County · code 48401
Rusk CountyTexas
Rusk County is a county in Texas, founded in 1843, with its seat at Henderson.
- Founded1843
- County seatHenderson
- Named forThomas Jefferson Rusk
- Land area924 sq mi + 14 sq mi water
- Population52,214 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped37,226 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Rusk on the map of Texas
Texas has 254 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1843 from Nacogdoches County, Harrison County and Shelby County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Rusk County was created by the Republic of Texas from Nacogdoches and small areas of both Harrison and Shelby, though it was not fully organized at its creation. The county was fully organized by September 23, 1843, and became a county in the newly-established state of Texas on December 29, 1845. Over the following decades, Rusk lost territory to the creation of Panola County in 1846 and to Gregg County in 1874.
- 1843Rusk County created Rusk created by the Republic of Texas from Nacogdoches and small areas of both Harrison and Shelby; Rusk not fully organized. · Texas Repub. Laws 1842, 7th cong./pp. 39-41
- c. 1843Changed Rusk fully organized. · Winfrey, 20
- 1844Gained territory Rusk gained from Harrison and Shelby. · Texas Repub. Laws 1844, 9th cong., 1st sess./p. 8
- 1845
- 1845Became part of Texas Rusk became a county in the newly-established state of Texas. · Texas Repub. Laws 1845, 9th cong., spec. sess./pp. 4-6; U.S. Stat., vol. 9, res. 1 [1845]/p. 108; Van Zandt, 122
- 1846
- 1874Lost territory Rusk lost to Gregg. · Texas Laws 1874, 14th leg., reg. sess., ch. 128/p. 179
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Rusk
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Fallback
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 37,226 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey. This copy is a fallback, not the county's own: use it as a guide and check the official record.
edited 31 March 2021 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 26,405 in all from Texas Geographic Information Office (TxGIO, formerly TNRIS), a division of the Texas Water Development Board; StratMap program.
checked 14 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Rusk by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Records
County government
- County government
The official website of Rusk County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Rusk County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Rusk County
- When was Rusk County founded?
- Rusk County was founded in 1843, formed from Nacogdoches County, Harrison County and Shelby County, and named after Thomas Jefferson Rusk.
- What is the county seat of Rusk County?
- The county seat of Rusk County is Henderson.
- Is there an online parcel map for Rusk County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 37,226 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Rusk County's boundary or name changed?
- Rusk County was created in 1843 from Nacogdoches County, Harrison County and Shelby County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving Shelby County, Gregg County and Harrison County.
- Who issues building permits in Rusk County?
- The county's page on building permits: Septic Inspection. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Rusk County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health department: septic and well.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Rusk County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby