Wills Point, Texas
City
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyVan Zandt
Unit prefImperial
Area total9.53 km²
Area land9.49 km²
Area water0.04 km²
Area total3.68 sq mi
Area land3.67 sq mi
Area water0.02 sq mi
Population as of2020
Population total3747
Time zoneCentral (CST) (UTC-6)
Time zone (DST)CDT (UTC-5)
Elevation532 ft
Coordinates32°42′21″N 95°59′12″W
ZIP code75169
Area code903
FIPS code48-79564[1]
GNIS feature ID2412273[2]
Websitewww.willspointtx.gov

Wills Point is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. Its population was 3,747 at the 2020 census.

History

Founded in 1873, Wills Point derives its name from an early American settler, William Wills, who arrived in the area circa 1848.[3] He purchased a cabin from Adam Sullivan in 1852.[citation needed] The name "point" may also derive from the shape of the original timberline near the cabin, though unsubstantiated arguments have indicated that the name relates to the area's elevation. The layout of the city was the work of engineer General Grenville M. Dodge of the California Construction Company. The downtown streets laid with red bricks upon packed sand in the 1920s by locals remain in use. Downtown Wills Point has many of its original buildings that are over 100 years old, including the Wills cabin, a drug store, a dry good store, and a law office. Governor George W. Bush officially named Wills Point the Bluebird Capital of Texas in 1995.

The Majestic Movie theater was opened in 1926 by Karl C. LyBrand and was still family operated by Karl C. Lybrand III until its closure on October 4, 2010. It had been the oldest continuously operated movie theater in Texas run by a single family. The Bruce and Human Drug Company, located on the corner of 4th Street and James, was built in 1879 and is the oldest family-owned drug store in Texas.

Wills Point is also the final resting place for Trailblazer, the first commercially operated monorail system in the United States.

GFA World, a Christian missionary organization, is located seven miles outside the city.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km2), all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Wills Point has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.[4]

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Wills Point had a population of 3,747, with a median age of 36.4 years; 27.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.3 males.[5]

There were 1,388 households in Wills Point, of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.3% were married-couple households, 16.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[5]

There were 1,504 housing units, of which 7.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%.[5]

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[6]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[7]
RaceNumberPercent
White2,70572.2%
Black or African American41111.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native391.0%
Asian110.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander30.1%
Some other race2035.4%
Two or more races37510.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)57215.3%

Education

Wills Point and the surrounding unincorporated areas are served by the Wills Point ISD. It is administered by Superintendent Scott Caloss. As of 2006, the district has five schools: Wills Point Primary School (prekindergarten through first grade), E.O. Woods Intermediate School (grades 2-4), Wills Point Middle School (grades 5-6), Wills Point Jr. High (grades 7-8), and Wills Point High School (grages 9-12).

The Wills Point High School Tigers football team won the 1A state championship in 1965.

Transportation

Major highways

Airports

The city owns[8] Van Zandt County Regional Airport, which was known as Wills Point Municipal Airport prior to the 2007 approval of a major airport improvement project.[9]

Local churches

  • Calvary Baptist Church
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[10]
  • First Baptist Church[11]
  • First Christian Church
  • Followers of Christ Church
  • Iglesia Bautista Emanuel
  • New Release Fellowship Baptist Church
  • Pleasant Hill Baptist Church
  • Radiant Church Wills Point[12]
  • Risen Life Fellowship[13]
  • Round Em Up Cowboy Church[14]
  • Russell Memorial Methodist Church[15]
  • St Luke Catholic Church
  • St Mark CME Church[16]
  • St Mary Church of God In Christ
  • St. Peters Believers Eastern Church of Wills Point[17]
  • Stonepoint Church - Iglesia Stonepoint - Wills Point[18]
  • Trinity Baptist Church[19]
  • Truebelievers Baptist Church
  • Wills Point Church of Christ[20]
  • Wills Point International Outreach Church[21]

References

  1. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ^
  3. ^ " Point Chronicle. Obituary. 1924 June.
  4. ^ "Wills Point, Texas Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  5. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  6. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  7. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  8. ^ . Federal Aviation Administration, Effective 26 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Van Zandt County Regional Airport". City of Wills Point. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  10. ^ "Homepage - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  11. ^ "HOME | First Baptist". www.fbwp.org. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  12. ^ "Radiant Church VZ". www.radiantchurchvz.com. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  13. ^ "Assembly of God church | Risen Life Fellowship | Wills Point". RisenLife Fellowship
  14. ^ "ROUND'EM UP COWBOY CHURCH". www.roundemupcowboychurch.com. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  15. ^ "RMMC". www.rmmcwp.net. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  16. ^ "St. Mark CME Church". www.stmarkcme.org. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  17. ^ "Home - Believers Eastern Church, Diocese of North America". www.becna.org. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  18. ^ "Stonepoint Church | HOME". www.stonepointchurch.com. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  19. ^ "Trinity Baptist Church ::". www.tbcwillspoint.com. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  20. ^ "Wills Point Church of Christ". Archived 2012-01-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  21. ^ "International Outreach Church". www.wpioc.org. Retrieved 2025-08-17.