Kilgore, Texas

"Kilgore" redirects here. For other uses, see Kilgore (disambiguation).

Kilgore (/ˈkɪlɡɔːr/ ^ⓘ) is a city in the Gregg and Rusk counties in Texas, United States.^[13] As of the 2020 census, its population was 13,376.^[17] It is located where Interstate 20 and US 259 converge south of the Sabine River.

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
Nicknames:  "Oil Capital of the World",[1][2] "Oil City of the World",[3] The Dirty K,[4][5][6] K-Town,[7] Home of the Rangerettes[8][9][10]
Motto:  "The City of Stars"[11][12]
Interactive map of Kilgore
Kilgore Show map of Texas Kilgore Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 32°23′08″N 94°52′07″W[13]
Country	United States
State	Texas
Region	East Texas
Counties	Gregg, Rusk
Founded	1872; 153 years ago (1872)
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• Mayor	R.E. Spradlin III[14]
• City Manager	Josh Selleck[15]
Area [16]
• 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 [13]	351 ft (107 m)
Population  (2020)[17]
• Total	13,376
• Density	720/sq mi (280/km2)
Demonym	Kilgoreites[18]
GDP (of MSA) [19]
• Metro	$20.259 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	75662-3
Area code	903, 430
FIPS code	48-39124 [13]
GNIS ID	2411541 [13]
Website	cityofkilgore.com

History

Main article: History of Kilgore, 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.^[20]

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 downtown in 1930

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.^[21][22] 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 nicknamed the City of Stars.^[23]

Geography

Kilgore is located in southern Gregg County and extends south into Rusk County,^[13] where over three-fourths of the city are located in Gregg County, the remainder in 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.^[24]

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

Demographics

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

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	248		—
1940	6,708		—
1950	9,638		43.7%
1960	10,092		4.7%
1970	9,495		−5.9%
1980	11,331		19.3%
1990	11,066		−2.3%
2000	11,301		2.1%
2010	12,975		14.8%
2020	13,376		3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[25]

Kilgore racial composition as of 2020^[26]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)^[a]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	7,762	58.03%
Black or African American (NH)	1,857	13.88%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	34	0.25%
Asian (NH)	111	0.83%
Pacific Islander (NH)	5	0.04%
Some Other Race (NH)	32	0.24%
Mixed/multi-racial (NH)	577	4.31%
Hispanic or Latino	2,998	22.41%
Total	13,376

As of the census^[29] 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.^[30]

Economy

In 2023, Kilgore had 309 locally owned businesses, and attracted $117 million of new industrial investment.^[31]

Arts and culture

Performing arts

A Kilgore College Rangerette. Photo by Carol M. Highsmith.

The Kilgore College Rangerettes, the world's first precision dance drill team, were founded in Kilgore in 1940 by Gussie Nell Davis. The Rangerettes provide college football halftime entertainment,^[32] and appear annually in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.^[33]

Museums and historical institutions

Kilgore Public Library, built during the New Deal era.

• The East Texas Oil Museum features a recreation of the 1930s oil boom.^[34]
• The Rangerette Showcase and Museum is dedicated to the Rangerettes, and features memorabilia.^[35]
• Kilgore Public Library was completed in 1939, and was a project of the New Deal-era Public Works Administration and Works Progress Administration.^{[citation needed]}

Festivals and events

Festivals and events include:

• Kilgore Oktoberfest, which blends German and Texan traditions, and features beer gardens, music, and dancing.^[36]
• The Reel East Texas Film Festival, which features independent films.^[37][38]
• The Texas Shakespeare Festival, a professional summer repertory theatre company founded in 1986, which performs in the Van Cliburn Auditorium at Kilgore College.^[39]
• The East Texas Pipe Organ Festival, which celebrates Kilgore organ builder Roy Perry, and features concerts and tours of organs in the region.^[40]

Indigenous community

Mount Tabor Indian Community is a state-recognized cultural heritage organization representing descendants of Cherokee and other southeastern tribes. The community is a non-profit organization focused on preserving its cultural history.^[41][42]

