Mineola, Texas
Railroad roots, river trails, real quiet
Mineola is a city in Wood County, Texas, in East Texas, about 23 miles northwest of Tyler as the crow flies, with a population of about 5,380.
Median home $215,700 · Median rent $931/mo · Household income $53,000/yr Cost of living →
Updated October 2026 · Population: U.S. Census Bureau estimate for July 1, 2024. Land area (10.4 sq mi) and coordinates: U.S. Census Bureau. · Mineola on Wikipedia
Coming up near Mineola
All events →- Oct29First Monday Trade Days
Canton · ~23 mi · Oct 29 – Nov 1
- Nov6Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival
Winnsboro · ~24 mi · Nov 6 – Nov 7
- Nov11REEL East Texas Film Festival
Kilgore · ~40 mi · Nov 11 – Nov 14
- Dec3First Monday Trade Days
Canton · ~23 mi · Dec 3 – Dec 6
- Apr16East Texas Gusher Days
Gladewater · ~32 mi · Apr 16 – Apr 17
Dates confirmed on each organizer's site. Check the link before you drive.
Mineola from our research
What we've verified about Mineola, one line per topic. Each links to the full page and its sources.
- History
- Once called Sodom, transformed in 1873 by a railroad race between the T&P and I-GN, named, by one account, for a railroad official's daughter and a friend, and grown into a Wood County rail town. Details →
- Dining
- 29 verified places to eat and drink; most common: Mexican & Tex-Mex · Burgers & American · Coffee, Sweets & Bakery; 4 have a full bar. Details → Source: Texas Comptroller sales-tax permit records, checked place by place
- Schools
- 18 public schools within 12 miles, across 5 districts and charters, mainly Lindale ISD, Mineola ISD and Quitman ISD. Details → Source: Texas Education Agency AskTED directory — open campuses, enrollment as of Oct 2025
- Utilities
- SWEPCO electricity (regulated, no plan shopping), CenterPoint gas, City of Mineola water, and strong cable and fiber internet options in Wood County. Details →
- Outdoors
- Nearest state parks: Tyler (16 mi), Lake Tawakoni (33 mi), Lake Bob Sandlin (35 mi). Nearest lakes: Lake Holbrook (5 mi), Lake Hawkins (13 mi). Details → Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department — park locations
- Contractors
- 1 licensed plumber, 3 licensed HVAC contractors and 10 licensed electricians serve Mineola. Details → Source: TSBPE and TDLR license records, checked business by business
Mineola City Limits
The official city boundary and the major highways through Mineola.
Major roads: Loop 564 · US Hwy 80 · State Hwy 37 · US Hwy 69 · NE Loop 564 · NW Loop 564 · State Loop 564
Boundary & roads: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line).
Most people driving through Mineola on U.S. 80 don't realize the Texas Eagle stops here. That's Amtrak. Board a train in this town of 4,823 (the 2020 census count) and you can ride to San Antonio or to Chicago by way of Dallas and St. Louis. According to the Handbook of Texas, the town exists because of a railroad race. In 1873 the International-Great Northern and the Texas and Pacific competed to reach the site, and the I-GN got there first. The city government was organized the same year, a post office opened in 1875, and Mineola incorporated in 1877. Mineola sits where U.S. 69 and U.S. 80 cross in southwestern Wood County. The Handbook puts it about 80 miles east of Dallas. By road it's about 26 miles north of Tyler. The surprise is the nature preserve. The City of Mineola owns the Mineola Nature Preserve, which covers nearly 3,000 acres on the Sabine River. It opened in April 2006. For a town you can drive through in a few minutes, that's a lot of protected green space.
Downtown: the Depot and the Select
The 1906 depot at 115 East Front Street was built by the Texas & Pacific, and it's still Mineola's Amtrak station. Great American Stations says the Texas Eagle ran through town without stopping from 1974 until 1996, when community leaders persuaded Amtrak to bring the stop back. The depot was restored to its 1906 look and rededicated on June 10, 2006. It now holds a museum of railroad memorabilia, with a restored caboose on the grounds.
