Timpson, Texas
Timpson is a city in Shelby County, in the Piney Woods of deep East Texas about 46 miles southeast of Longview. It grew as a station on the Houston, East and West Texas Railway and became an important lumber and shipping town, its streets laid out at an angle to follow the original rail line through the dense pine forest. Timpson is remembered in the Tex Ritter folk song "Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair," naming a string of small Shelby County railroad stops.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 995
- Change from 2020 base
- +0.6%
- Land area
- 2.5 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Timpson
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Timpson.
County History
How Center became the county seat of Shelby County
Shelby County was formed in 1836 and named for a Revolutionary War hero, and its county seat moved from Shelbyville to Center in 1866.
Property Tax
Who handles your property tax in Shelby County
Two separate offices handle property taxes in Shelby County. The appraisal district sets your value, and the tax assessor-collector sends your bill.
Tax Exemptions
Lower your tax bill: homestead and timberland exemptions
Texas law gives homeowners and working landowners ways to reduce their property tax bill, but you have to apply.
Nearby
Places near Timpson
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Timpson
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