Jacksonville, Texas
Railroad town, tomato heritage, Cherokee County hills
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.
Median home $119,800 · Median rent $908/mo · Household income $51,375/yr Cost of living →
Updated October 2026 · Population: U.S. Census Bureau estimate for July 1, 2024. Land area (15.1 sq mi) and coordinates: U.S. Census Bureau. · Jacksonville on Wikipedia
Coming up near Jacksonville
All events →- Oct30Hot Pepper Festival
Palestine · ~26 mi · Oct 30 – Oct 31
- Nov11REEL East Texas Film Festival
Kilgore · ~38 mi · Nov 11 – Nov 14
- Nov13The Polar Express Train Ride (Texas State Railroad)
Palestine · ~26 mi · Nov 13 – Dec 28
- Nov14Heritage Syrup Festival
Henderson · ~31 mi · Sat, Nov 14
- Jun12Tomato Fest
Jacksonville · Sat, Jun 12
Dates confirmed on each organizer's site. Check the link before you drive.
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 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).
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
Cherokee County. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 place-by-county list places all of Jacksonville in Cherokee County.
According to the Handbook of Texas, Jacksonville was a major tomato-shipping center from about 1914 into the 1950s and called itself the "tomato capitol of the world." Before tomatoes, it was a peach center from the 1880s to 1914.
The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce traditionally holds Tomato Fest on a Saturday in June. The 2025 festival was the 41st. Check the Chamber for the next date.
About 27 miles north on US 69 — about 33 minutes by car, per OSRM routing.
Yes. Lake Jacksonville, about half a mile southwest of town, is a city-owned reservoir of about 1,320 acres completed in 1959. It is both the city's water supply and a recreation area (Handbook of Texas).
Jacksonville College, a two-year school that opened in 1899 and is owned by the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas. Lon Morris College was also in Jacksonville until it closed in 2012.
Sources
- Handbook of Texas — Jacksonville, TX (Cherokee County)
- Handbook of Texas — Lake Jacksonville
- Handbook of Texas — Jacksonville College
- Census Reporter — ACS 2020–24, Jacksonville city
- KLTV — 41st annual Tomato Fest (Jun 13, 2025)
- KLTV — Mark in Texas History: Love's Lookout
- TxDOT — Cherokee County Safety Rest Area
- CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville
- OSRM public router (drive distances/times)
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Jacksonville 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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