Smith

Smith County

Updated on: January 11, 2022
Coordinates
32° 22' 48" N, 95° 16' 12" W (32.38, -95.27)
State
Texas
Region
Northeast
County Seat:
Tyler
Year Organized:
1846
Total Square Miles:
949.721
921 square miles land
28 square miles water
Population:
227727 (2017)
Population: 225,290 Est. (2016) 209,714 (2010)
Persons/Square Mile:
240
Smith County Website
http://www.smith-county.com/

Contiguous Counties

Wood (N)
Upshur (NE)
Gregg (E)
Rusk (SE)
Cherokee (S)
Henderson (SW)
Van Zandt (NW)

County structure

Government Type:
County
Authority:
Dillon's Rule
Legislative Body:
Commisioners Court
Size of Legislative Body:
5

Demographics

2018 Population:
227727
25 to 64 Years of Age:
49.34%
65 Years of Age and Older:
16.51%

Economy, 2018

Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
$10.2 B
Labor Force:
107,543
Unemployment Rate:
3.60%

County Contact

100 N Broadway Ave
County Courthouse
Tyler, TX, 75702-7236

https://www.smith-county.com/

In northeastern Texas, Smith County is approximately 58 miles east of the state boundary. Cherokee County borders the County to the South; Rusk County to the East and Upshur and Wood counties to the North.

As a result of its location at the crossroads of many major state highways, Tyler, the county seat, is easily accessible from anywhere in the County. The County’s northern portion is served by Interstate 20, which runs from North to south.

The County is named after a Texas Revolutionaries called James Smith. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway (or Cotton Belt) has traversed Smith County for more than a century. Missouri Pacific, established in the late 1870s as the International and Great Northern Railroad, goes through the County’s southeastern section.

Smith County Geography

Located in the County’s southeast region, Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East are important reservoirs, while Lake Palestine is on the County’s southwest border. There are 932 square miles of East Texas Timberlands in the County.

Two-thirds dominate this area by post oak, one-third by blackjack oak, and one-third by long grasses. There are sandy prairie loams in the northwest and east and loam-covered clay across the County’s soils.

The elevation varies between 300 and 600 feet above sea level. Iron ore, clay, limestone, and lignite are all examples of mineral resources. Only 1% to 10% of the County is suitable for farming.

Temperatures range from 33°F in January to 95°F in July, with an average annual rainfall of 44 inches. Starting at the end of November and lasting until the beginning of March, the growing season has a total of 259 days.

Smith County Arts And Culture

The County holds festivals throughout the year, including the Azalea Trails in spring and the Texas Rose Festival in the fall. Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival draws tens of thousands of people to the downtown area each year. In addition to the Downtown Tyler Music Festival and CityFest, Hit the Bricks, the Tyler Azalea Trails, and Downtown Tyler’s Holiday Open House.

Nearby the world-renowned Tyler Rose Garden, there is a museum dedicated to showcasing and documenting the history of the yearly Texas Rose Festival.

Tyler Civic Theater Center

The Tyler Little Theatre, established in 1927, was later known as the Tyler Civic Theatre Center (TCTC). As a result of the efforts of volunteers and the generosity of foundations and the general public, TCTC dedicated its new home in September of that year.

Seminars for youngsters through adults teach student-actors about all facets of playmaking. The new Braithwaite Theatre at TCTC has a capacity of 350 people, which is nearly double the capacity of the former theater. The complex’s official name is Tyler Civic Theatre Center.

The theater shows films ranging from sophisticated comedies to family-friendly classics live. Children as young as four years old can participate in various summer theatrical programs and classes.

Tyler Convention And Trade Centre

Nearby the Tyler Rose Garden and across the street from the Harvey Convention Center, at 400 Rose Park Drive, lies the Tyler Convention and Trade Center.

Permanent, cyclical, and special shows are part of the Tyler Museum of Art’s calendar.

Tyler Museum Of Art

The Junior League of Tyler’s efforts resulted in the opening of the Tyler Museum of Art in 1971. It is in the Tyler Junior College campus, a facility that has won numerous accolades.

In addition to the North and Bell galleries, the building’s ground level houses two more important exhibition rooms. They have a gift shop in addition to the library and the school.

More than 1,200 pieces by artists like James Surls, Vernon Fisher, Alexander Calder, Terry Allen, and Charles Umlauf and paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures are part of the Museum’s permanent collection, which is continually growing. The Museum is now working on plans for a massive expansion.

Smith County Climate

There is a 29°F decline in daily maximum temperatures from 92.2°F to 63.3°F. Lows are never lower than 49°F, and highs are never higher than 98°F.

Lows range from 72°F to 44°F daily, although they never dip below 31°F or rise above 76°F.

Summer temperatures in Tyler often fall between 74 and 94 degrees Fahrenheit. Most years, it’s between 38 and 56 degrees Fahrenheit on the coldest day.

The percentage of time the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy in Tyler increases from 35 percent to 41 percent during the fall. On October 5th, there is a 27% chance of cloudy or mostly cloudy conditions.

So a rainy day is when at least 0.04 inches of rain or rain-equivalent falls from the sky. During fall, the likelihood of a rainy day in Tyler gradually increases. There is a 24 percent to 27 percent range here. More than three-quarters of the time, the sky is mostly clear or partly cloudy on October 5th.

Tyler, Texas, will experience shorter days as the summer draws close and the changing seasons take hold. Thirty-seven minutes and 37 seconds. Between now and the season’s conclusion, it will take that long for the length of the day to change. An average of 1 minute, 45 seconds is lost per day.

Smith County Attraction Sites

Grand Saline Salt Palace

The “Salt Palace” isn’t your average palace. Everything about it is as compact as a shop. When it comes to telling the tale of Grand Saline, this book is a must-read. DIsplayed on the building’s modest Museum are salt mining souvenirs, photographs, and video footage from the Morton Salt mining operations.

Caldwell zoo

In addition to its enormous wildlife collection, the Caldwell Zoo also offers numerous educational opportunities. The zoo was founded in 1937 by David King Caldwell as a tiny backyard zoo. At some point in time after the zoo’s expansion, the management renamed it Caldwell Children’s Zoo. More than 2,000 animals are inside the 85-acre grounds of the Caldwell Zoo.

There are currently elephants, giraffes, a savanna, an African aquarium, a herbarium, a wild bird walk-through at the zoo, and other animal habitats. An aquarium and reptile facility began in 1984, and a Texas farm and natural area opened in 1983.

Smith County Offices

Smith County District Attorney is Jacob Putman. He is in charge of criminal investigations and keeping records of all judicial activities affecting the County. His office is along North Way Avenue in Tyler. You can reach his office for more inquiries through different lines for different departments he heads.

The director in charge of human resources in the County is Esmeralda Delmas. Her office is located along Ferguson Street in Tyler and is open from Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. You can contact her through her main line at (903) 590-4644 or fax at (903) 590-4640.

Also, there is the office of the County Auditor. Ann Wilson is the person occupying the seat as the Chief Financial Officer of the County, safeguarding all the County’s assets. Her office is along Ferguson Street in Tyler.

The Chief Information Officer is Don Bell. He provides all the technology solutions for the county residents to enhance their experience in their transacting business within the County.