Henderson, Texas
Rusk County seat with East Texas oilfield roots
Henderson is a city in Rusk County, Texas, in East Texas, about 24 miles south of Longview as the crow flies, with a population of about 13,485.
Median home $173,700 · Median rent $1,007/mo · Household income $61,285/yr Cost of living →
Updated October 2026 · Population: U.S. Census Bureau estimate for July 1, 2024. Land area (12.0 sq mi) and coordinates: U.S. Census Bureau. · Henderson on Wikipedia
Coming up near Henderson
All events →- Nov11REEL East Texas Film Festival
Kilgore · ~17 mi · Nov 11 – Nov 14
- Nov14Heritage Syrup Festival
Henderson · Sat, Nov 14
- Apr16East Texas Gusher Days
Gladewater · ~28 mi · Apr 16 – Apr 17
- Jun12Tomato Fest
Jacksonville · ~31 mi · Sat, Jun 12
- Jul22The Great Texas Balloon Race
Longview · ~25 mi · Jul 22 – Jul 25
Dates confirmed on each organizer's site. Check the link before you drive.
Henderson from our research
What we've verified about Henderson, one line per topic. Each links to the full page and its sources.
- History
- The Rusk County seat named for the first governor of Texas, transformed in 1930 by the Daisy Bradford well and the East Texas Oil Field. Details →
- Dining
- 55 verified places to eat and drink; most common: Coffee, Sweets & Bakery · Mexican & Tex-Mex · Burgers & American; 4 have a full bar. Details → Source: Texas Comptroller sales-tax permit records, checked place by place
- Schools
- 10 public schools within 12 miles, in Carlisle ISD, Henderson ISD and West Rusk County Consolidated ISD. Details → Source: Texas Education Agency AskTED directory — open campuses, enrollment as of Oct 2025
- Utilities
- Electricity from SWEPCO and Rusk County Electric Cooperative (regulated, no plan shopping), CenterPoint gas, city water, and internet. Details →
- Outdoors
- Nearest state parks: Martin Creek Lake (16 mi), Tyler (36 mi), Mission Tejas (50 mi). Nearest lakes: Lake Cherokee (13 mi), Martin Creek Lake (14 mi). Details → Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department — park locations
- Contractors
- 5 licensed plumbers, 10 licensed HVAC contractors and 20 licensed electricians serve Henderson. Details → Source: TSBPE and TDLR license records, checked business by business
Henderson City Limits
The official city boundary and the major highways through Henderson.
Major roads: Hwy 323 · Loop 571 · State Hwy 322 · State Hwy 43 · State Hwy 64 · State Hwy 64E Bus · State Loop 571 · US Hwy 259
Boundary & roads: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line).
Henderson is the county seat of Rusk County, on US 259 near the center of the county. It was laid out in 1843 and named for James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of Texas (Handbook of Texas). The 2020 census counted 13,271 residents; the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2020–24) estimates about 13,400. A fire in 1860 destroyed most of the town's commercial buildings. In 1877 the Henderson and Overton Branch Railroad connected Henderson to the International & Great Northern at Overton, and the town became a shipping center for farm products, according to the Handbook. Everything changed in 1930. The great East Texas oilfield was discovered in Rusk County near Henderson, and the town grew from 3,000 people in 1930 to 10,000 in 1933. The boom ended in the early 1940s, but the Handbook says 28 manufacturing and service industries stayed behind to support the economy. The present Rusk County Courthouse, a Moderne-style brick and limestone building, went up in 1928 near the town square (Texas Historical Commission). A 1936 statue of Thomas J. Rusk, the county's namesake, stands in front of it.
Getting Around: Distances from Henderson
Driving distances and times from OSRM routing:
- Kilgore: about 17 miles, roughly 25 minutes
- Longview: about 29 miles, roughly 35 minutes
- Tyler: about 42 miles, roughly 50 minutes
- Shreveport: about 77 miles, roughly 1 hour 35 minutes
- Dallas: about 137 miles, roughly 2 hours 30 minutes
The East Texas Oilfield
On October 3, 1930, C. M. "Dad" Joiner's Daisy Bradford No. 3 came in on the Daisy Bradford tract in Rusk County, according to the Handbook of Texas. It opened what the Handbook calls "the largest and most prolific oil reservoir in the contiguous United States." The field covers about 140,000 acres across Gregg, Rusk, Upshur, Smith and Cherokee counties, and some 30,340 wells were eventually drilled. Kilgore became the center of the boom, but Henderson's population more than tripled in three years.
The Depot Museum and Historic Sites
The Depot Museum at 514 N. High Street is built around the 1901 Missouri Pacific depot, which was moved to the site in 1977. The five-acre grounds tell the story of Rusk County's Native Americans, pioneers, farmers and wildcatters (KLTV). Among the buildings is the T. J. Walling log cabin, built in 1841.
Also on the grounds is the Arnold outhouse, a Victorian outbuilding that received a Texas historical marker in 1984. According to the Handbook, that marker gives Henderson a claim to the "Fanciest Little Outhouse in Texas." The Handbook counts fifteen historical markers in Henderson, including three Texas historic landmark homes: the Howard-Dickinson House, the M. Kangerga House and the Walling cabin.
Lakes and Parks Nearby
Martin Creek Lake State Park covers 286 acres in Rusk County, southeast of Longview. It sits on the 5,000-acre Martin Creek Lake, which cools a lignite-fired power plant. The land was deeded to the state in 1976, and the park opened that year (TPWD).
Lake Striker is on Striker Creek in Cherokee and Rusk counties, about 15 miles northeast of Rusk. Its gates closed in 1957, and it is owned by the Angelina-Nacogdoches Counties WCID No. 1. The Texas Water Development Board notes that the City of Henderson holds an option on its water for future use.
Schools and Health Care
Public schools are run by Henderson ISD. UT Health Henderson joined the UT Health system in 2018. According to the Henderson Economic Development Corporation, its services include emergency care, labor and delivery, surgery and orthopedics.
FAQ: Henderson, Texas
Rusk County. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 place-by-county list places all of Henderson in Rusk County.
According to the Handbook of Texas, Henderson was laid out in 1843 as the seat of Rusk County and named for James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of Texas. The present courthouse dates from 1928.
The East Texas oilfield was discovered near Henderson in October 1930. The Handbook says the town grew from 3,000 people in 1930 to 10,000 in 1933. After the boom ended in the early 1940s, the population fell to 6,437, but 28 manufacturing and service industries remained.
It is the Victorian Arnold outhouse at the Depot Museum. It received a Texas historical marker in 1984, which the Handbook of Texas says gives Henderson its claim to the "Fanciest Little Outhouse in Texas."
Yes. UT Health Henderson is in town. It joined UT Health in 2018 and offers emergency care, surgery, and labor and delivery, according to the Henderson EDC.
It is a 286-acre TPWD park on the 5,000-acre Martin Creek Lake in Rusk County, southeast of Longview. It opened in 1976. TPWD highlights swimming, hiking trails to historic sites, and boating.
Sources
- Handbook of Texas — Henderson, TX
- Handbook of Texas — East Texas Oilfield
- Wikipedia — Henderson, Texas (2020 census figure, citing Census Bureau PL 94-171)
- Census Reporter — ACS 2020–24, Henderson city
- Texas Historical Commission Atlas — Rusk County Courthouse
- KLTV — Mark in Texas History: Depot Museum in Henderson
- TPWD — Martin Creek Lake State Park history
- Texas Water Development Board — Lake Striker
- Henderson ISD
- Henderson Economic Development Corporation — Healthcare
- OSRM public router (drive distances/times)
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Henderson 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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