Red River County, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Red River County
U.S. county
Red River County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1837
Named for	Red River of the South
Seat	Clarksville
Largest city	Clarksville
Area
• Total	1,057 sq mi (2,740 km2)
• Land	1,037 sq mi (2,690 km2)
• Water	20 sq mi (50 km2)  1.9%
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,587
• Density	10.962/sq mi (4.2325/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 4th

Red River County is a place in the state of Texas in the United States. It's called a county, which is like a smaller area within a state. In 2020, about 11,587 people lived there. The main town and where the county government is located is Clarksville.

Red River County was started in 1835 and officially organized in 1837. It got its name from the Red River, a big river that forms its northern border. A very important person, John Nance Garner, who was the 32nd Vice President of the United States, was born in Red River County.

Exploring Red River County's Geography

Red River County covers a total area of about 1,057 square miles. Most of this area, about 1,037 square miles, is land. The rest, about 20 square miles, is water.

Rivers and Lakes in the County

The county has several important waterways:

• Sulphur River
• Red River of the South (This river gives the county its name!)
• Shawnee Creek (Texas)
• Brevelle Lake

Main Roads and Highways

These are the major roads that help people travel through Red River County:

• U.S. Highway 82
• U.S. Highway 271
• State Highway 37

Neighboring Counties and Areas

Red River County shares its borders with several other counties and one state:

• McCurtain County, Oklahoma (to the north)
• Bowie County (to the east)
• Morris County (to the southeast)
• Titus County (to the south)
• Franklin County (to the southwest)
• Delta County (to the southwest)
• Lamar County (to the west)
• Choctaw County, Oklahoma (to the northwest)

Towns and Communities

Red River County is home to several towns and smaller communities.

Cities in Red River County

• Bogata
• Clarksville (This is the main town where the county government is located.)
• Deport (Most of this city is actually in Lamar County.)
• Detroit

Smaller Towns

• Annona
• Avery

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller places that don't have their own city government:

• Aikin Grove
• Albion
• Bagwell
• Cuthand
• English
• Maple
• Negley
• Peters Prairie
• McCoinville

Ghost Town

• Opah (A ghost town is a place where people used to live, but now it's mostly empty.)

Population and People

The number of people living in Red River County has changed over time. In 2020, the population was 11,587.

In 2000, there were 14,314 people living in the county. The population density was about 14 people per square mile. By 2020, the population had decreased to 11,587.

The people living in Red River County come from different backgrounds. In 2020, about 73.35% of the people were White, and about 15.00% were Black or African American. About 6.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

Education in Red River County

Students in Red River County attend schools in different school districts. These districts help make sure kids get a good education.

School Districts Serving the County

• Avery ISD
• Clarksville ISD
• Detroit ISD
• Prairiland ISD (This district is mostly in Lamar County.)
• Rivercrest ISD (Parts of this district are in Titus County and Franklin County.)

After high school, students from these areas can go to certain colleges. Students from Clarksville, Detroit, Prairiland, and Rivercrest school districts can attend Paris Junior College. Those from Avery ISD can go to Texarkana College.

Famous People from Red River County

Many interesting and important people have come from Red River County.

• Jean Baptiste Brevelle (1698-1754): He was an early explorer, trader, and soldier in the 1700s. He explored the area and helped set up some of the first European settlements. Brevelle Lake is named after him.
• Edward H. Tarrant (1799–1867): Tarrant County was named after him. He lived in Red River County when he first moved to Texas in the 1830s.
• John "Cactus Jack" Garner (1868–1967): He was born in Red River County. He served as the Vice President of the U.S. for eight years under President F. D. Roosevelt.
• B.P. Newman (1927–2008): He was a successful business person and developer in Texas. He was born in Red River County.
• Jim Leavelle (1920–2019): He was a detective in Dallas. He became well-known for escorting Lee Harvey Oswald when Oswald was shot. Jim Leavelle was born in Red River County.
• William Humphrey (1924–1997): He was a famous author who wrote books like Home from the Hill. He was born and grew up in Red River County. His book Home from the Hill was even made into a movie!
• J. D. Tippit (1924–1963): He was a Dallas policeman. A monument to him is on Highway 37 South. He was born and raised in Red River County.
• Tommie Smith (1944–): He is an Olympic champion! He set world and Olympic records in the 200-meter race at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico.

Images for kids

• 

  Red River, Texas

• 

  The John Nance Garner Home in Detroit

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Red River para niños