Kilgore, Texas
City
World's Richest Acre Park in downtown Kilgore, where the greatest concentration of oil wells in the world once stood Old Main at Kilgore College St. Lukes United Methodist Church in downtown Kilgore
Seal Wordmark
Interactive map of Kilgore
Kilgore, Texas Location of Kilgore in the contiguous United States Show map of Texas Kilgore, Texas Kilgore, Texas (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 32°23′08″N 94°52′07″W / 32.38556°N 94.86861°W / 32.38556; -94.86861
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Gregg, Rusk
Established	1872
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• City Council	Mayor R.E. Spradlin III Merlyn Holmes Alan VanDoren Missy Merritt Victor A. Boyd[1]
• City Manager	Josh Selleck[2]
Area [3]
• Total	18.65 sq mi (48.29 km2)
• Land	18.61 sq mi (48.20 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2)
Elevation [4]	351 ft (107 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,376
• Density	798.02/sq mi (308.12/km2)
GDP (of MSA) [5]
• Metro	$20.259 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	75662-3
Area code(s)	903, 430
FIPS code	48-39124[6]
GNIS feature ID	2411541[4]
Website	cityofkilgore.com

Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk counties in Texas, United States. Located where Interstate 20 and US 259 converge just south of the Sabine River. Over three-fourths of the area within city limits are located in Gregg County, the remainder in Rusk County. The population was 12,975 at the 2010 census^[7] and 13,376 at the 2020 census.^[8]

Kilgore was initially developed as a product of the construction of major railroad lines through the area allowing access to transport cotton, cattle, and later oil in North and East Texas.

Kilgore was founded in 1872 when the International–Great Northern Railroad completed the initial phase of rail line between Palestine and Longview. The rail company chose to bypass New Danville, a small community about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Longview, in lieu of a new townsite platted on 174 acres (0.70 km²) sold to the railroad by Constantine Buckley Kilgore, the town's namesake. That way the railroad gained the profits from sale and development of the lands. ^[9]

A post office was built in Kilgore in 1873 and with a station and transportation for getting commodity crops to market, the city soon began drawing residents and businesses away from New Danville. By 1885, the population had reached 250, and the community had two cotton gins, a church, and a school (for white children only). The racially segregated Kilgore Independent School District was organized in 1910. By 1914 the town had two banks, several businesses, and a reported population of 700. The 1920s showed continued steady growth, and by 1929 Kilgore was home to an estimated 1,000 residents.

Prosperity came to a halt, however, when Kilgore was dealt severe blows by a steep decline in cotton prices (on which most of the town's economy was still based), and the effects of the Great Depression. Businesses began to close and, by the middle of 1930, the population had fallen to 500; the community appeared destined to become a ghost town. Many Blacks joined the Great Migration out of the South to northern, midwestern, and western cities for work.

Kilgore's fortunes changed dramatically on October 3, 1930, when wildcatter Columbus M. "Dad" Joiner struck oil near the neighboring town of Henderson. The well known as the Daisy Bradford #3, marked the discovery of the vast East Texas Oil Field. Seemingly overnight Kilgore was transformed from a small farming town on the decline into a bustling boomtown. The Daisy Bradford #3 was subsequently followed by the Lou Della Crim No. 1 and many others.^[10][11] By 1936, the population had increased to more than 12,000, and Kilgore's skyline was crowded with oil derricks.

Oil production continued at a breakneck pace throughout the early 1930s, with more than 1,100 producing oil wells within city limits at the height of the boom. The explosive growth left most civic services overwhelmed, and as a result Kilgore was forced to incorporate in 1931. With the city flooded with male workers and roustabouts, law enforcement struggled to keep order among the shanties, tents, and ramshackle honky-tonks that crowded Kilgore's main streets. On one occasion, they had to summon help from the Texas Rangers to keep the peace. By the mid-1930s the oil boom was almost over and most of the small oil companies and wildcatters had sold out to major corporations. The boom was essentially over by 1940. But oil production has remained central to the city's economy. The population, which fluctuated wildly throughout the 1930s, stabilized at around 10,000 in the 1950s. A 2015 estimate placed it at just under 15,000 residents.

In the 1940s Kilgore had over 1,000 wooden oil derricks. One acre was known by the nickname, "The world's richest acre. Now there are 60 steel replicas of the derricks in the city topped with stars. The city is Texas' City of Stars.^[12]

On September 23, 1983, five men and women were abducted from a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Kilgore and found slain, execution-style, in an oilfield outside of town. The crime went unsolved until November 2005, when two men, already in prison for other crimes, were charged, tried, and convicted for the crime.

Kilgore is located in southern Gregg County and extends south into Rusk County. U.S. Route 259 passes through the east side of the city as a limited-access bypass, leading northeast 11 miles (18 km) to Longview and south 17 miles (27 km) to Henderson. Kilgore's city limits extend 3 miles (5 km) north from the city center as far as Interstate 20, with access from Exits 583, 587, and 589. I-20 leads east 69 miles (111 km) to Shreveport, Louisiana and west 119 miles (192 km) to Dallas.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Kilgore has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.7 km²), of which 15.7 square miles (40.6 km²) are land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), or 0.22%, are covered by water.^[7]

Kilgore is located in the Piney Woods region south of the Sabine River.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,376 people, 5,060 households, and 3,476 families residing in the city.

