Palestine, Texas
Palestine is the seat of Anderson County, set in the pine and hardwood country of the East Texas Piney Woods about 46 miles southwest of Tyler. A railroad town from the 1870s, it retains a large stock of historic buildings and serves as the western terminus of the Texas State Railroad, a heritage line whose steam and diesel excursions run through the forest between Palestine and Rusk. The city is also known for its spring dogwood blooms, celebrated each year along the wooded trails around town.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 19,555
- Change from 2020 base
- +5.5%
- Land area
- 19.5 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Anderson 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 Anderson 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.
Local character
Start with Palestine itself
A few landmarks, stories, and everyday places that help give Palestine its shape.
Then zoom out to Anderson County
County history
Anderson County Was Named for a Vice President Who Never Saw It Formed
Kenneth Lewis Anderson presided over Texas's annexation vote, left the session sick, and died at Fanthorp Inn. Months later, lawmakers gave his name to a new East Texas county.
Property tax
Two Offices Handle Your Property Taxes in Anderson County
Your property's value gets decided at one Palestine office and your tax bill comes from another a few blocks away, two independent offices that surprise a lot of new owners.
History / Economy
The Railroad Gave Palestine a Second Downtown
When railroad tracks, shops, and offices rose away from Palestine's courthouse, businesses followed and created the district still remembered as New Town.
Nearby
Places near Palestine
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Palestine
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