Smith County, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Smith County
U.S. county
Smith County Courthouse in Tyler
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	July 1846
Seat	Tyler
Largest city	Tyler
Area
• Total	950 sq mi (2,500 km2)
• Land	921 sq mi (2,390 km2)
• Water	28 sq mi (70 km2)  3.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	233,479
• Estimate  (2022)	241,757
• Density	245.8/sq mi (94.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st

Smith County is a place in Texas, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 233,479 people lived there. The main city, called the county seat, is Tyler. Smith County is named after James Smith, a brave general from the Texas Revolution. Smith County is also part of the larger Tyler city area.

Exploring Smith County's Past

Smith County veterans display, the Wall of Memories, in the Tyler plaza

A memorial in Tyler plaza

A memorial in Tyler plaza

The very first people known to live in the area of Smith County were the Caddo Indians. They lived here long before others arrived.

In July 1846, Smith County was officially formed. It separated from the Nacogdoches District. The county was named to honor James Smith, a general who fought in the Texas Revolution. At this time, Tyler was chosen as the main city for the county.

Camp Ford: A Historic Site

During the American Civil War, Camp Ford was the biggest prisoner-of-war camp west of the Mississippi River. Today, the original site of Camp Ford is a public park. It is owned by Smith County and looked after by the Smith County Historical Society.

The park has a kiosk, a paved walking trail, and signs that explain its history. There is also a rebuilt cabin and a picnic area. You can find Camp Ford on Highway 271, just north of Loop 323.

Learning About Local History

The Smith County Historical Society is a group that works to find, collect, and keep important items and information about Smith County's history. This group started in 1959. They help people learn about the past of this area. You can find more information on their website.

Smith County's Location and Roads

Smith County covers a total area of about 950 square miles. Most of this area, about 921 square miles, is land. The remaining 28 square miles, which is about 3%, is water. The county has many roads, including about 1,180 miles of two-lane county roads.

Main Roads in Smith County

Neighboring Counties

Smith County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Wood County (to the north)
• Upshur County (to the northeast)
• Gregg County (to the east)
• Rusk County (to the southeast)
• Cherokee County (to the south)
• Henderson County (to the southwest)
• Van Zandt County (to the northwest)

People and Population in Smith County

In 2010, the population of Smith County was 209,714 people. This was a big increase from its population of 4,292 in 1850. By 2020, the population grew even more to 233,479.

The people living in Smith County come from many different backgrounds. In 2020, about 57.59% of the people were non-Hispanic white. About 16.28% were Black or African American. Other groups included American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, and people of mixed races. About 20.25% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. These numbers show that Smith County, like many other places in the U.S., is becoming more diverse.

In 2021, the average income for a household in Smith County was about $63,115. The average value of a home owned by its residents was around $169,600. About 12.51% of the people in the county lived at or below the poverty line.

Education in Smith County

Many different school districts serve children in Smith County. These districts help students from kindergarten through high school.

Local School Districts

• Arp Independent School District
• Bullard Independent School District (also partly in Cherokee County)
• Chapel Hill Independent School District
• Gladewater Independent School District (also partly in Gregg County and Upshur County)
• Lindale Independent School District (also partly in Van Zandt County)
• Troup Independent School District (also partly in Cherokee County)
• Tyler Independent School District
• Van Independent School District (also partly in Van Zandt County)
• Whitehouse Independent School District
• Winona Independent School District

Colleges and Universities

For students who want to continue their education after high school, there are several colleges and universities in the area:

• Tyler Junior College
• Texas College
• University of Texas at Tyler

Media and News in Smith County

Smith County is part of a larger media area that includes Tyler, Longview, and Jacksonville. This means people in the county can watch local TV news and listen to radio stations.

Television and Radio

Some of the local TV channels include KLTV, KTRE-TV, KYTX-TV, KFXK-TV, KCEB-TV, and KETK-TV. For radio listeners, KTBB is an AM station based in Tyler that offers news and talk shows.

Newspapers

The main newspaper for Smith County is the Tyler Morning Telegraph. It is published daily in Tyler. You can also find news about the area in the Longview News-Journal, which is printed in Longview.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Smith (Texas) para niños