Geography of Rains County
Rains County sits at roughly 32.87° N and 95.79° W in the East Texas region of Texas, spanning 259 square miles of terrain that includes the landscape characteristic of the area — from open ranchland and farmland to small-town main streets. The county's centroid is near Emory, and the county shares boundaries with 4 neighboring counties.
Population & demographics
With approximately 13,542 residents across 259 square miles, Rains County has a population density of about 52.3 people per square mile. Density here reflects a mix of small cities, suburbs, and rural land.
County seat: Emory
Emory serves as the seat of government for Rains County. The county courthouse, commissioners court, district clerk, and primary public records are located here. As with all 254 Texas counties, the county seat is the anchor of civic life and the principal address for elections, permits, and court filings.
History & name origin
Rains County was established in 1870 and was named for Emory Rains (1800–1878), a state senator and surveyor of the future county. It was carved from territory previously part of Hopkins County, Hunt County and Wood County.
Rains County, Texas — frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Rains County geography, population, county seat, neighboring counties, and how to use the maps on this page. Every answer is generated from the official U.S. Census data backing this site.
Where is Rains County, Texas located?+
Rains County is located in the East Texas region of Texas at approximately 32.870° N, 95.793° W. It is one of the 254 counties of Texas and carries U.S. Census FIPS code 48379. The interactive map on this page renders the official U.S. Census TIGER boundary for Rains County over real-world OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, and topographic basemaps.
How big is Rains County in square miles?+
Rains County covers approximately 259 square miles of land in the East Texas region — a compact county by Texas standards. By land area it ranks 249th out of 254 Texas counties. The full bounding box of the county is rendered to scale on the interactive map and matches the U.S. Census TIGER 2023 polygon.
What is the population of Rains County, Texas?+
Rains County has a population of approximately 13,542 residents. With 259 square miles of land, that works out to a population density of about 52.3 people per square mile, which is moderately populated for a Texas county. That makes Rains County the 148th most populous of the 254 counties in Texas.
What is the county seat of Rains County?+
Emory is the county seat of Rains County, Texas, which was organized in 1870 and named for Emory Rains (1800–1878), a state senator and surveyor of the future county. Rains County was originally carved out of Hopkins County, Hunt County and Wood County. County government offices, courthouses, and most public records for Rains County are located in Emory.
Which Texas counties border Rains County?+
Rains County shares borders with Hopkins, Hunt, Van Zandt, and Wood counties. These 4 neighboring counties are highlighted on the schematic boundary map and linked at the bottom of this page so you can quickly compare population, area, and county seats across the East Texas region.
Where can I download or print a map of Rains County?+
A free, print-ready PDF map of Rains County is available from the "Download PDF" button at the top of this page. The printable layout uses authentic U.S. Census TIGER boundary geometry for Rains County, includes a Texas locator inset, and is sized for standard 8.5" × 11" Letter paper. For interactive use, the live Leaflet map on this page supports OpenStreetMap, Esri satellite, Esri topographic, and Carto light basemaps with zoom, scale bar, and fullscreen.
What is the FIPS code for Rains County, Texas?+
The full 5-digit U.S. Census FIPS code for Rains County is 48379, made up of Texas state code 48 and the 3-digit county code 379. This is the same FIPS code used by the U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line files, the American Community Survey, and most federal datasets that key on county.