Winnsboro, Texas
Wood and Franklin County crossroads, home of Autumn Trails
Winnsboro is a small town in Wood County, Texas, in East Texas, about 42 miles north of Tyler as the crow flies, with a population of about 3,661. Parts of Winnsboro also extend into Franklin County.
Median home $172,000 · Median rent $877/mo · Household income $54,828/yr Cost of living →
Updated October 2026 · Population: U.S. Census Bureau estimate for July 1, 2024. Land area (3.7 sq mi) and coordinates: U.S. Census Bureau. · Winnsboro on Wikipedia
Coming up near Winnsboro
All events →- Nov6Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival
Winnsboro · Nov 6 – Nov 7
- Apr16East Texas Gusher Days
Gladewater · ~35 mi · Apr 16 – Apr 17
Dates confirmed on each organizer's site. Check the link before you drive.
Winnsboro from our research
What we've verified about Winnsboro, one line per topic. Each links to the full page and its sources.
- History
- Settled in the 1850s and named for Englishman John E. Wynn, grown by two railroads into a thriving Wood County trade center. Details →
- Dining
- 14 verified places to eat and drink; most common: Burgers & American · Pizza & Italian · Coffee, Sweets & Bakery; 2 have a full bar. Details → Source: Texas Comptroller sales-tax permit records, checked place by place
- Schools
- 5 public schools within 12 miles, in Como-Pickton CISD and Winnsboro 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 Winnsboro water and trash, and internet options in Wood County. Details →
- Outdoors
- Nearest state parks: Lake Bob Sandlin (13 mi), Cooper Lake - South Sulphur Unit (31 mi), Tyler (33 mi). Nearest lakes: Lake Winnsboro (5 mi), Lake Cypress Springs (9 mi). Details → Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department — park locations
- Contractors
- 2 licensed plumbers, 5 licensed HVAC contractors and 10 licensed electricians serve Winnsboro. Details → Source: TSBPE and TDLR license records, checked business by business
Winnsboro City Limits
The official city boundary and the major highways through Winnsboro.
Major roads: FM 852 · State Hwy 37 · State Hwy 11 · State Hwy 37 Alt
Boundary & roads: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line).
Winnsboro sits at the junction of State Highways 11 and 37, about fifteen miles northeast of Quitman, and straddles the Wood and Franklin county line. The 2020 census counted 3,455 residents. The city's own history page puts it halfway between Dallas and Texarkana, just south of Interstate 30. According to the Handbook of Texas, the town was established in the early 1850s and named for an early settler. The Handbook spells his name John E. Wynn, while the city spells it Winn. A post office opened in 1855. The name went from Wynnsborough/Winnsborough to plain Winnsboro by the 1890s. Railroads made it a local shipping center, and by 1885 the Handbook counts eight steam cotton gins in town. Today Winnsboro is best known for Autumn Trails, its long-running fall celebration, and for its spot on the edge of some of the best bass water in Texas.
Autumn Trails
Autumn Trails dates to 1958. According to a 2022 profile by the TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool, it started when a few friends got together on an October morning to enjoy the fall foliage. The same profile says the celebration now starts at the end of September and runs into early November. It includes trail rides, parades, antique car shows, rodeos, chili cook-offs and livestock shows. At its peak, the trail ride drew a state-record 12,000-plus riders.
Schedules change from year to year, so check with the city or local organizers for this year's weekends before you plan around a specific event.
Lakes, Healthcare and Getting Around
Lake Winnsboro is about 5 miles southwest of town on Big Sandy Creek. TPWD lists it at 806 acres, impounded in 1962 and managed by Wood County, with largemouth bass rated good. Lake Fork is a bigger deal: 27,264 acres on the Sabine River in Hopkins, Rains and Wood counties, about 5 miles northwest of Quitman. TPWD says more than 65% of the Texas Top 50 largest bass, including the state record, came from Lake Fork. That makes it one of the country's premier trophy bass lakes.
Unlike many towns this size, Winnsboro has a hospital. CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro is at 719 W. Coke Road, with a 24/7 emergency room, a Level IV trauma center and an acute stroke program.
By road (OSRM routing): Quitman is about 16 miles south on TX 37 (roughly 25 minutes). Sulphur Springs is about 23 miles on TX 11 (roughly 35 minutes). Mount Pleasant is about 32 miles (roughly 40 minutes). Tyler is about 49 miles south (roughly an hour or a bit more). Dallas is about 100 miles west via TX 11 and I-30 (roughly 2 hours). The city is served by Winnsboro ISD.
FAQ: Winnsboro, Texas
It's Winnsboro's fall celebration, started in 1958 by friends gathering to enjoy the October foliage. According to a 2022 TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool profile, it runs from the end of September into early November with trail rides, parades, antique car shows, rodeos, chili cook-offs and livestock shows. At its peak, the trail ride set a state record with 12,000-plus riders.
Yes. CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro is at 719 W. Coke Road, with a 24/7 emergency room, Level IV trauma center status and an acute stroke program. For larger hospitals, Tyler is about 49 miles south.
Yes. Lake Winnsboro, 806 acres, is about 5 miles southwest of town. Lake Fork, 27,264 acres, is about 5 miles northwest of Quitman. TPWD says more than 65% of the Texas Top 50 largest bass, including the state record, were caught at Lake Fork.
Both. Winnsboro straddles the line between Wood and Franklin counties, at the junction of State Highways 11 and 37.
Sources
- Handbook of Texas — Winnsboro, TX
- City of Winnsboro — Our History
- Wikipedia — Winnsboro, Texas (2020 census, citing Census Bureau; counties; Winnsboro ISD)
- TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool — Winnsboro's annual Autumn Trails event (Dec 2022)
- CHRISTUS Health — Winnsboro emergency room / CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro
- Texas Parks & Wildlife — Lake Winnsboro
- Texas Parks & Wildlife — Lake Fork
- OSRM public router — drive distances/times
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Winnsboro 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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