Map of Wells town, Texas

Wells is a town in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 790 at the 2010 census, and 853 at the 2020 U.S. census.

Wells town overview:
Name:	Wells town
LSAD Code:	43
LSAD Description:	town (suffix)
State:	Texas
County:	Cherokee County
Elevation:	325 ft (99 m)
Total Area:	1.92 sq mi (4.96 km²)
Land Area:	1.92 sq mi (4.96 km²)
Water Area:	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Total Population:	853
Population Density:	413.58/sq mi (159.67/km²)
ZIP code:	75976
Area code:	936
FIPS code:	4877176
GNISfeature ID:	1371031

Online Interactive Map

Wells online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Wells location map. Where is Wells town?

Wells location on the U.S. Map. Where is Wells town. — Wells location on the U.S. Map.

Wells location on the Texas map. Where is Wells town. — Location of Wells in Texas.

History

Wells is at the junction of U.S. Highway 69 and Farm Road 1247, twenty-three miles south of Rusk in extreme southern Cherokee County. It was established in 1885 as a stop on the newly constructed Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railroad and was named for Maj. E. H. Wells, a civil engineer for the railroad. A post office opened in 1886, and by 1890 the town had a sawmill, a hotel, a Methodist church, three general stores, and a population of fifty. Shortly after the railroad was completed, the state penitentiary established a satellite camp just outside the town to produce charcoal for the state-run iron works at Rusk. The presence of the prison camp discouraged many potential settlers, and the town’s population remained small until after 1900, when the charcoal camp was closed. During the 1910s, however, the town boomed; the First State Bank of Wells opened in 1913, and the following year the population reached 300. During the 1920s the community incorporated, and in 1936 Wells reported 475 residents and twenty businesses. The population continued to grow after World War II, rising to 761 by 1990. Over the same period, however, the number of businesses has gradually declined, falling from twenty-six in 1952 to seven in 1990. Farming, cattle ranching, and lumber are the principal industries.

Wells Road Map

Wells city Satellite Map

Geography

Wells is located at 31°29′25″N 94°56′27″W / 31.49028°N 94.94083°W / 31.49028; -94.94083 (31.490395, –94.940950).

Wells is in the southernmost tip of Cherokee County in East Texas approximately 65 miles (105 km) south of Tyler and 17 miles (27 km) north of Lufkin on U.S. 69. Nacogdoches is 20 miles (32 km) Northeast, Dallas is 165.84 miles (266.89 km) to the north and west while Houston is 137.51 miles (221.30 km) to the south and west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km), all of it land.