Longview
City
Downtown Longview
Nickname:  Balloon Race Capital of Texas
Motto:  Real East Texas
Location of Longview in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas
Longview Location of Longview in the contiguous United States Show map of Texas Longview Longview (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 32°30′33″N 94°45′14″W / 32.50917°N 94.75389°W / 32.50917; -94.75389
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Gregg, Harrison
Government
• Type	Council–manager
• City manager	Rolin McPhee
• Assistant city manager	MaryAnn Hagenbucher
Area [1]
• City	55.93 sq mi (144.85 km2)
• Land	55.83 sq mi (144.59 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)
Elevation	371 ft (113 m)
Population  (2020)[2]
• City	81,683
• Density	1,500/sq mi (560/km2)
• Metro	217,481[3]
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	75601–75606
Area code(s)	903 and 430
FIPS code	48-43888[4]
GNIS feature ID	1374716[5]
Website	www.longviewtexas.gov

Longview is a city in and county seat of Gregg County, Texas, United States. Longview is located in East Texas, where Interstate 20 and U.S. highways 80 and 259 converge just north of the Sabine River. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 81,638.^[6] Longview is the principal city of the Longview metropolitan statistical area, comprising Gregg, Upshur, and Rusk counties. The population of the metropolitan area as of 2021 census estimates was 287,858.^[7]

Longview was established in 1870 in what was at the time southern Upshur County; the town incorporated in 1871. After Gregg County was created in 1873, Longview was voted the county seat. Today, Longview is considered a major hub city for the region, as is the nearby city of Tyler. Companies with significant presence in Longview include Eastman Chemical, Trinity Rail Group, AAON Coil Products, and Komatsu Mining, Dollar General and Old Navy/GAP. Colleges and universities in the area include LeTourneau University, Kilgore College, and the University of Texas at Tyler's Longview University Center.

History

The modern-day city of Longview was founded in 1869.^[8] In 1870, Methvin sold 100 acres (40 ha) to the Southern Pacific Railroad for one dollar to persuade them to build their line in the direction of land he owned. Later that year, he sold another 100 acres (40 ha) for $500 in gold. He hoped the coming of the railroad would increase the value of the rest of his land.

Two railroad surveyors coined the name of the town when they stated, "What a long view!" from the porch of Methvin's home. In June 1871, Longview was incorporated as the first town in Gregg County.^[9][8]

In 1884, the Mobberly Hotel opened for business servicing railroad travelers and as the center of social gatherings for Longview. The hotel featured cherrywood furniture with carved bed posts, marble-top washstand, linen tablecloths, electric crystal chandeliers, and a fireplace in every room. Mobberly was located in the junction part of town near the train depot. The hotel was destroyed by fire on June 13, 1965.

In the Longview race riot in July 1919, a reporter for The Chicago Defender was in Longview looking into the mysterious death of a black man named Lemuel Walters. An armed white mob attacked a home where the reporter, S.L. Jones, was staying, and attempted to batter their way in. A gunfight began between the attackers and the men in the house. Eventually, Jones made a getaway. The white men then began to burn buildings in the black section of the town.^[10]

The Gregg Hotel opened in 1930, and served oil boom customers.^[11] It had various operators as a hotel until 1978, when it was converted to dormitories for use by male students of LeTourneau College.^[12] Following the 1984 spring semester, the building sat empty except for a barbershop, which also closed in 1986.^[13] The building was ultimately demolished in 1995.

In 1942, construction began on the Big Inch pipeline in Longview. From 1943 to 1945, the pipeline transported over 261,000,000 barrels of crude oil to the East Coast.^[8] At the time of construction, Big Inch and its smaller twin, Little Inch, comprised the longest petroleum pipeline ever built in the world. Both were integral in supplying the United States' war effort in World War II.

After World War II, Longview's population grew from 24,502 to 40,050 in 1960, its growth fueled by migration from rural Gregg County and the annexation of Greggton and Spring Hill.^[14]

Geography

Longview is located within Northeast Texas, a subregion of East Texas. It is bordered to the west by the city of White Oak.

