Big Sandy, Texas
Big Sandy is a town in Upshur County in the East Texas Piney Woods, situated about 20 miles northeast of Tyler and a similar distance west of Longview. It grew up as a railroad town in the timber and farming country of the region, where pine forests and creek bottoms cover the rolling land. The surrounding area is part of the wooded, small-town landscape of Northeast Texas.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- Town
- July 2025 population
- 1,339
- Change from 2020 base
- +8.8%
- Land area
- 1.6 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Upshur County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Upshur County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
County context
What to know around Big Sandy
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Big Sandy.
County History
Upshur County Was Created in 1846 and Named for a Cabinet Official
Texas established Upshur County on April 27, 1846, naming it for Abel Parker Upshur, the U.S. Secretary of State who died in a cannon accident in 1844.
Property Tax
Where to Handle Property Tax in Upshur County
The Upshur Appraisal District in Gilmer sets property values and handles exemption applications for all taxing entities in the county.
Economic History
Timber, Cotton, and Oil Shaped Upshur County's Economy
Upshur County's economy moved from cotton and timber in the 1800s to oil after a 1931 discovery that helped the county survive the Great Depression.
Nearby
Places near Big Sandy
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Big Sandy
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