Sports

R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium primarily serving Kilgore College and the Kilgore Independent School District for football games and other events.^[43]

Driller Park was the homefield for the Kilgore Drillers,^[44]

Baseball teams

• Kilgore Drillers (1947 to 1950) in the East Texas League and the Lone Star League. They played home games at Driller Park, a venue originally built for them.^[44]
• Kilgore Gushers
• Kilgore Rangers (1937 to 1938)
• Kilgore Braves
• East Texas Pump Jacks (2009 to 2016)^[45][46]

Park and recreation

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.^[47]

Government

Local government

List of mayors of Kilgore, Texas

• Malcolm Crim, 1931–1933^{[48][49][50][51]}
• Roy H. Laird, 1933–1935^[52]
• Roy H. Laird, 1939–1941^[53][54]
• L.N. Crim, 1957–1959^[55][56]
• Foster Trammell Bean, 1961–1963
• Foster Trammell Bean, 1963–1965
• Foster Trammell Bean, 1965–1967
• Foster Trammell Bean, 1967–1969
• Foster Trammell Bean, 1969–1971
• Foster Trammell Bean, 1971–1973
• Foster Trammell Bean, 1973–1975
• Foster Trammell Bean, 1975–1977
• Foster Trammell Bean, 1977–1979
• Foster Trammell Bean, 1979–1981
• Mickey Smith, 1981–1983
• Mickey Smith, 1983–1985
• Mickey Smith, 1985–1987^[50][57]
• Joe T. Parker, 2009–2010^[58]
• Ronnie Spradlin, 2010–2012^[59]
• Ronnie Spradlin, 2012–2014
• Ronnie Spradlin, 2014–2016
• Ronnie Spradlin, 2016–2018
• Ronnie Spradlin, 2018–2020
• Ronnie Spradlin, 2020–2022
• Ronnie Spradlin, 2022–2024
• Ronnie Spradlin, 2024–present^[60][14]

According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city's various funds had $17.4 million in revenues, $19.4 million in expenditures, $19.5 million in total assets, $0.8 million in total liabilities, and $17.5 million in investments.^[61]

State government

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.

Federal government

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.

Education

Public schools

• Most of the city is within the Kilgore Independent School District, which covers sections of Gregg and Rusk counties.^[62][63]

• Sabine Independent School District also serves northern portions of Kilgore ^[62]

Higher education

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).^[64]

Media

Newspapers

The Kilgore News Herald is a twice-weekly newspaper published in the city.^[65]

Radio

Frequency (MHz)	Call letters	Licensed location	Type	Format
88.7	KZLO	Kilgore	Broadcast station KZLO	Contemporary Christian
96.1	KKTX-FM	Kilgore	Broadcast station KKTX	Classic Rock
105.3	K287AJ	Kilgore	Translator of KDOK	Classic Hits

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major highways

• Interstate 20
• Highway 259
• State Highway 31
• State Highway 42
• Texas State Highway 135

Airports

• East Texas Regional Airport is located 8 miles east of Kilgore, and services the city.
• Kilgore Airport^[66]

Rail

• Union Pacific Railroad^{[citation needed]}

A proposal is in the works for a over 200mph high-speed rail system from Dallas/Fort Worth to Atlanta, Georgia along the I-20 corridor, currently named the I-20X, that will pass directly through Kilgore, bringing passenger rail service to that corridor for the first time since the Texas and Pacific's unnamed successor to the Louisiana Eagle in the late 1960s.^[67][68]This initiative promises to support regional development, reduce car dependency, and create jobs in areas like Tyler, Kilgore, and East Texas. Early phases of planning are in motion, with design on the Atlanta-Birmingham segment expected to start by 2025.^[69]

Public transportation

GoBus is a regional transit system serving Kilgore and nearby cities.^[70]

Cycling

Kilgore's cycling infrastructure includes the 3.5-mile Creekside Trail, part of the Kilgore Trails System, and the Big Head Mountain Bike Trail. Opened in phases from 2018 to 2020, the Creekside Trail follows Bighead Creek with multiple access points. The city continues to promote outdoor recreation through events and activities.^[47]

Healthcare

A significant part of Kilgore’s modern healthcare landscape stems from the legacy of longtime mayor Roy H. Laird.

Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital and Health Science Center

In 1950, Kilgore’s first full‑service community hospital was renamed the Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital in honor of the city’s long‑time mayor; For more than four decades, the hospital provided acute-care beds and outpatient services for Kilgore and the surrounding area, with a particular focus on serving indigent patients.^[71]

Following Laird’s death, the Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital Trust was established in 1957 to oversee charitable healthcare outreach to indigent patients in Gregg County.^[72] In 1994, the Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital Foundation, Inc. was chartered to secure philanthropic support for local medical programs and capital improvements.^[73]

On July 11, 2024, a new, 74,800 sq ft Roy H. Laird Health Science Center & Torrence Health Science Education Center officially opened on the former hospital site. This joint project of CHRISTUS Good Shepherd, Kilgore College, the City of Kilgore, and the Laird Foundation houses Kilgore College’s nursing, physical‑therapy‑assistant, and radiologic‑technology programs alongside modern clinical training labs, marking a major expansion of hands‑on healthcare education in East Texas. Providing advanced medical spaces to train the region’s healthcare workforce^[74][75][76]

At the 2025 State of the Community address, Mayor Ronnie Spradlin highlighted the project as a major achievement, continuing the lasting legacy of Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital.^[77]

UT Health East Texas

UT Health East Texas, a clinical extension of The University of Texas System and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, anchors the Kilgore region’s access to UT‑affiliated medical access. As part of one of Texas’s academic health networks, the Kilgore urgent care clinic serves as a critical point for acute evaluation, diagnostics, and seamless referral into the broader UT Health East Texas specialty and inpatient services.^[78]

In popular culture

• Folk singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie refers to Kilgore, in his song "East Texas Red".^[79]
• Actor Matt Damon mentions Kilgore when impersonating his friend Matthew McConaughey on the Late Show with David Letterman.^[80]
• The Kilgore College Rangerettes perform at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City
• Sweethearts of the Gridiron
• Miracle in East Texas based off the Kilgore Oil Boom^[81]

Notable people

Main category: People from Kilgore, Texas

Sports

• Audrey Chase Hampton, MLB Pitcher for the New York Yankees ^{[82][83][84][85]}
• Ricky Collins, Wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers and the Canadian Football League
• Wayne Daniels (born 1987), NFL Defensive end played for the New York Jets
• Loyie Nawlin "Buddy" Humphrey (1935–1988), NFL Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and St. Louis Cardinals
• Lane Johnson (born 1990), plays in the NFL and was a football player for Kilgore College
• James Randel "Randy" Matson (born 1945), Olympian
• Alvin Reed (born 1944), played in the NFL for the Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins
• Walter Edward "Ed" Red (born 1942), Olympian
• Ron Shepherd (born 1960), former outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays; attended Kilgore High School
• Demorrio Williams, played football for Kilgore College, the University of Nebraska, and the NFL

Arts

• Van Cliburn (1934–2013), 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), composer
• Hank O'Neal (born 1940), music producer, author and photographer, veteran
• Robert Patrick (1937-2023), actor
• Ally Venable (born 1999), blues rock guitar player, singer, and songwriter

More

• Charles Hurwitz (born 1940), businessman and financier^[86][87]
• Dana Dodd (1985–2003), murder victim; body found in Kilgore in 2006
• David Van Os (born 1950), civil rights activist, labor lawyer, politician; attended Kilgore High School
• Malcolm Crim (1886 - 1971), american businessman, politician, and the first mayor of Kilgore.
• Robert G. "Bob" Goss (1898-1978), former police chief of Kilgore, and a Texas Ranger

Sister cities

• Rzshchiv, Ukraine^[88]

See also

• Texas portal
• United States portal
• Cities portal

• 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

Notes

1. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.^[27][28]