Sherman, Texas facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Sherman, Texas
City
Paul Brown United States Courthouse in Sherman
Motto(s): "Classic Town. Broad Horizon."
Location of Sherman, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Grayson
Founded	1846
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• City	46.22 sq mi (119.72 km²)
• Land	46.15 sq mi (119.52 km²)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.20 km²)
• Urban	38.5 sq mi (99.7 km²)
• Metro	979 sq mi (2,536 km²)
Elevation	686 ft (209 m)
Population (2020)
• City	43,645
• Density	945.82/sq mi (365.18/km²)
• Urban	66,691 (US: 418th)
• Urban density	1,732.5/sq mi (668.9/km²)
• Metro	135,543
• Metro density	140/sq mi (50/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	75090-75092
Area code(s)	903, 430
FIPS code	48-67496
GNIS feature ID	2411888

Sherman is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. It is also the county seat, which means it is the main city where the county government is located. In 2020, about 43,645 people lived in Sherman. It is one of the biggest cities in the Texoma area, which covers parts of North Texas and southern Oklahoma.

History of Sherman

Sherman in 1891, showing its early development.

Sherman got its name from General Sidney Sherman, a hero from the Texas Revolution. The Texas Legislature officially made Sherman the county seat on March 17, 1846. A post office opened in 1847.

Originally, Sherman was in the very center of Grayson County. But in 1848, it was moved about 3 miles (5 km) east to where it is today. By 1850, Sherman became an official town under Texas law. It was also a stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route, which was important for mail delivery. By 1852, Sherman had 300 people. It had a public square with a log courthouse, several shops, and a church. In 1861, the first flour mill was built.

During the 1850s and 1860s, Sherman continued to grow. Many people in North Texas had moved from the southern states. However, not many of them owned slaves. This meant that many people in the area supported the Union during the American Civil War. A local newspaper, the Patriot, even tried to make North Texas an independent free state. When the Confederate army started forcing people to join, many in North Texas resisted.

Later in the Civil War, a group of pro-Confederate fighters led by William Quantrill stayed near Sherman during the winter of 1863-1864. Even Jesse James, a famous outlaw, visited Sherman for his honeymoon.

Education in Early Sherman

In the 1860s, schools started to develop in North Texas. The Sherman Male and Female High School opened in 1866. It later changed names several times, becoming Kidd-Key College and Conservatory. In 1876, Austin College, the oldest college in Texas that has been open continuously, moved to Sherman. The Sherman Female Institute, later called Mary Nash College, opened in 1877. Another women's college, Carr–Burdette College, operated from 1894 to 1929. Sherman also had a Jewish community that met for holidays by 1873.

Growth and Challenges

After the Civil War, during a time called the Reconstruction Era, Sherman remained busy with trade. By the 1870s, Sherman's population grew to 6,000 people. In 1875, two fires destroyed many buildings near the town square. After this, new buildings, including the Grayson County Courthouse, were built using stronger materials.

On May 15, 1896, a very strong tornado hit Sherman. It was an F5 tornado, which is the strongest kind. The tornado was 400 yards (366 meters) wide and traveled 28 miles (45 km). It killed 73 people and injured 200. About 50 homes were destroyed, and 20 of them were completely gone.

In 1901, the first electric "Interurban" railway in Texas was built between Sherman and Denison. This train made it easier to travel between the two cities. Later, in 1908, a 65-mile (105 km) interurban line connected Sherman to Dallas. These interurban lines allowed people to travel to many other Texas cities and even to Durant, Oklahoma. A popular spot on the interurban line was Wood Lake Park, a private amusement park. However, by 1948, all interurban train services in Texas had stopped.

The Sherman Riot of 1930

On May 9, 1930, a serious event known as the Sherman Riot occurred. The Grayson County Courthouse was burned down by a crowd. During the event, a man named George Hughes was inside the courthouse vault and died in the fire. After the fire, the crowd removed his body, dragged it, and set it on fire. The area of Sherman where many African American businesses were located was also burned. Many African Americans left the city. Texas Governor Dan Moody sent National Guard troops to Sherman, and martial law was declared for ten days.

Geography and Climate

Sherman is located a little east of the center of Grayson County. It is between Denison to the north and Howe to the south. The city covers about 41.5 square miles (107.4 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Sherman is about 70 miles (113 km) north of Dallas. It is also about 31 miles (50 km) southwest of Durant, Oklahoma. Gainesville is 32 miles (51 km) to the west, and Bonham is 26 miles (42 km) to the east.

Climate in Sherman

Sherman has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	35	—
1860	613	1,651.4%
1870	1,439	134.7%
1880	6,093	323.4%
1890	7,335	20.4%
1900	10,243	39.6%
1910	12,412	21.2%
1920	15,031	21.1%
1930	15,713	4.5%
1940	17,156	9.2%
1950	20,150	17.5%
1960	24,988	24.0%
1970	29,061	16.3%
1980	30,413	4.7%
1990	31,601	3.9%
2000	35,082	11.0%
2010	38,521	9.8%
2020	43,645	13.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Sherman's population has grown steadily over the years. In 2020, there were 43,645 people living in the city. There were 15,687 households and 10,097 families.

