Gainesville is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Cooke County, Texas Cooke County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. At the 2020 census, its population was 41,668. The county seat is Gainesville. The county was founded in 1848 and organized the next year. It is named for William Gordon Cooke, a soldie ...

, United States. Its population was 17,394 at the 2020 census. It is part of the

Texoma Texoma is an interstate region in the United States, split between Oklahoma and Texas. The name is a portmanteau of Texas and Oklahoma. Businesses use the term in their names to describe their intended service area. This includes 8 counties with ...

region and is an important Agri-business center.

History

Founded in 1850, the city of Gainesville was established on a tract of land donated by Mary E. Clark. City residents called their new community "Liberty", which proved short-lived, as

Liberty, Texas Liberty is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Liberty County. The population was 8,279 at the 2020 census. It serves as the county seat of Liberty County. Liberty is the third oldest city in the state—established in 1831 on the ...

, already existed. One of the original settlers of Cooke County, Colonel William Fitzhugh, suggested that the town be named after General Edmund Pendleton Gaines. Gaines, a United States general under whom Fitzhugh had served, had been sympathetic to the

Texas Revolution The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of ...

. The first hint of prosperity arrived with the

Butterfield Overland Mail Butterfield Overland Mail (officially Overland Mail Company)Waterman L. Ormsby, edited by Lyle H. Wright and Josephine M. Bynum, "The Butterfield Overland Mail", The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 1991. was a stagecoach service in ...

stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

in September 1858, bringing freight, passengers, and mail. In 1860, Cooke County voted against

secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...

. In 1862, during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, the

Great Hanging at Gainesville The Great Hanging at Gainesville was the execution by hanging of 41 suspected Unionists (men loyal to the United States) in Gainesville, Texas, in October 1862 during the American Civil War. Confederate troops shot two additional suspects trying ...

, a controversial trial and

lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged or convicted transgressor or to intimidate others. It can also be an extreme form of i ...

of 40 suspected Union loyalists, brought the new town to the attention of the state and came close to ripping the county apart. In the decade after the Civil War, Gainesville had its first period of extended growth, catalyzed by the expansion of the cattle industry in Texas. Gainesville, only from the Oklahoma border, became a supply point for

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...

s driving herds north to

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. The merchants of Gainesville reaped considerable benefits from the passing

cattle drive Droving is the practice of walking livestock over long distances. It is a type of herding, often associated with cattle, in which case it is a cattle drive (particularly in the US). Droving stock to market—usually on foot and often with the ...

s. Within 20 years, its population increased from a few hundred to more than 2,000. Gainesville was incorporated on February 17, 1873, and by 1890 was established as a commercial and shipping point for area ranchers and farmers. In the late 1870s, two factors drastically altered the historic landscape of North-central Texas. The first of these was

barbed wire Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire or bob wire (in the Southern and Southwestern United States), is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the ...

. In 1875, Henry B. Sanborn, a regional sales agent for

Joseph Glidden Joseph Farwell Glidden (January 18, 1813 – October 9, 1906) was an American businessman and farmer. He was the inventor of the modern barbed wire. In 1898, he donated land for the Northern Illinois State Normal School in DeKalb, Illinois, which ...

's Bar Fence Company of

DeKalb, Illinois DeKalb ( ) is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,290 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is named after decorated Franconian-French war hero Johann de Kalb, who died during the Ameri ...

, traveled to Texas. That autumn, he chose Gainesville as one of his initial distribution points for the newly invented barbed wire, which his employer had patented the previous year. On his first visit to Gainesville, he sold 10 reels of the wire to the Cleaves and Fletcher hardware store—the first spools of barbed wire ever sold in Texas. World War II had an enormous impact on Cooke County. Camp Howze, an army infantry training camp, was established on some of the best farmland in the county. The construction of the camp helped bring Cooke County out of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

by providing jobs. The county population doubled and the area boomed. Since then, tourism has brought renewed prosperity to the area. The return of

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

on June 14, 1999, brought Gainesville back full circle to one of the original sources of its growth and success. In the early 1990s, Gainesville had 600 businesses and a population of 14,587. By 2020, the population had grown to 17,394.

