Decatur

Decatur, Texas

Decatur, Texas

View of the downtown area of Decatur, Texas, the seat of Wise County. Photograph by Renelibrary.

Decatur, the county seat of Wise County, is on U.S. highways 287 and 380 and the Burlington Northern Railway, forty miles northwest of Fort Worth at the approximate center of the county. It is near the western edge of the Grand Prairies, and overlooks the western Cross Timbers area. The Texas legislature established Wise County in 1856 and directed that a county seat named Taylorsville (in honor of Gen. Zachary Taylor) be founded within five miles of its center. The town was located and laid out by Absalom Bishop, an early settler in the region. Bishop, who was a member of the Texas Legislature, did not approve of Taylor's Whig party affiliation, and in January 1858 he arranged to change the name of the town to Decatur in honor of the naval hero Stephen Decatur.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Continue Reading at the Handbook of Texas

Jim Tom Barton | © Texas State Historical Association

Decatur at a Glance

Belongs to

Decatur is part of or belongs to the following places.

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Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Decatur is classified as a Town

Associated Names

  • (Bishop's Hill)
  • (Howell's Store)
  • (Taylorsville)

Locations

  • Latitude
    33.22950150
    Longitude
    -97.58894900

Has Post Office

Yes

Is Incorporated

Yes

Photos of Decatur and surrounding areas

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Decatur by the Numbers

Population Counts

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Population Counts

Decatur
Pop. Year Source
7,013 2019 Texas Demographic Center
6,042 2010 Texas Demographic Center
5,201 2000 Texas Demographic Center
4,245 1990 Texas Demographic Center
4,104 1980 Texas Demographic Center
3,240 1970 Texas Demographic Center
3,563 1960 Texas Demographic Center
2,922 1950 Texas Demographic Center
2,578 1940 Texas Demographic Center
2,037 1930 Texas Demographic Center
2,205 1920 Texas Demographic Center
1,651 1910 Texas Demographic Center
1,562 1900 Texas Demographic Center
1,746 1890 Texas Demographic Center
579 1880 Texas Demographic Center