Ore City, Texas
Named for the iron in its hills
Ore City is a small town in Upshur County, Texas, in East Texas, about 21 miles north of Longview as the crow flies, with a population of about 1,199.
Median rent $1,236/mo · Household income $72,721/yr Cost of living →
Updated October 2026 · Population: U.S. Census Bureau estimate for July 1, 2024. Land area (2.2 sq mi) and coordinates: U.S. Census Bureau. · Ore City on Wikipedia
Coming up near Ore City
All events →- Nov6Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival
Winnsboro · ~35 mi · Nov 6 – Nov 7
- Nov11REEL East Texas Film Festival
Kilgore · ~29 mi · Nov 11 – Nov 14
- Dec3Jefferson Candlelight Tour of Homes
Jefferson · ~22 mi · Dec 3 – Dec 5
- Dec10Jefferson Candlelight Tour of Homes
Jefferson · ~22 mi · Dec 10 – Dec 12
- Apr16East Texas Gusher Days
Gladewater · ~22 mi · Apr 16 – Apr 17
Dates confirmed on each organizer's site. Check the link before you drive.
Ore City from our research
What we've verified about Ore City, one line per topic. Each links to the full page and its sources.
- History
- Named for the iron ore of the East Texas Iron Ore Belt, founded around 1911 on a dream of a railroad to Port Bolivar that World War I cut short. Details →
- Dining
- 3 verified places to eat and drink. Details → Source: Texas Comptroller sales-tax permit records, checked place by place
- Schools
- 10 public schools within 12 miles, across 4 districts and charters, mainly Ore City ISD, New Diana ISD and Harleton ISD. Details → Source: Texas Education Agency AskTED directory — open campuses, enrollment as of Oct 2025
- Utilities
- Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative power (no plan shopping), CenterPoint gas, city water, and Etex internet near Lake O' the Pines. Details →
- Outdoors
- Nearest state parks: Daingerfield (15 mi), Lake Bob Sandlin (28 mi), Caddo Lake (33 mi). Nearest lakes: Lake o' the Pines (6 mi), Welsh Reservoir (20 mi). Details → Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department — park locations
- Contractors
- 2 licensed plumbers, 1 licensed HVAC contractor and 1 licensed electrician serve Ore City. Details → Source: TSBPE and TDLR license records, checked business by business
Ore City City Limits
The official city boundary and the major highways through Ore City.
Major roads: US Hwy 259
Boundary & roads: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line).
Ore City is in eastern Upshur County, where U.S. Highway 259 meets Farm Road 1649. According to the Handbook of Texas, that is 13 miles northeast of Gilmer. The Census Bureau counted 1,108 people here in 2020. The name is literal. Rich iron ore deposits were found here before the Civil War. The town was platted around 1911, when an ore railroad was being built to link it with Longview. Ore City's schools are Ore City ISD, and the teams are the Rebels.
The Iron Ore Railway
The Handbook of Texas says the land was once part of the William Murray League. Iron ore deposits were discovered in the antebellum period, and ore was mined sporadically from the 1860s through 1900.
In 1911, L. P. Featherstone secured Santa Fe financing for a rail link. By 1914 thirty miles of line had been built. It was known as the Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railway, and it connected the new town of Ore City with Longview. The line was abandoned in 1927.
A post office opened in 1912. Ore City had about 400 people by 1914 and 500 by 1936. It incorporated in 1952.
The Steel Mill Years
The Handbook of Texas notes that many residents worked at the nearby Lone Star steel mill. The town grew to more than 800 people by the mid-1960s.
The Census Bureau counted 1,106 residents in 2000, 1,144 in 2010 and 1,108 in 2020.
Lake O' the Pines
Lake O' the Pines is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake on Big Cypress Creek. It spreads across Marion, Morris, Upshur and Camp counties. Texas Parks and Wildlife puts it 25 miles northeast of Longview, at 19,780 acres at summer pool.
TPWD rates the largemouth bass, channel catfish and crappie fishing as excellent.
The lake is also part of Ore City's water supply. The Texas Water Development Board lists Ore City among the cities served from it by the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District.
Ore City ISD
Ore City ISD has three campuses: Ore City Elementary, Ore City Middle and Ore City High School. The Texas Tribune lists about 790 students across the district.
The teams are the Rebels, in black and gold. KLTV lists their stadium at 100 Rebel Rd.
FAQ: Ore City, Texas
Upshur County. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 place-by-county list places all of Ore City in Upshur County.
For its iron ore. According to the Handbook of Texas, rich ore deposits were found here before the Civil War and mined sporadically from the 1860s through 1900. The town was platted around 1911 as the Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railway was built to Longview.
About 13 miles. The Handbook of Texas places Ore City 13 miles northeast of Gilmer, the Upshur County seat, at the junction of US 259 and FM 1649.
In 1952, according to the Handbook of Texas. The post office dates to 1912.
Partly from Lake O' the Pines. The Texas Water Development Board lists Ore City among the cities the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District serves from the lake.
Ore City ISD. It has three campuses (elementary, middle and high school) and about 790 students, according to the Texas Tribune. The teams are the Rebels.
Sources
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Ore City in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.
Moving to East Texas: What You Need to Know
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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
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Read Guide →Business Owner?
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