Overton, Texas
Overton lies in the wooded country of Rusk County in East Texas, about 20 miles east of Tyler, straddling the Rusk-Smith county line. The town sits atop the East Texas Oil Field, one of the great oil discoveries of the region, and it grew rapidly during the boom that followed the field's 1930 discovery nearby. The surrounding Piney Woods landscape of pine forest and pasture still carries the marks of that oil history.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 2,315
- Change from 2020 base
- +1.8%
- Land area
- 6.7 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Rusk County and Smith 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
Overton crosses county lines, so the appraisal district and tax office depend on the parcel address. School, city-limit, MUD, PID, and other special-district lines can be different too. Start with the full county list below instead of treating one county as the answer.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
County context
What to know around Overton
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Overton.
Oil Boom History
The East Texas Oilfield Changed This County Forever
The discovery of oil in Rusk County in 1930 opened the East Texas Oilfield and transformed the region from a quiet farming area into a boomtown almost overnight.
Property Tax Basics
One Office Values Your Property. Another Collects the Tax.
The Rusk County Appraisal District sets your property value; separate taxing units like school districts and cities bill and collect the tax.
County Origins
Smith County was established in 1846 and named for a Texas Revolution general
Smith County was carved out of the old Nacogdoches District in 1846 and named after General James Smith, a hero of the Texas Revolution.
Nearby
Places near Overton
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Overton
Compare nearby places
Put Census population, land area, county footprints, and official office routes side by side.
Open comparison ->Estimate property tax
Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Open estimator ->Look up another place
Every Texas town and all 254 counties.
Find a place ->