HENDERSON COUNTY

County Offices
125 N Prairieville Street
Athens 903-675-6140
https://www.henderson-county.com

Chamber of Commerce
201 West Corsicana Street
Athens 903-675-5181
https://www.athenscc.org/

Henderson County is located in East Texas between the Neches and Trinity Rivers. Athens, the largest city and county seat, is near the geographical center of the county (at 32°10′ N, 95°50′ W), about sixty miles southeast of Dallas on U.S. Highway 175, at the intersection of State highways 31 and 19. Henderson County is in a transitional region between East and Central Texas. Two major lakes are partly in the county: Cedar Creek Reservoir on the northwest and Lake Palestine on the southeast. The county encompasses 949.7 square miles and has different land-resource areas that run almost parallel to the two river boundaries in a northwesterly to a southeasterly direction. The eastern third of the county, along the Neches River, is part of the East Texas Timberlands.

Lifestyle

Residents in this part of Texas enjoy a unique blend of landscapes. This region has wooded, rolling terrain surfaced by deep sandy loams and sands. Loblolly and shortleaf pine, sweet gum, post oak, southern red oak, white oak, and flowering dogwoods all grow in this area. This makes outdoor recreation a big part of life in Henderson County. In addition to the beautiful, forested areas water recreation is another thing that residents can enjoy thanks to Cedar Creek Reservoir. The reservoir was built on Cedar Creek, a tributary to the Trinity River. The dam is at the south end of the lake in the town of Malakoff. The spillway on the west side of the lake lets water into a canal to the Trinity River which is located in Tool, Texas. Other major creeks that contribute to the inflow are Caney Creek, Clear Creek, and King’s Creek. Fishing and boating are popular on the lake, and with its almost 18 mile length there is a lot of water to work with. The lake is home to blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, white bass, hybrid striped bass, and crappie.

Services

Quality educational opportunities are available in and near the county, underlined by excellent public-school districts and options for select private and parochial schools. Several local school districts offer a full spectrum of educational opportunities for local students. The Athens Independent School District is the largest district in the county. The Malakoff Independent School District serves the communities of Tool, Malakoff, Star Harbor, Caney City, Payne Springs and Mankin. The district encompasses an area of approximately 120 square miles and is composed of five campuses.

For those looking for higher educational opportunities, there are a number of local and online opportunities available from state and regional colleges and universities for students of all ages. Trinity Valley Community College has its main campus in Athens, and satellite locations in Kaufman, Palestine, and Terrell. In addition, there are University of Texas Extension campuses as well.

Residents of Henderson county have a broad choice to cover their medical needs, with Christus Trinity Mother Frances Clinic, East Texas Medical Center and the University of Texas Medical Health Science Center (UTHCT) all providing for the medical needs of residents.

Communities

Athens
City Offices
903-675-5131
https://www.athenstx.gov

Chamber of Commerce
903-675-5181
https://www.athenscc.org

Athens is located west of Tyler at the intersection of Texas Highway 31 and Texas Highway. It was Incorporated in 1902 and is home to more than 12,500 residents. Athens has the charm of a small southern town while still retaining many of the qualities of a larger city. With Dallas and Tyler only a short drive away, Athens location makes it a very favorable place to live, work, and play for those who want the benefits of a smaller city, but easy access to larger metro areas and all of their urban amenities. Athens is known as the “Black-Eyed Pea Capitol of the World” and is a Certified Texas Retirement Community. This small city is reportedly the location where the American hamburger was invented by Fletcher Davis in the 1880s at his lunch counter on the north side of the courthouse square. Wine and craft beer lovers will enjoy 4 local wineries in and around Athens and a new craft brewery in the heart of downtown Athens. Downtown Athens offers shopping, art galleries, the Henderson County Historical Museum and more. Recreation and entertainment, hunting, and fishing, bring people to the county along the Texas Forest Trail and the Texas Lakes Trail. The Old Fiddlers Reunion is held in May, and the Black-Eyed Pea Jamboree in July, both in Athens. Another very popular attraction is the widely known and visited Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC), combining outdoor education with a production fish hatchery. This $18 million facility was built without the use of state funds even though it belongs to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. TFFC houses a hatchery, laboratory, aquarium, and education center focusing on underwater wildlife in the state’s freshwater streams, ponds, and lakes. The East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society provides over 100 acres of natural East Texas nature and beauty. Other attractions include the Henderson County Historical Museum, the Henderson County Fairgrounds, the Athens Scuba Park, the Cain Center and Cain Park, Lake Athens, and the Tara Winery. Life in Athens is easy to enjoy with a broad choice of housing and recreation options, good schools, healthcare and more. Residents of Athens enjoy a high quality of life.

Brownsboro
City Offices
903-852-2401
http://brownsboro.us

Chamber of Commerce
903-852-6761

Brownsboro is the oldest town in Henderson County and is centrally located between Athens and Tyler. It is a small town of just over 1000 residents that covers an area of only about 3 miles. So everyone in this community knows their neighbors. The town is located between Lake Palestine and Cedar Creek Lake and several nearby private lakes with great fishing. The town is located among forests, lakes, and wide open pastures. Making it an ideal place to settle down. Residents enjoy traditional country living on large acreage home-sites, adding to the rural appeal of the community. Located only twenty minutes away from a major regional airport, big-city shopping, historic cultural art, and world-class healthcare. Brownsboro is situated about twenty miles south of I-20, and twenty miles west of Tyler, so residents don’t have to travel far from home to get what they need or want.

