Gainesville, Texas
Set in Cooke County near the Red River in North Texas, Gainesville lies about 29 miles north of Denton, close to the northern edge of the state. The city grew as a trading and agricultural center in a region of rolling cross-timbers and open ranchland, and it sits along the Interstate 35 corridor that runs up through North Texas. It is known for its Frank Buck Zoo and for the community Christmas lighting displays held there each year.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 18,528
- Change from 2020 base
- +6.7%
- Land area
- 19.3 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Cooke 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 Cooke 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 Gainesville
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Gainesville.
Civil War History
The Great Hanging of 1862 is a defining and painful chapter of Cooke County history
In October 1862, about 42 men suspected of Union loyalty were executed in Gainesville in what is known as the Great Hanging at Gainesville.
Property Tax Basics
Two offices handle your property taxes in Cooke County
The Cooke County Appraisal District sets your property value; the Tax Assessor-Collector collects the bill — and they are two separate offices.
Historic Trails
Major historic routes crossed Cooke County — and shaped Gainesville
Cooke County was crossed by a branch of the Chisholm Trail, the Butterfield Overland Mail route, and the Mormon Trail, making Gainesville a key supply stop in the 1800s.
Nearby
Places near Gainesville
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Gainesville
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