As of the census^[6] of 2000, 11,301 people, 4,403 households, and 2,963 families resided in the city. The population density was 734.3 inhabitants per square mile (283.5/km²). The 4,766 housing units averaged 309.7 units per square mile (119.6 units/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.22% White, 12.34% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.95% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 11.11% of the population.

Of the 4,403 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were not families. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city, the population was distributed as 24.6% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,129, and for a family was $61,765. Males had a median income of $45,995 versus $30,124 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,297. About 9.7% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.^[17]

In 2023, Kilgore had 309 locally owned businesses, and attracted $117 million of new industrial investment.^[18]

Orgill, a hardware distributor, has a distribution center in the city.

Kilgore is the home of the Mount Tabor Indian Community, a cultural heritage organization and nonprofit organization.^[19] The Reel East Texas Film Festival is an annual film festival.^[20] The Kilgore College Rangerettes were founded in 1940, and were the world's first precision drill team. The Rangerettes performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.^[21][22]

The Texas Shakespeare Festival is an annual summer repertory company. Founded in 1986, it performs at the Van Cliburn Auditorium.^{[citation needed]} Kilgore Public Library was completed in 1939.^{[citation needed]}

The East Texas Pipe Organ Festival honors Kilgore resident Roy Perry; he supervised the installation of pipe organs at St. Mark's Cathedral and Washington National Cathedral.^[23] The annual Kilgore Film Festival started in 1998.^[24] The East Texas Oil Museum depicts events of the early 1930s oil boom.^{[citation needed]} The Rangerette Showcase and Museum is located at Kilgore College.^{[citation needed]}

R.E. Saint John Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Kilgore, Texas, primarily serving Kilgore College and Kilgore Independent School District for football games and other events.

The Kilgore Drillers were a minor league baseball team which played from 1947 to 1950 in the East Texas League and the Lone Star League. The team played home games at Driller Park, a venue originally built for them.^[25] Professional baseball teams included the Kilgore Gushers, Kilgore Rangers, and Kilgore Braves.^[25]

The Kilgore Trails System is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) and was designed for walkers, runners, and cyclists. The trail system has access points throughout the city, and passes through wooded areas.^[26]

Kilgore is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Bryan Hughes, District 1, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican David Simpson, District 7 and Travis Clardy, District 11.

At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Kilgore is part of Texas's 1st congressional district, which is currently represented by Republican Nathaniel Moran.

Most of the city is within the Kilgore Independent School District, which covers sections of Gregg and Rusk counties.^[27][28] A small portion of the city in Gregg County is within the Sabine Independent School District.^[27]

Kilgore College is home to the Rangers and the Kilgore College Rangerettes.

The boundary of Kilgore College includes the independent school districts of Kilgore and Sabine (the ones covering sections of Kilgore).^[29]

The Kilgore News Herald is a twice-weekly newspaper published in the city.^[30]

• Interstate 20 connects Kilgore to Dallas.
• Highway 259
• State Highway 31
• State Highway 42
• Texas State Highway 135

Nearby airports include East Texas Regional Airport (public) and Kilgore Airport (private)^[31]

GoBus is a regional transit system serving Kilgore and nearby cities.^[32]

Allegiance Specialty Hospital of Kilgore is a 60-bed hospital in Kilgore.^[33]

• Lane Johnson (born 1990), football player for Kilgore College
• Alvin Reed (born 1944), played in the NFL for the Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins
• Walter Edward "Ed" Red (born 1942), Olympian
• Wayne Daniels (born 1987), played in the NFL
• James Randel "Randy" Matson (born 1945), an Olympian
• Demorrio Williams, played football for Kilgore College, the University of Nebraska, and the NFL
• Ron Shepherd (born 1960), former outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays; attended Kilgore High School.
• Loyie Nawlin "Buddy" Humphrey (1935–1988), Kilgore High School quarterback
• Ricky Collins, football player for the Green Bay Packers and the Canadian Football League

• Van Cliburn (1934–2013), noted piano virtuoso, lived and grew up in Kilgore
• Gussie Nell Davis (1906-1993), created the Rangerettes at Kilgore College in 1940
• Will Jennings (1944-2024) a composer
• Hank O'Neal (born 1940) American music producer, author and photographer, veteran
• Robert Patrick (1937-2023), actor
• Ally Venable (born 1999), American blues rock guitar player, singer, and songwriter

• Dana Dodd (1985–2003), murder victim; body found in Kilgore in 2006
• Charles Hurwitz (born 1940), businessman and financier^[34][35]
• David Van Os (born 1950), civil rights activist, labor lawyer, politician; attended Kilgore High School
• Robert G. "Bob" Goss (1898-1978), former police chief of Kilgore, and a Texas Ranger

• Folk singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie refers to Kilgore and Longview, Texas, in his song "East Texas Red".^[36]

• Rzhyshchiv, Ukraine^[37]

• List of museums in East Texas

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Gregg County, Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Rusk County, Texas
• List of municipalities in Texas

• Official website