and Athens compared with Texas and the big metros, plus taxes, utilities, healthcare and driving.
Read Guide →Retiring in East Texas: Why Retirees Love It Here
Retiring in East Texas: Tyler's trauma-designated hospitals, Texas 65+ school-tax exemptions, lake towns like Gun Barrel City and Hideaway, and sourced drive times and weather.
Read Guide →Business Owner?
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