**Sherman racial composition as of 2020**
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	24,248	55.56%
Black or African American (NH)	4,473	10.25%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	490	1.12%
Asian (NH)	1,387	3.18%
Pacific Islander (NH)	24	0.05%
Some Other Race (NH)	134	0.31%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	2,310	5.29%
Hispanic or Latino	10,579	24.24%
Total	43,645

Economy and Jobs

Sherman is a growing city with many job opportunities. In 2022, Texas Instruments started building a large factory in Sherman to make computer chips. This factory began operations in early 2025 and created 3,000 jobs. Around the same time, GlobalWafers also opened a large factory nearby, creating 1,500 jobs.

Major Employers

Some of the top employers in Sherman include:

Tyson Foods
Texas Instruments
II-VI Incorporated
Grayson County
City of Sherman
Cooper B-Line Systems
Austin College
Fisher Controls/ Emerson Process Management
Kaiser Aluminum
Presco Products
Progress Rail
Consolidated Containers
Plyler Construction
Starr Aircraft
Offen Petroleum
GlobiTech
Sunny Delight Beverages

City Government

Sherman has a council-manager form of government. This means the city council makes decisions, and a city manager handles the day-to-day running of the city. As of 2025, Dr. Zachary Flores was the City Manager and Shawn Teamann was the Mayor.

Education in Sherman

Sherman Middle School

Public Schools

Most students in Sherman attend schools in the Sherman Independent School District. This district includes Sherman High School. Some parts of Sherman are in the Denison Independent School District or Howe Independent School District. Joel Olivo Middle School also serves some students.

Private Schools

A small number of children in Sherman attend private schools. These include Grayson Christian School, St. Mary's Catholic School, and Texoma Christian School.

Colleges and Universities

Administration Building on the Austin College campus

Austin College, a private college, moved to Sherman in 1876. It is a Presbyterian liberal arts college. Founded in 1849, it is the oldest college in Texas that has been open continuously since its beginning. Grayson College, which is a community college based in Denison, also has a campus in Sherman.

Libraries

The Sherman Public Library serves all residents of Sherman. The library had a big renovation in 2017 and reopened in August 2018.

Media and News

KXII television studio in Sherman

Sherman has several ways for people to get news and entertainment.

Magazines

Texoma Living! magazine

Newspapers

The Herald Democrat

Radio Stations

KLAK 97.5 FM (K-LAKE FM)
KMAD 102.5 FM (Mad Rock)
KMKT 93.1 FM (Katy Country)
KQDR 107.3 FM (Hot 107.3 FM)
KJIM 1500 AM and 101.3 FM (The Memory Maker)

Television Stations

KTEN Channel 10 – (NBC)
KTEN DT Channel 10.2 – (The CW Texoma)
KTEN DT Channel 10.3 – (ABC)
KXII Channel 12 – (CBS)
KXII DT Channel 12.2 (My Texoma)
KXII DT Channel 12.3 (Fox Texoma)

Transportation and Services

Sherman City Hall

Roads and Highways

Sherman is served by two major U.S. Highways:

U.S. Highway 75 (Sam Rayburn Freeway) goes from Oklahoma to Dallas.
U.S. Highway 82 (Buck Owens Freeway) goes east-west from Georgia to New Mexico.

It also has several Texas State Highways:

SH 56 goes east-west from Honey Grove to Whitesboro.
SH 91 (Texoma Parkway) goes north-south from Achille, Oklahoma to Sherman. This is a main road connecting Sherman and Denison.
SH 11 goes east-west from Linden to Sherman.

Other important roads include:

FM 1417 (north-south: Denison to Sherman)
FM 691 (east-west: Sherman to North Texas Regional Airport)
FM 131 (north-south: Denison to Sherman)
FM 697 (east-west: Whitewright to Sherman)

Airports

Sherman Municipal Airport

For smaller planes, Sherman is served by Sherman Municipal Airport. The larger North Texas Regional Airport/Perrin Field is located nearby in Denison.

Public Transportation

TAPS Public Transit provides transportation services in Sherman. They offer curb-to-curb service for all residents.

Medical Care

Wilson N. Jones Regional Medical Center in Sherman

Sherman has several medical facilities, including Wilson N. Jones Regional Medical Center, Texoma Medical Center, and a Baylor Scott & White surgery center.

Sports and Recreation

In 2023, it was announced that Sherman would be home to two new minor league sports teams. A semi-professional baseball team called the Sherman Shadowcats started playing in the Mid-American League in the spring of 2024. A soccer club, Texoma FC, which is part of USL League One, began playing in the city in 2025.