Courthouse

Gainesville is home to a

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

with an

octagon In geometry, an octagon () is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, which alternates two types of edges. A truncated octagon, t is a ...

rotunda A rotunda () is any roofed building with a circular ground plan, and sometimes covered by a dome. It may also refer to a round room within a building (an example being the one below the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.). ...

topped by stained glass, erected in 1910. "The 1912 Cooke County Courthouse was designed by the Dallas firm of Lang & Witchell. The courthouse was designed in the Beaux Arts style with some

Prairie Style Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

features and influences from famed Chicago architect

Louis Sullivan Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, and has been called a "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism". He was an influential architect of the Chicago school (architecture), Chicago ...

. The courthouse in the center of Gainesville features black and white marbled interiors and a tall central atrium capped by a stained glass skylight under the tower." The courthouse is undergoing a major renovation project, resulting in the move of many county offices to surrounding buildings. In 1911 a monolith topped with a statue of a Confederate soldier was placed on the lawn outside the courthouse. The inscription of the plaque beside it reads "“no nation rose so white and fair none fell so pure of crime” referring to the Southern cause. In 2020, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the

removal of Confederate statues There are more than 160 Confederate monuments and memorials to the Confederate States of America (CSA; the Confederacy) and associated figures that have been Decolonization of public space, removed from public spaces in the United States, all b ...

elsewhere, County Commissioners voted to retain the courthouse's Confederate monument.

Camp Howze, World War II

Gainesville was once home to Camp Howze, one of the largest infantry replacement training centers during World War II. Only a few remnants of the camp still exist, but they are now located on private property.

Railroad

Railroads across Texas changed the nature and reach of commerce when they were built through and into areas. When the first railroad arrived in Gainesville, it improved the city's economics. For the first time, reliable, timely transportation meant goods and people could go vast distances. Gainesville was connected to the outside world in a whole new way with the coming of the railroads. For example, when the GC&SF arrived in 1887, goods could travel directly to or from Gainesville, directly to Chicago and Galveston, on the same railroad. Both were major transportation hubs during that age, and still are today. Original companies and dates of arrival in Gainesville: * The Denison and Pacific Railway (1879) (now a part of UP via the MKT) – route:

Denison, TX Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States, south of the Texas–Oklahoma border. Its population was 24,479 at the 2020 census, up from 22,682 at the 2010 census. Denison is part of the Texoma region and is one of two principal ...

to Gainesville via Whitesboro, TX *

Gainesville, Henrietta and Western Railway The Gainesville, Henrietta and Western Railway Company (GH&W) was chartered on July 23, 1886, to build a rail line from Gainesville in Cooke County, Texas, to Seymour in Baylor County, Texas, a distance of . The line was to cross Montague, Clay ...

(1886) (now a part of UP via the MKT) – route: Gainesville to

Wichita Falls, TX Wichita Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita Counties. According to ...

* Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe Railway (1887) (now a part of BNSF) – route: Fort Worth to Oklahoma City These turned into major railroads: *

Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was a Class I railroad company in the United States, with its last headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railroad (UP), Southern Branch, it came to serve an exten ...

(MKT) is now the

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...

, but the lines owned in Gainesville were abandoned long before the UP bought the MKT in 1988. The MKT through town was abandoned around 1969 after having providing service for 90 years. *

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

(ATSF) is now the

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,394 people, 6,106 households, and 4,105 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, 15,538 people, 5,969 households, and 4,005 families resided in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 914.1 people/sq mi (352.9/km). The 6,423 housing units averaged 377.9/sq mi (145.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 80.77% White, 6.00% African American, 1.33% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 9.09% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 17.47% of the population. Of the 5,969 households, 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were not families; 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.13. In the city, the population was distributed as 27.2% under 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,571, and for a family was $37,137. Males had a median income of $30,480 versus $21,459 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $15,154. About 17.0% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Gainesville ISD

