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Cherokee County

Jacksonville, Texas

Railroad town, tomato heritage, Cherokee County hills

Pop. ~14,639 | Cherokee County
🏪 Business Directory 🎯 Things to Do 🎭 Venues 🍽️ Dining 🔧 Local Services 🌲 Outdoors 🏈 Sports 💪 Gyms & Fitness 💰 Cost of Living 🎓 Schools 🧾 Property Taxes ⚡ Utilities 🌐 Internet 📜 History 🏡 Moving Here ✅ New Resident

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Jacksonville is a city in Cherokee County, Texas, in East Texas, about 27 miles south of Tyler as the crow flies, with a population of about 14,639.

Cherokee

County

14,639

Population

East Texas

Region

15.1 sq mi

Land Area

27 mi

straight line to Tyler

Updated October 2026 · Population: U.S. Census Bureau estimate for July 1, 2024. Land area and coordinates: U.S. Census Bureau. · Jacksonville on Wikipedia

Jacksonville City Limits

The official city boundary and the major highways through Jacksonville.

Major roads: FM 347 · FM 747 · State Hwy 135 · State Hwy 204 · State Loop 456 · US Hwy 175 · US Hwy 69 · US Hwy 79

Boundary & roads: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line).

New near Jacksonville

Opening soonTyler · about 25 mi from JacksonvilleTargeting Oct 20, 2026

Nick the Greek is opening its first East Texas restaurant in Tyler

The California-born Greek street-food chain is coming to 1575 S SW Loop 323 in The Shops at Tyler, on the West Loop just north of Sam's Club. Tyler residents Ricky and Lindsey Holt are the franchisees, and they told KNUE the plan is to open on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The menu is built around gyros carved from meat cooked in-house on a vertical rotisserie, plus charbroiled souvlaki skewers, pitas, bowls, salads, baklava and loukoumades. Founded in 2014 by cousins Big Nick, Little Nick and Baby Nick Tsigaris, the brand has grown past 100 locations in eight states. Tyler is its sixth in Texas and the first outside the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas.

Address:1575 S SW Loop 323, Tyler, TX

See it in the Tyler restaurant directory →

Sources: KNUE, Oct 8 2026 · Nick the Greek press release, Sep 21 2026

Jacksonville from our research

What we've verified about Jacksonville, one line per topic. Each links to the full page and its sources.

History
From the 1847 settlement of Gum Creek to a railroad town that became the 'Tomato Capital of the World' in the heart of Cherokee County. Details →
Dining
60 verified places to eat and drink; most common: Coffee, Sweets & Bakery · Mexican & Tex-Mex · Burgers & American; 8 have a full bar. Details → Source: Texas Comptroller sales-tax permit records, checked place by place
Schools
12 public schools within 12 miles, in Bullard ISD, Jacksonville ISD and New Summerfield ISD. Details → Source: Texas Education Agency AskTED directory — open campuses, enrollment as of Oct 2025
Utilities
A deregulated electricity market on the Oncor grid where you choose your provider, plus CenterPoint gas, city water, and internet in Cherokee County. Details →
Outdoors
Nearest state parks: Mission Tejas (29 mi), Tyler (36 mi), Martin Creek Lake (46 mi). Nearest lakes: Lake Jacksonville (3 mi), Lake Striker (16 mi). Details → Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department — park locations
Contractors
7 licensed plumbers, 12 licensed HVAC contractors and 16 licensed electricians serve Jacksonville. Details → Source: TSBPE and TDLR license records, checked business by business

Jacksonville sits on US 69 in northeastern Cherokee County. The Handbook of Texas counts 13,997 residents in the 2020 census; the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2020–24) estimates about 14,300. The town began in 1847, when Jackson Smith built a house and blacksmith shop; the Gum Creek post office opened in 1848 and was renamed Jacksonville in 1850. In the fall of 1872 the whole town moved about two miles east to meet the new International–Great Northern Railroad tracks, according to the Handbook of Texas. The railroad made Jacksonville a shipping point for farm produce. The Handbook describes it as a peach center from the 1880s until 1914, then a tomato center into the 1950s, when it billed itself as the "tomato capitol of the world." That heritage is why the town still throws a Tomato Fest every summer. Jacksonville College, a two-year school opened in 1899 and owned by the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas since 1923, is in town. Lon Morris College also operated in Jacksonville until it closed in 2012.

Getting Around: Distances from Jacksonville

Jacksonville is about 27 miles south of Tyler on US 69 — about a 33-minute drive. Dallas is about 112 miles (a little over two hours), and Shreveport is about 109 miles (a little over two hours), per OSRM routing estimates. Medical care in town includes CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville, which CHRISTUS lists as a Level IV trauma center; larger Level I and II centers are in Tyler.

Lake Jacksonville and Love's Lookout

Lake Jacksonville is about half a mile southwest of town. The Handbook of Texas says construction began in 1956 and was finished in 1959; the city owns the lake, which covers about 1,320 acres and serves as both the municipal water supply and a recreation area.

Love's Lookout is a TxDOT rest area and scenic park on the east side of US 69, about four miles north of Jacksonville. KLTV reports that the Love family donated the original land to the highway department in 1967. The park sits on a ridge with long views over the pine-covered valley below. John Wesley Love grew peaches on this land around the turn of the 20th century, and a Texas Historical Commission marker went up in 1978.

Tomato Fest

The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce hosts Tomato Fest, traditionally on a Saturday in June. KLTV's coverage of the 41st annual festival in June 2025 described more than 500 vendors across five blocks, tomato peeling and eating contests, a talent contest and a car show. Check the Chamber for the next year's date.

FAQ: Jacksonville, Texas

Sources

East Texas guides

Region-wide guides that put Jacksonville in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.

Living

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

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 →
Living

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 →
Living

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 →

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Nearby cities

Rusk, TXAlto, TXTyler, TXNacogdoches, TXWells, TX