Geography of Rains County
Covering 259 square miles, Rains County combines a regional trade center at Emory with farm and ranch land in every direction. About 13,542 people live here.
It lies in the East Texas region at about 32.87° N, 95.79° W and is one of the 25 smallest counties in Texas (249th of 254 by area). Rains County shares boundaries with 4 other Texas counties, and the closest major cities are Tyler (about 46 miles away in a straight line) and Dallas (about 59 miles).
East Texas is the state's forested corner — the Piney Woods, red-clay hills, lakes and river bottoms that have more in common with the Deep South than with the open West. Timber, poultry, oil and gas, and growing retirement and lake communities shape its economy.
For a broader view of how Rains County fits within the state, download our free Texas map with counties and cities PDF — a printable, high-resolution reference showing all 254 Texas counties labeled with their county seats.
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 is the county seat of Rains County. This is where the county courthouse stands and where residents go for property records, vehicle registration, marriage licenses, court cases and voter services handled by the county clerk, district clerk and tax assessor-collector. Emory also serves as the main shopping, school and healthcare center for much of the county.
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. Figures are sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau; answers are written and reviewed by the Texas County Map team.
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?+
Use the "Download PDF" button below the Rains County map on this page to save a letter-size PDF of the county boundary, neighboring counties and incorporated places, drawn from U.S. Census Bureau 2023 boundary files. The "Official TxDOT road map" button downloads the Texas Department of Transportation county road mapbook for Rains County. Both files are stored on this site and download directly. Our free Texas map with counties and cities PDF shows all 254 counties on one sheet.
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.