Huntsville, Texas
Huntsville sits in the wooded, rolling country of Walker County north of Houston, on the southern edge of the East Texas Piney Woods near the Sam Houston National Forest. It is the seat of Walker County and home to Sam Houston State University, and it is closely associated with Texas prison history, housing the state penitentiary and the Texas Prison Museum. A 67-foot statue of Sam Houston stands beside Interstate 45 south of town.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 49,088
- Change from 2020 base
- +7.1%
- Land area
- 41.8 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Walker 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 Walker 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 Huntsville
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Huntsville.
Local History
Sam Houston Lived and Died in Huntsville
Huntsville was Sam Houston's home for much of his later life, and the city preserves several of his historic residences on an 18-acre museum campus.
Property Tax Basics
How Property Taxes Work in Walker County
The Walker County Appraisal District sets your property value each year, and a separate tax office collects what you owe.
County History
Walker County Was Built on Cotton, Timber, and Prisons
Walker County was formed in 1846, grew wealthy on cotton and enslaved labor, then pivoted to timber after the railroad arrived in 1871.
Nearby
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