Why visit Van
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 10 places to eat and 3 places to stay in and around town.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 94°F; January lows average 33°F.
Weather in Van
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Van
Van is a city located in southeastern Van Zandt County, Texas, United States, approximately 26 miles northwest of Tyler. Its population was 2,664 at the 2020 census. The town draws its name from an early settler and school teacher, Henry Vance.
From the Wikipedia article Van, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks10
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes10
Dinner Bell
Restaurant · Fish, Burger, Coffee
202 West Main Street, Van
Mo-Sa 05:00-20:00; Su 05:00-14:00
Dairy Queen
Fast food · Ice Cream, Burger, Chicken · 1.2 mi
2789 I-20 West Service Road, Van
Where to stay3
History
Van's first settlers in the area had arrived by the time of the Civil War. By 1874, the town was named Swindler for George Swindler, who donated land for a school west of the present business district and land north of that site in 1891 to the Methodist Church. In 1894, schoolteacher Henry Vance, the town's namesake, established a post office, and the name Van was chosen when the post office renamed the community.
A Pure Oil company survey near the town in 1927 on the land of W.T. Jarman that eventually led to the discovery of oil by P.B. Garland on October 13, 1929. The Jarman no. 1 discovery well flowed 147 barrels of oil from the Woodbine Formation at a depth of 2,710 feet (830 m). Sun Oil, Shell Petroleum, the Texas Company, Pure Oil, and Humble became co-owners of the field, with Pure Oil as chief operator. By 1994, the Van Field had produced 502 million barrels of oil.
From the History section of Van, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Healthcare1
Map of Van
41 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°F | 33°F | 3.7 in | 0.2 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 38°F | 4.0 in | 0.3 in |
| Mar | 68°F | 44°F | 4.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 51°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 82°F | 61°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 69°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 71°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 94°F | 71°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 63°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 78°F | 52°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 67°F | 42°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 35°F | 5.1 in | 0.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Mineola (12 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
Van Zandt County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 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)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-04-25: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 18 miles away.
- Ben Wheeler 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Hideaway 11 mi east, about 17 min by car
- Grand Saline 11 mi north, about 19 min by car
- Canton 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Brownsboro 16 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Chandler 18 mi southeast, about 29 min by car
- Edgewood 18 mi northwest, about 29 min by car
- Quitman 22 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Tyler 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Athens 25 mi southwest, about 40 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
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
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