The city is served by the Gainesville Independent School District, which consists of: * Gainesville Head Start (toddlers/preschool) * Thomas A. Edison Elementary (pre-kindergarten (age 4), kindergarten and grade 1) * W E. Chalmers Elementary (grades 2–4) * Gainesville Intermediate (grades 5–6)** * Gainesville Junior High School (grades 7–8) * Gainesville High School (grades 9-12) The high school boasts various athletic and academic championships. The GHS varsity basketball team won the 3A-Division I State Championship in 2002, and the varsity football team won the 3A-Division I State Championship in 2003. A notable member of the 2003 championship football team was Darcel McBath, who was recruited by and played for the

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public university, public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship instit ...

Red Raiders and was drafted in the third round of the

2010 NFL draft The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...

by the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

. Another player who went on to play for the NFL is

Kevin Mathis Kevin Bryant Mathis (born April 29, 1974) is an American football coach and former cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He currently serves as the cornerbacks coach for the University of Colorado. During his career as a player, Math ...

, who played first for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

, then for the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

and

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

. The high school has also been historically competitive in University Interscholastic League academic competition, boasting numerous district, regional, and state championships in many categories. ** The campus wa
officially renamed in 2021
from Robert E. Lee Intermediate School with the name change taking effect as of the 2021–2022 school year.

Higher education

North Central Texas College North Central Texas College (NCTC) is a Public college, public community college in Gainesville, Texas. It serves Cooke County, Texas, Cooke County, Denton County, Texas, Denton County, and Montague County, Texas. History As with many of the ...

(NCTC), a five-campus

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

system, is headquartered in Gainesville, with the main campus being located on the west side of town. The college, which the

Texas Legislature The Texas State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a p ...

designates as serving Cooke County, has locations in Gainesville, Bowie,

Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...

, Denton,

Graham Graham or Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan ...

, and

Flower Mound Flower Mound is an incorporated town located in Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Located northwest of Dallas and northeast of Fort Worth adjacent to Grapevine Lake, the town derives its name from a prominent mound loca ...

. Satellite locations exist at Northwest High School, Little Elm High School, and the Graham Education and Workforce Center. NCTC began as Gainesville Junior College in 1924, and has the distinction of being the oldest continuously operated community college in Texas. NCTC has come to be known for its ever-growing health-sciences program. It offers help such as writing and math labs, which are tutoring centers for students to get more out of their education. Areas of study include certified nursing assistant, associate degree nursing (LVN), registered nurse, emergency medical technician, and radiology technician programs. NCTC Lion/Lady Lion Athletics, which consists of baseball, softball, volleyball, and women's tennis, competes as part of the

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...

. The NCTC Lion baseball team won the 2001 NJCAA National Championship.

Economy

Gainesville is the headquarters of Safran Seats USA LLC ("SSUSA"); a company dedicated to the design and manufacturing of commercial airline seat systems. Originally established as Weber Aircraft, LLC, in 1968, the company was subsequently acquired by Group

Zodiac Aerospace Zodiac Aerospace was a French aerospace group, active from 1896 to 2018, that supplied systems and equipment for aircraft. In October 2018, it was acquired by French aerospace and defense company Safran. History Aeronautic foundations (1896 ...

and became known as Zodiac Seats U.S. In 2018, Zodiac Aerospace and its subsidiaries (including Zodiac Seats U.S.) were purchased by

Safran Safran S.A. () is a French Multinational corporation, multinational aerospace, defence industry, defence and computer security, security corporation headquartered in Paris. It designs, develops and manufactures both commercial and military airc ...

, a French multinational aircraft engine, rocket engine, aerospace-component, and defense company with headquarters in

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. Since its inception, SSUSA has consistently ranked as one of the largest manufacturers of commercial airline seats in the world, as well as the holder of several notable patents for products created by its employees. With around 1,500 employees (as of 2019), SSUSA is the largest single employer located within Gainesville/Cooke County. In addition to the main headquarters facility in Gainesville, SSUSA also maintains operational facilities located near the

Boeing Everett Factory The Boeing Everett Factory, officially the Everett Production Facility, is an airplane assembly facility operated by Boeing in Everett, Washington, United States. It sits on the north side of Paine Field and includes the largest building in th ...

