Why visit Center
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 11 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Rio Theater.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 94°F; January lows average 36°F.
Weather in Center
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Center
Center is a city in Shelby County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,221 at the 2020 U.S. census. It is the county seat of Shelby County located in deep East Texas. It was named for its location near the center of Shelby County; the community is near the Louisiana border.
From the Wikipedia article Center, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks9
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes11
T/R'S Steaks and More
Restaurant · Buffet, Steak, Regional, Pizza, American, Mexican · 1.2 mi
892 Hurst Street, Center
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Taco Bell
Fast food · Tex-Mex · 1.5 mi
1315 Tenaha Street, Center
Mo-Th 09:00-02:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-03:00; Su 09:00-02:00
History
Shelby County was one of the original 13 counties in Texas, being organized by the Republic of Texas Congress in 1837. The county was named for Isaac Shelby, an American military hero and governor of Kentucky. Shelby County eventually became one of the most populous and prosperous counties in the state because of its proximity to Louisiana and location along the Sabine River.
The settlement which eventually became the City of Center was originally called White Cottage. A post office was established at this settlement on April 6, 1848.
Al Johnson, an East Texas State Representative, introduced a bill to have all county seats be as close to the center of the county as possible. R.L. Parker, the County Clerk at the time, arranged to have the county surveyed and the center located. The originally county seat was Shelbyville, Texas located approximately 7 miles (11 km) from White Cottage. However, one night in 1866, a group of men led by Parker entered into the court house and stole all of the records and took them to a log cabin near White Cottage. Shortly after the incident, the community became known as Center, primarily to reflect the requisite location of the county seat.
From the History section of Center, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Best Western Plus Classic Inn & Suites
Motel and hotel · 1.5 mi
210 Moffett Drive, Center
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Healthcare2
Brookshire Brothers Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.4 mi
105 Hurst Street, Center
Map of Center
47 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°F | 36°F | 5.2 in | 0.2 in |
| Feb | 63°F | 39°F | 4.8 in | 0.4 in |
| Mar | 70°F | 46°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 77°F | 52°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 84°F | 62°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 69°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 94°F | 72°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 94°F | 71°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 65°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 80°F | 53°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 68°F | 43°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 60°F | 37°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Center (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Shelby County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-07-09: Hurricane Beryl (Hurricane)
- 2024-05-17: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-14: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-08-24: Tropical Storms Marco And Laura (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
A L Mangham Junior Regional Airport (OCH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 34 miles away.
- Timpson 15 mi northwest, about 24 min by car
- Logansport 17 mi northeast, about 27 min by car
- San Augustine 19 mi south, about 30 min by car
- Garrison 19 mi west, about 30 min by car
- Nacogdoches 30 mi southwest, about 49 min by car
- Mansfield 33 mi northeast, about 53 min by car
- Zwolle 33 mi east, about 54 min by car
- Milam 33 mi southeast, about 53 min by car
- Hemphill 37 mi southeast, about 59 min by car
- Lufkin 46 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Downtown Center, TX IMG 0964, Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.