Chandler
City Offices
903-849-6853
http://www.chandlertx.com

Chamber of Commerce
903-849-5930
https://chandlertxchamberofcommerce.com

Chandler is a quiet rural community that has a strong sense of local pride. Its 3000 plus residents enjoy a high quality of life. Chandler is a “clean” city where one rarely sees any trash or rubbish on the streets. People move to and live in Chandler for a number of reasons including access to health care, ability to work and raise a family, the low crime rate and the wide availability of recreational activities. Lake Palestine is located south of Chandler and offers fishing, competitions, water sports, camping sites,
marina docks, restaurants, and more. The Neches River is the main source for this 25,000 acre, manmade lake. Various waterfowl inhabit this area and during the cooler season it becomes home to
many migratory species. Duck hunting is a popular sport at Lake Palestine. Chandler has several parks which have been enhanced over the past years. The city owned Winchester Park has playground equipment, lights, and four baseball fields and a concession stand. The park has a walking track with exercise stations. The park provides the community a fun, safe meeting place to enjoy the outdoors and annual festivals with family and friends. Baseball and softball tournaments are held throughout the year bringing many teams from nearby communities. Residents have access to everything that they need close to home, from food and drink to groceries and art. With Tyler a short drive away, residents also have the benefit of all that the larger city offers them.

Gun Barrel City
City Offices
903-887-1087
https://www.gunbarrelcity.net

Chamber of Commerce
903-887-3152
http://www.cedarcreeklakechamber.com

Gun Barrel City lies on the eastern shore of Cedar Creek Reservoir fifty-five miles southeast of Dallas. The community developed after construction of the reservoir. Today the town is home to more than 5700 residents. The town name is derived from its motto, “We Shoot Straight With You,” and its symbol, a rifle. Gun Barrel City offers an exciting lifestyle, for residents and visitors alike. Cedar Creek Lake is at the forefront of many attractions and things to do. The lake, which is technically named Cedar Creek Reservoir, was completed in 1965 as a water source to Fort Worth and many other local communities in North Texas. The lake is approximately 18 miles long and just over 2 miles wide. The shoreline stretches 220 miles from point to point, and its maximum depth is 62 feet. The lake also boasts three islands that are managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as Wildlife Management Areas for aquatic birds. The lake offers a diverse range of fishing, water sports, boating, birdwatching, and other recreational activities. Gun Barrel City holds two festivals each year, the July 4th Festival/Concert in the Park, and the Christmas Festival/Parade. The city has a lot to offer residents and visitors. The city is home to local parks, a public Skateboard Park, two public boat ramps on the north end of the lake, plus another on the south end. As the center of activity for the lake the city caters to visitors to the lake as well as residents.

Malakoff
City Offices
903-489-0699
http://cityofmalakoff.net

Chamber of Commerce
903-489-1346
http://malakoffchamber.org

Malakoff is a small community that is located at the end of Cedar Creek Lake. The community is popular with weekend visitors to the lake and is also a very popular second home area for residents from all over the state. With its close proximity to Dallas and Tyler, its an easy choice for those looking for a weekend getaway home. The towns is home to a little more than 2100 residents. The city is home to several businesses that support the activity of the lake as well as restaurants and shops. A unique item in the community are the murals painted by Artist Charlie Bullock, these large murals can be seen on the side of buildings including in the town square. The individuals depicted in his art are from the local community. The town was historically a coal town but when coal production ceased the clay that was in the soil was the next business. Clay provided the material for what because the county’s other main industry: brick production. Today, two huge kilns remain and production continues under the name of Acme. Bricks found around the state can be found marked Malakoff. This rural city offers its residents a very high quality of life in a quiet setting near one of the largest lakes in Texas. Residents can find anything they need close to home.

Tool
City Offices
903-432-3522
https://www.tooltexas.org

Chamber of Commerce
903-887-3152
http://www.cedarcreeklakechamber.com

Tool is a small city of just over 2200 residents. It is located on the west side of Cedar Creek Lake, which makes it a popular second home destination for people from all over the region, especially from Dallas. The City of Tool borders the beautiful East Texas lake with about 14.5 miles of shore line. This beautiful lake area offers majestic views, ideal fishing atmospheres, relaxing ambiance, and breath taking sunsets. Its location along the lake makes it an ideal location for those who enjoy the water. Outdoor activity is heavily centered on the lake and residents are fortunate to be able to live in homes that have lakefront property and even private boat docks. This is highly unusual on a man made reservoir. Recreation off the lake can include plenty of dining and shopping opportunities. Golfers will find courses to enjoy and those looking to just take a walk have plenty of space to do it. The community host several events throughout the year as well. Tool is a great place to call home with a wide range of housing choices that cover everything from the extravagant and lakefront to wide open space ranch land.