A few blocks away is the Historic Select Theater. It opened in 1920 and is named for the Select movie company whose films it showed. A 1948 art deco remodel gave it the neon tower that still marks downtown. Today the nonprofit Lake Country Playhouse runs the Select, which shows movies and hosts live theater and music.
Nearly 3,000 Acres of Woods and River
The Mineola Nature Preserve sits on the Sabine River at 1860 County Road 2724 and is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to sunset. When it opened in 2006, Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine counted 189 bird species documented there. The magazine also described more than four miles of nature trails, with the main trail following an old railroad bed, and canoe and kayak access to the Sabine.
The preserve has grown since then. KLTV's East Texas Weekend lists hiking, mountain-biking and equestrian trails, fishing ponds, an 18-hole disc golf course, pavilions, a playground, an amphitheater and overnight camping spots. If you need a place where you can walk for an hour without seeing a parking lot, it's worth the drive.
Lake Holbrook and Lake Fork
Lake Holbrook is the close one. Texas Parks & Wildlife puts it 3 miles northwest of Mineola on Lankford Creek, a Sabine River tributary. It covers 653 acres and was impounded in 1962.
Lake Fork is the famous one. It's 27,264 acres on the Sabine River in Hopkins, Rains and Wood counties, which TPWD places 5 miles northwest of Quitman. Quitman is about 10 miles up the road from Mineola. TPWD says more than 65% of the Texas Top 50 largest bass, including the current state record, were caught at Lake Fork. That makes Mineola a practical base for fishing trips.
Iron Horse Heritage Festival
Mineola celebrates its rail roots with the Iron Horse Heritage Festival, put on by the Mineola Chamber of Commerce. It's held downtown on a Saturday in late September. The 2024 and 2025 editions fell on the last weekend of the month. Wood County Monitor coverage describes live music, food and artisan vendors, a car show, a cornhole tournament, and weenie dog races that close out the day. Check the chamber for next year's date.
FAQ: Mineola, Texas
Wood County. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 place-by-county list places all of Mineola in Wood County.
It does. Amtrak's Texas Eagle stops at the restored 1906 depot downtown. The train runs daily between Chicago and San Antonio, with stops including St. Louis, Dallas and Austin, and Amtrak offers a connection from San Antonio to Los Angeles on the Sunset Limited. The stop was dropped from 1974 to 1996 and then restored.
Yes. TPWD places Lake Fork 5 miles northwest of Quitman, and Quitman is about 10 miles north of Mineola by road. Lake Fork has produced more than 65% of the Texas Top 50 largest bass, including the state record. Lake Holbrook is 3 miles northwest of town if you'd rather stay close.
Nearly 3,000 acres on the Sabine River. The City of Mineola owns it, and it opened in April 2006. It's open daily from 7:30 a.m. to sunset, with trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding, plus fishing ponds, disc golf and camping spots.
Tyler is about 26 miles south, roughly a half-hour drive. Dallas is about 84 miles west by road, roughly an hour and 45 minutes. You can also ride the Texas Eagle to Dallas.
Sources
- Handbook of Texas — Mineola, TX
- Wikipedia — Mineola, Texas (2020 census, citing Census Bureau)
- Great American Stations (Amtrak) — Mineola, TX (MIN)
- Amtrak — Texas Eagle
- Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine — Mineola Nature Preserve (Nov 2006)
- KLTV East Texas Weekend — Mineola Nature Preserve
- KLTV East Texas Weekend — Historic Select Theater
- Cinema Treasures — Select Theatre, Mineola
- TPWD — Lake Holbrook
- TPWD — Lake Fork
- Wood County Monitor — Mineola's rail heritage celebrated (Oct 3 2024)
- Wood County Monitor — Music acts headlining Iron Horse Heritage Festival (Sep 19 2024)
- KLTV — Mineola celebrates heritage with Iron Horse Festival (Sep 28 2025)
- OSRM public router — drive distances/times
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Mineola 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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