Jefferson, Texas
Jefferson stands on Big Cypress Bayou in Marion County, in the Piney Woods of East Texas about 29 miles northeast of Longview. In the 19th century it was one of the state's busiest inland riverports, with steamboats connecting it downstream toward the Red River, and much of its trade faded once the railroads bypassed it. Today the town is known for its dense concentration of preserved 19th-century buildings and historic bed-and-breakfast houses.
Property here runs through the Marion Central Appraisal District and the county tax office — the homestead exemption, the appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level. The Marion County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Marion County notes
What to know around Jefferson
Property Tax
Two offices handle your property tax bill in Marion County
The Marion Central Appraisal District sets your property value, while a separate Tax Office collects what you owe. Two different offices with two different jobs.
State Park
Caddo Lake State Park sits on a vast cypress swamp near Karnack
Caddo Lake State Park gives you access to a 26,810-acre lake full of cypress trees, more than 70 fish species, and CCC-built cabins from the 1930s.
Public Hunting
Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area allows public hunting with a permit
The Caddo Lake WMA covers about 8,124 acres in Marion and Harrison counties and is open to hunters who obtain the required permit from TPWD.
Historic District
Jefferson's downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places
A 47-block area of Jefferson was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, preserving dozens of 19th-century buildings from the town's days as Texas's leading inland port.
County Origins
Marion County was carved from Cass County in 1860 and named for a Revolutionary War hero
Marion County was created on February 8, 1860, from the southern part of Cass County, and named for Francis Marion — the 'Swamp Fox' of the American Revolution.
Historic Courthouse
The 1913 Marion County Courthouse was restored and reopened in 2021
The Marion County Courthouse in Jefferson was built in 1913 and underwent a full historic restoration, finishing with a ribbon-cutting in May 2021, under the Texas Historical Commission's courthouse program.
Nearby
Places near Jefferson
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Harrison County
24 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Cass County
5 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Morris County
5 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Gregg County
23 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Upshur County
13 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Camp County
4 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Next steps for Jefferson
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Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
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Property tax, land, outdoors, vehicles, rules, and history for the county.
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