Anderson County is a county in Texas, United States, on the western edge of the Piney Woods along U.S. Route 79. It had a population of 57,922 at the 2020 census and covers 1,078 square miles (2,790 km2) of which 15 square miles (39 km2) is water, centred near 31°49′N 95°39′W.
Palestine is the county seat, and its postal code is 75801. The county has 3 incorporated cities and towns plus roughly two dozen unincorporated communities, no civil townships (Texas counties do not use them), and sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Anderson County
Anderson County has three incorporated places — Palestine, Elkhart and Frankston — and about two dozen unincorporated communities scattered through the surrounding farm and timber country. “Unincorp.” below means the place has no city government of its own; several, including Tennessee Colony, share a name with more than one nearby cluster of housing and correctional facilities.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palestine | City · seat | — | 75801, 75802, 75803 |
| Elkhart | Town | — | 75839 |
| Frankston | Town | — | 75763 |
| Tennessee Colony | Unincorp. | — | 75861 |
| Montalba | Unincorp. | — | 75853 |
| Cayuga | Unincorp. | — | 75832 |
| Neches | Unincorp. | — | 75779 |
| Slocum | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alderbranch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blackfoot | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bois d’Arc | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bradford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brushy Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cronin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crystal Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elmtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elmwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flint Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fosterville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greens Bluff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Long Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Massey Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mound City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pert | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Salmon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Springfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Todd City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tucker | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wells Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yard | Unincorp. | — | — |
Palestine anchors the county both as seat and largest city; Elkhart and Frankston are the only other incorporated places. Tennessee Colony is best known today for the two state prison units built there, which inflate its footprint on maps well beyond its residential population.
ZIP Codes
- 75801 — Palestine (main delivery ZIP)
- 75802 — Palestine (PO Box)
- 75803 — Palestine
- 75839 — Elkhart
- 75763 — Frankston
- 75853 — Montalba
- 75861 — Tennessee Colony
- 75832 — Cayuga (PO Box)
- 75779 — Neches (PO Box)
Most of the county’s smaller unincorporated communities, including Slocum, Bethel and Brushy Creek, use a Palestine, Elkhart or Frankston mailing address rather than a ZIP of their own.
Geography
Anderson County sits on the western fringe of East Texas’s Piney Woods, where pine and hardwood forest gives way to the Post Oak Savannah. The Neches River forms much of the county’s eastern boundary, and the Trinity River runs along the west, with the Trinity River corridor and the Tennessee Colony reservoir area giving the county its largest lakes and bottomland. Anderson County borders Henderson County to the north, Cherokee County to the east, Houston County to the south, Leon County to the southwest, and Freestone County to the west.
Demographics
Anderson County had 57,922 residents at the 2020 census, giving it a density of about 55 people per square mile. Palestine, the county seat, is by far the largest community, with Tennessee Colony the largest of the unincorporated places. Anderson County’s median household income runs well below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the rural, agriculture- and corrections-heavy economy outside Palestine.
Economy & Local Life
Texas state and federal corrections employment is a major economic driver — several Texas Department of Criminal Justice units are sited in the Tennessee Colony area, making the prison system one of the county’s largest employers. Palestine itself is a regional trade and medical hub for East Texas, home to UT Health East Texas Palestine and the Palestine Regional Medical Center service area, plus timber, cattle ranching and oil-field service businesses across the rest of the county. Palestine hosts the Texas Hot Pepper Festival each October, one of the region’s better-known annual events.
History
Anderson County was organized on March 24, 1846, one of the original counties created shortly after Texas statehood, and was named for Kenneth Lewis Anderson, the last vice president of the Republic of Texas, who died the year before the county’s creation. Palestine, founded the same year, became the seat and grew into a railroad town after the International-Great Northern Railroad reached it in the 1870s, a boom that shaped much of its historic downtown.
Getting There
U.S. Routes 79, 84 and 287 and State Highways 19 and 155 cross the county, converging on Palestine.
- Tyler — 35 miles northeast
- Corsicana — 40 miles northwest
- Huntsville — 55 miles south
- Tyler Pounds Regional Airport is the nearest commercial airport, about 40 miles northeast of Palestine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Anderson County, Texas?
It is in East Texas along U.S. Route 79, between Tyler to the northeast and Huntsville to the south.
What is the population of Anderson County?
57,922 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Anderson County?
1,078 square miles (2,790 km2), including 15 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Anderson County?
Palestine is the county seat.
How many towns are in Anderson County?
Three incorporated places — Palestine, Elkhart and Frankston — plus about two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Anderson County?
Palestine uses 75801, 75802 and 75803; Elkhart is 75839, Frankston is 75763, and smaller communities use Montalba (75853), Tennessee Colony (75861), Cayuga (75832) and Neches (75779).
What is Anderson County known for?
Palestine’s railroad heritage and the Texas Hot Pepper Festival, plus the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison units near Tennessee Colony.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.