Demographics

Note: NH = Non-Hispanic^{[lower-alpha 1]}

At the 2010 census, Longview had a population of 80,455. The median age was 34. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 56.2% non-Hispanic White, 22.6% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 9.5% from some other race, and 2.3% from two or more races. About were 18.0% Hispanics or Latinos of any race.^[21] In the census of 2000,^[4] 73,344 people, 28,363 households, and 19,116 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,341.8 inhabitants per square mile (518.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.10% White, 22.11% African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 4.92% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races; Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 10.31% of the population.

By the 2020 United States census, Longview's population grew to 81,683.^[6] Its racial and ethnic makeup per the 2020 census was 49.73% non-Hispanic white, 23.49% Black or African American, 0.31% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.6% Asian alone, 0.27% some other race, 3.82% multiracial, and 20.75% Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[18] Among its population at the 2020 American Community Survey, 52.7% of its population was non-Hispanic white, 22.4% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian alone, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 0.1% some other race, 2.7% two or more races, and 20.3% Hispanic of Latino American of any race.^[22] The 2020 census and 2020 survey reflected nationwide demographic trends of greater diversification among traditional minority populations.^[23][24]

Of the 28,363 households at the 2000 census, 33.2% had children under 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were not families. About 27.9% of all households were individuals who lived alone, and 10.7% of all households were 65 or older and living alone. The average household size was 2.50, and the average family size was 3.06. Among the estimated 31,450 households at the 2020 American Community Survey, the average household size was 2.49; the 19,965 families had an average size of 3.13.^[25] Of the households and families estimated, 53.6% were in owner-occupied housing units and 46.4% were renter-occupied.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $33,858, and for a family was $42,378. Males had a median income of $33,078 versus $21,400 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,676. About 13.0% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over. By 2020, the median household income for Longview residents grew to $50,019, and monthly housing costs were $854.^[26]

As of 2020's religion census by the Association of Religion Data Archives, Baptists were the largest set of Christians, with Christianity being the predominant religion for Longview's metropolitan area. Altogether, Baptists from the American Baptist Association, Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, Free Will Baptists, National Baptists, National Missionary Baptists, and Southern Baptists numbered 88,811. Non/inter-denominational Protestants numbered 26,874. Other large Christian communities for the MSA were Methodists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons. Its Catholic Christian community numbered 22,952.^[27]

Economy

Longview's tallest building, the 10-story VeraBank

CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center

Looking west on Tyler Street in downtown Longview

Longview is one of several cities in East Texas that serve as a center for the "patent troll" industry, due to a perception that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is a favorable venue for patent infringement plaintiffs.^[28] As such, it is also one of the major economic hubs for Northeast Texas alongside Tyler.^[29]

Arts and culture

Longview Public Library operates a main branch, and the Broughton Branch.^[31][32]

Longview’s cultural district—a 320-acre (130 ha) area in downtown Longview which includes museums, restaurants, parks, live music, theater, and historic buildings—was designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts in 2019.^[33]

The 29-acre (12 ha) Longview Arboretum and Nature Center opened in 2019.^[34][35] Among other centers, the city has a vast trail system that is being connected to create 10 consecutive miles of connected walking/biking trails.^[36]

Government

Local government

Longview Municipal Building

According to the 2007 comprehensive annual financial report, the city's various funds had $75.9 million in revenues, $87.7 million in expenditures, $47.6 million in total assets, $9.0 million in total liabilities, and $12.2 million in cash in investments.^[37]

The city manager as of 2023 is Rolin McPhee.^[38] Bonds retired January 31, 2022 and Rolin McPhee became the city manager on February 1.^[39] With the addition of McPhee as city manager, the city of Longview underwent some restructuring namely adding an assistant city manager, MaryAnn Hagenbucher.^[39]

Education

S.E. Belcher, Jr. Chapel and Performance Center at LeTourneau University

Media

Infrastructure

Notable people

See also

Notes

References

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Longview (Texas).

• City of Longview official website
• Longview Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Longview Chamber of Commerce
• Longview Economic Development Corporation