Everett, Washington Everett (; ) is the county seat and most populous city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the Seattle metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett ...

;

Boeing South Carolina Boeing South Carolina is an airplane assembly facility operated by Boeing in North Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Located on the grounds of the joint-use Charleston Air Force Base and Charleston International Airport, the site i ...

located in

North Charleston, South Carolina North Charleston is a city in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina.City Planning Department (2008-07)City of North Charleston boundary map. City of North Charleston. Retrieved January 21, 2011. As ...

; and at the

Airbus Airbus SE ( ; ; ; ) is a Pan-European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate Airbus Defence and Space, defence and space and Airbus Helicopters, he ...

manufacturing site located near

Hamburg, Germany Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

. Though most forms of

gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...

are not legal in Texas, Gainesville is commonly associated with the pastime due to its close proximity to

WinStar World Casino WinStar World Casino and Resort is an American tribal casino and hotel located in Thackerville, Oklahoma, near the Oklahoma–Texas state line. It is owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation. The casino opened as the WinStar Casinos in 2004, ...

. The

casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

, located less than north of Gainesville across the Red River in

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located near the Texas state border. The population was 400 at the 2020 census. Geography Thackerville is situated near the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and State High ...

, has experienced exponential growth over the last decade, and is now considered one of the largest casinos in the world by total area. At over a mile long from end to end, the casino contains four hotel towers, a convention center, and as of September 2023 the Lucas Oil Live venue which host popular musical acts and comedians, as well as an 18-hole golf course. Until the construction of the WinStar World Casino Resort and Hotel, casino visitors typically stayed in Gainesville-area hotels. The convention center and/or the Lucas Oil Live venue will host

World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada, and since 2004, sponsored by Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best ...

tournaments in the coming years. Gainesville is home to a large

outlet mall An outlet store, factory outlet or factory store is a brick and mortar or online store where manufacturers sell their merchandise directly to the public. Products at outlet stores are usually sold at reduced prices compared to regular stores du ...

(the Gainesville Factory Shops) which used to attract visitors from North Texas and southern

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. Constructed in the mid-1990s as a "destination" shopping mall, it has since become a distressed mall, with very few stores remaining in 2016. In 2018 the Property re-launched as Market Days at Liberty Crossing; a multi-use space which hosts a monthly market and numerous retail shops.

Geography

Gainesville is located slightly east of the center of Cooke County. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.15%, is covered by water. The town is located at the interchange of two major thoroughfares:

U.S. Route 82 U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is an east–west United States highway in the Southern United States. Created on July 1, 1931 across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas, US 82 eventually became a route extending from the White Sands of New ...

running east–west, passing over

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...

(north–south). It is an

exurb An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburbs, suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing-density, and rela ...

of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, north of the center of

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

and north of the center of

Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

. It is also a part of the

region. Nearby towns and cities include: * North:

* South: Valley View * East: Whitesboro * West: Lindsay

Weather and climate

Gainesville usually enjoys sunny weather similar to the rest of Texas, with the exception of a few natural

disaster A disaster is an event that causes serious harm to people, buildings, economies, or the environment, and the affected community cannot handle it alone. '' Natural disasters'' like avalanches, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires are caused by na ...

s. On June 18, 2007, thunderstorms moved through Gainesville, resulting in intense flooding. Over fell in Gainesville and nearby

Sherman Sherman most commonly refers to: *Sherman (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname ** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General *M4 Sherman, a World War II American tank S ...

. On June 20, around 5:00 am, straight-line winds hit, and

Wichita Falls Wichita Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita Counties. According to ...

had winds up to . Much of the center of the town was flooded and several people died.

