Willis, Texas
Set in the piney woods of Montgomery County about 19 miles north of The Woodlands, Willis is a small city on Interstate 45 near the north end of Lake Conroe. Once a center of tobacco farming in the late nineteenth century, it later shifted toward timber and, in recent decades, toward the lakeside recreation and residential growth spreading up from the Houston metro. Wooded terrain and the reservoir's waters shape the area around the town.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 7,652
- Change from 2020 base
- +19.4%
- Land area
- 4.7 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Willis itself
A few landmarks, stories, and everyday places that help give Willis its shape.
Then zoom out to Montgomery County
Local History
An Oil Strike in 1931 Changed Montgomery County Forever
A wildcatter named George W. Strake struck oil southeast of Conroe in 1931, turning a struggling timber town into one of Texas's most important oil fields.
Property Tax Basics
Two Different Offices Handle Your Property Tax
In Montgomery County, one office sets your property value and a separate office collects your tax bill.
Local History
Sawmills Once Shaped the County's Economy
Railroads arrived in the 1870s and triggered a logging boom that turned Montgomery County into a major Texas lumber producer.
Nearby
Places near Willis
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Willis
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