Rusk County is a county in Texas, United States, in the East Texas oil field. It had a population of 52,214 at the 2020 census and covers 938 square miles (2,430 km2) centred near 32°07′N 94°46′W.
Henderson is the county seat, and its postal code is 75652. The county holds a mix of cities, towns and about fifty unincorporated communities, no civil townships, and sits in the Central time zone. Its FIPS code is 48401.
Towns & Villages in Rusk County
Rusk County has around sixty named places on record, from the city of Henderson down to crossroads communities of a few dozen residents. A handful — Kilgore, Overton, Tatum and Mount Enterprise — are incorporated towns or cities; New London is a census-designated place; the rest are unincorporated communities, some no more than a church and a cemetery today.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson | City · seat | 13,724 | 75652 / 75653 |
| Kilgore | City | — | 75662 |
| Overton | Town | — | 75684 |
| Tatum | Town | — | 75691 |
| Mount Enterprise | Town | — | 75681 |
| New London | CDP | — | 75682 |
| Anadarko | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arlam | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Big Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brachfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bryce | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Caledonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chalk Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chapman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Church Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Concord | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Craig | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crimcrest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cross Roads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dirgin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Easton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fairview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Freeneytown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Friars | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenfawn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Good Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gum Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hickey | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jacobs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Joinerville | Unincorp. | — | 75672 |
| Laird Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake Cherokee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laneville | Unincorp. | — | 75667 |
| Lawsonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leveretts Chapel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Liberty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| London | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mayflower | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McKnight | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Minden | Unincorp. | — | 75680 |
| Monroe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Hope | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Prospect | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Salem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Flats | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old London | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pinehill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pirtle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pitner Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pone | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Price | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Level | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reklaw | Unincorp. | — | 75784 |
| Selman City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sexton City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stewart | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stringtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sulphur Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Turnertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Valley Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Zion Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
Kilgore straddles the Rusk–Gregg county line, with the larger share of the city on the Gregg County side; this profile lists it as a Rusk County community per its historic downtown and southern neighborhoods. New London is unincorporated but tracked by the Census Bureau as a CDP, distinct from Old London a few miles away.
ZIP Codes
- 75652 — Henderson
- 75653 — Henderson (also serves rural routes east of the city)
- 75662 — Kilgore
- 75667 — Laneville
- 75672 — Joinerville
- 75680 — Minden
- 75681 — Mount Enterprise
- 75682 — New London
- 75684 — Overton
- 75691 — Tatum
- 75784 — Reklaw
Smaller communities such as Caledonia, Concord and Selman City have no post office of their own and are served by the ZIP code of the nearest listed town.
Geography
Rusk County sits in the Piney Woods of East Texas, a gently rolling landscape of pine and hardwood forest cut by creeks draining toward the Sabine and Angelina river systems. Of its 938 square miles, 14 square miles are water, including Lake Cherokee along the county’s northwestern edge. The county borders Gregg County to the north, Harrison County to the northeast, Panola County to the east, Shelby County to the southeast, Nacogdoches County to the south, Cherokee County to the southwest, and Smith County to the west.
Demographics
Rusk County had 52,214 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 57 people per square mile. Henderson is the largest community, followed by the Rusk County side of Kilgore. Median household income in the county runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the area’s rural, oil-and-timber economic base.
Economy & Local Life
Rusk County is part of the East Texas Oil Field, one of the largest oil discoveries in U.S. history, first struck near Joinerville in October 1930. Oil and gas production, along with timber, poultry and cattle operations, remain central to the county economy today. Henderson serves as the retail and government hub for the county, and Kilgore College and Panola College both draw students from Rusk County communities nearby.
History
Rusk County was organized on January 16, 1843, and named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk, secretary of war of the Republic of Texas and later a U.S. senator. The county is remembered nationally for the New London school explosion of March 18, 1937, a natural gas explosion at the New London school that killed nearly 300 people, mostly children — still ranked among the deadliest school disasters in American history and the reason Texas now requires odorized natural gas.
Getting There
U.S. Highways 79, 84 and 259 cross the county, and Interstate 69 is under construction through the area.
- Tyler — 25 miles west
- Longview — 20 miles northeast
- Nacogdoches — 30 miles south
- Shreveport, Louisiana — 65 miles east
East Texas Regional Airport in Longview is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rusk County, Texas?
It is in East Texas, between Tyler and Longview, roughly 130 miles east of Dallas.
What is the population of Rusk County?
52,214 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Rusk County?
938 square miles (2,430 km2), of which 14 square miles are water.
What is the county seat of Rusk County?
Henderson.
How many towns are in Rusk County?
Around sixty named places, including the incorporated cities and towns of Henderson, Kilgore, Overton, Tatum and Mount Enterprise, plus dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Rusk County?
Including 75652 and 75653 (Henderson), 75662 (Kilgore), 75684 (Overton), 75691 (Tatum) and 75681 (Mount Enterprise).
What happened at New London in 1937?
A natural gas explosion destroyed the New London school on March 18, 1937, killing nearly 300 people, one of the worst disasters in U.S. school history.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.