Government and infrastructure

The

Texas Youth Commission The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) was a Texas state agency which operated juvenile corrections facilities in the state. The commission was headquartered in the Brown-Heatly Building in Austin. As of 2007, it was the second largest juvenile correc ...

operates the Gainesville State School in an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

east of Gainesville.Gainesville State School
."

. Retrieved on August 8, 2010.

Public library

The public library for Cooke County,

Cooke County Library The Cooke County Library is a public library serving the population of Cooke County, Texas. The library is located in Gainesville, Texas. Founding (1903) The first city library in Gainesville, Texas was located in a building known as the Joe T ...

, was first established in 1903; the library is in Gainesville.

Parks, recreation, and tourism

Gainesville has a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

, a historic train station, and a fully integrated soccer complex. It has miniature one-quarter-sized replica steam engine passenger train, which was disassembled from its former location and then reassembled in Leonard Park for viable transportation for up to 50 passengers for tours around the Park. Leonard Parks' wooden playground was expanded in 1999 and is located near the entrance to the Frank Buck Zoo. Gainesville hosts year-round adult softball for both men's league and co-ed league, a couple of seasons of sand volleyball, and a season of indoor basketball. City parks include: * BP Douglas Park * Edison Park * Forsythe Transportation Skate Park * Gainesville Tennis Court Area * Georgia Davis Park * Heritage Park North * Heritage Park South * Home Grown Hero Walking Trail * Jaycee Park * Keneteso Park * Leonard Park * Medal of Honor Park * Moffett Park * Pecan Creek Park * Washington Park

Annual events

* Every April, Gainesville hosts recipients of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

with a formal banquet and citywide parade. The Medal of Honor Host City Program pays for travel, lodging, and other expenses for any Medal of Honor recipient interested in attending. The recipients make appearances at schools and public events to talk about their service to their country. * Depot Day: In October, Gainesville hosts a train-themed carnival.

Health system

Gainesville is served by a tax-funded public hospital district, which operates North Texas Medical Center, formerly known as Gainesville Memorial Hospital.

Media

Newspapers

*''

Gainesville Daily Register The ''Gainesville Daily Register'' is newspaper published in Gainesville, Texas, on Tuesdays and Fridays. It has been published continuously since 1890. The newspaper covers primarily Cooke County, Texas, and parts of Love County, Oklahoma to ...

'' *''Weekly News of Cooke County''

Radio

KGAF KGAF (1580 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a gold-based adult contemporary radio format. Licensed to Gainesville, Texas, the station serves Cooke County. The station is owned by First IV Media, Inc. and operated by Eberhart ...

– 1580 AM & FM 92.3 * KPFC – 91.9 FM (Camp Sweeney) *

KZMJ KZMJ (94.5 FM) is a radio station serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas. The station airs an urban adult contemporary format. The station is licensed to Gainesville and is owned by Urban One. Co-owned with KBFB and Reach Media, i ...

– 94.5 FM (Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex)

Television

* Gainesville gets over-the-air reception from

Ada Ada may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle'', a novel by Vladimir Nabokov Film and television * Ada, a character in 1991 movie '' Armour of God II: Operation Condor'' * '' Ada... A Way of Life'', a 2008 Bollywo ...

, which also includes an OETA translator from

Ardmore, Oklahoma Ardmore is the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 24,725 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 1.8% increase over the 2010 census figure of 24,283. The Ardmo ...

. Amplified outdoor antennas can receive stations from Dallas.

Transportation

Rail

Gainesville has a

historic History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

rail depot. It is served by Amtrak's ''

Heartland Flyer The ''Heartland Flyer'' is a daily passenger train that follows a route between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Fort Worth, Texas. It is operated by Amtrak and jointly funded by the states of Oklahoma and Texas. The train's daily round-trip begin ...

'', which operates daily in both directions between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth.

Airport

Gainesville is served by the Gainesville Municipal Airport, a publicly owned and supported airport that was established following the transfer of the Camp Howze Army Airfield to the City of Gainesville. This followed the closing of Camp Howze in the mid- to late 1940s. The airport serves all types of general aviation aircraft, and is the host site for the Texas Antique Airplane Association's annual fly-in.

Roads and highways

Major highways are: *

Parts of Interstate 35 through Gainesville do not contain any

frontage road A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. Where parallel high-speed roads are provided as part of a maj ...

s. Frontage roads approaching the U.S. 82 overpass were not added until 2012. During this time, the overpass was expanded to make room for

U-turn A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the U, letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as ...

lanes.

Notable people

Lew Allen Lew Allen Jr. (30 September 1925 – 4 January 2010) was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as the tenth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff, Allen served as the senior uniformed Air Force officer ...

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...

four-star general Military star ranking is military terminology, used in mainly English speaking countries, to describe general and flag officers. Within NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to OF-6–10. Star ranking One-star A one-star rank is usually ...

; former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force *

Gene Austin Lemeul Eugene Lucas (June 24, 1900 – January 24, 1972), better known by his stage name Gene Austin, was an American singer and songwriter, one of the early " crooners". His recording of " My Blue Heaven" sold over 5 million copies and was for ...

, singer/songwriter, was born in Gainesville * Norfleet Giddings Bone, landscape architect and civil engineer, born in Gainesville * Rod Brown, football player; Oklahoma State University * Frank Buck, American hunter, animal collector, and author *

Alex Cord Alexander Viespi Jr. (May 3, 1933 – August 9, 2021), known professionally as Alex Cord, was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Michael Coldsmith Briggs III, better known as Archangel, in 55 episodes of the American telev ...

, actor and horse rancher in Cooke County * Robert Fuller, actor and horse rancher in Cooke County * Glen Monroe Henry, circus performer *

, former NFL cornerback for the

* Darcel McBath, NFL safety, formerly of the

Charley Paddock Charles William Paddock (August 11, 1900 – July 21, 1943) was an American athlete and two-time Olympic champion. Biography Paddock was born in Gainesville, Texas, to Charles H. and Lulu (Robinson) Paddock. His family moved to Pasadena, Cali ...

, Olympic sprinter; won gold in 1920 *

Jim Rayburn Jim Rayburn, Jr (July 21, 1909 – December 11, 1970) was an American ordained Presbyterian minister and the founder of Young Life. Early life and education He was born in Marshalltown, Iowa to James Chalmers Rayburn, Sr. (an evangelist for the ...

, founder of nondenominational Christian youth organization

Young Life Young Life is a global Christian parachurch organization reaching out to middle school, high school, and college-aged young people based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Young Life's mission statement is "Introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and ...

* Aurelian Smith, Jr., known as Jake "The Snake" Roberts, professional wrestler * Russel "Red" Stegall, singer/songwriter, was born in Gainesville

Photo gallery

Image:Turner Hotel Gainesville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Turner Hotel (Apartments) Image:St. Pauls Episcopal Church Gaineville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, St. Paul's Episcopal Church Image:First Baptist Church Building Gainesville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, First Baptist Church Building Image:Flour mill Gainesville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Old Flour Mill Building Image:First United Methodist Church Gainesville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, First United Methodist Church Image:Westminster Presbyterian Church Gainesville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Westminster Presbyterian Church Image:Downtown Gainesville 7 Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Downtown Gainesville Image:Old City Hall Fire Station Gainesville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Old Fire Station Image:Cooke County Courthouse Gainesville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Cooke County Courthouse Image:Downtown Gainesville Wiki 6 (1 of 1).jpg, Downtown Gainesville Image:Santa Fe Depot Gainesville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Santa Fe Depot Image:First Presbyterian Church Gainesville Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, First Presbyterian Church

References

External links

City of Gainesville official website

Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce
*
Gainesville Independent School District

KGAF radio station

''Gainesville Daily Register''
newspaper {{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Cooke County, Texas County seats in Texas Butterfield Overland Mail in Texas Stagecoach stops in the United States