10 Most Charming Small Towns In Texas

One of the few states in the US where you can drive five hours and still be in the same state, Texas often surprises the itinerant traveler with just how open the countryside seems, yet how frequently a small town pops up along the highway. While these small towns often seem little more than highway dressings as they blur by, they are often captivating when you slow down and look.

Many look to big names like Dallas, Austin, and Amarillo for the unique vibrancy and atmosphere of the Lone Star State. Still, its small towns often retain the purest form of Texas’s cowboy charm, thanks to their connections to the state's rich history, natural beauty, and unique sensibilities. Nowhere else in Texas can you find the essence of Texas so concentrated and available as in its charming small towns.

Canyon

Less than half an hour south of Amarillo, Canyon, Texas, is a vibrant and vivacious gem in the Panhandle, boasting both its cultural collections and its proximity to the immense natural grandeur of its namesake. The home of West Texas A&M University, Canyon is a college town that is easily on par with other Texas Academic luminaries, such as College Station, and frequently hosts guest speakers, concerts, and plays.

Like many college towns, Canyon also hosts a diverse array of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars that cater to the college students' other insatiable appetites besides that for knowledge. One local favorite is the Rockin’ Zebra Soda Shoppe. This classic soda shop, located on Canyon’s square, serves diner favorites straight out of yesteryear, including cheeseburgers, homemade soup, and delicious ice cream sodas and milkshakes. It also sells old-fashioned candies.

Canyon’s best-known attraction, however, is Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Palo Duro Canyon is the second-largest canyon system in the US, and its many distinct and unique rock formations, such as the Light House, draw visitors from across the nation. It features a variety of hiking trails that offer a chance to see diverse wildlife, and the canyon hosts the outdoor musical, "TEXAS: The Outdoor Musical," including its iconic Rider on the Rim.

Dublin

While the road to Dublin, Ireland, may be rocky, it’s not the only road to Dublin that could charm the itinerant traveler. Dublin, Texas, sits a couple of hours South of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and a couple of hours Northwest of Austin, and charms visitors with its own Irish charm, having been named the Irish Capitol of Texas 20 years ago.

Despite having a population of only 4,000, Dublin has several unique connections to major cultural developments, many of which can be explored in the Dublin Historical Museum. Featuring one of the most diverse collections among the many small-town museums in America, a point of pride for the museum is its exhibit on the renowned golfer Ben Hogan, who spent his early childhood in Dublin and is recognized as a major influence on the ideal golf swing.

Dublin’s other claim to fame is the Dublin Bottling Works. The oldest bottling plant in Texas, this plant was the first to bottle Dr. Pepper and did so until 2012. Today, the Bottle Works continues to produce and bottle craft sodas and is staunchly set on using only pure cane sugar.

Rockport

While it shares a name with another terrific tourist destination in Massachusetts, Rockport, Texas, has had its own special charm since its founding in 1870, serving as a coastal retreat for Texans ever since. The county seat for the smallest county in Texas, Rockport rests just North of Corpus Christi along the Gulf of Mexico, giving the itinerant traveler a perfect spot to enjoy the joy of a Texas beach without dealing with the crowds.

Rockport Beach offers visitors surprisingly shallow waters, which make it a paradise for swimmers of all ages and skill levels. It is also a Blue Wave beach, the first of four along the Gulf Coast, meaning Rockport Beach is kept litter-free and has visitors in mind. Another similarity that Rockport, Texas, shares with its New England sister is examples of gorgeous historical architecture, specifically the Fulton Mansion State Historic Site. Built seven years after the city’s founding, the Fulton Mansion is a stunning example of French Second Empire architecture built by engineer George Fulton. This historic site offers visitors not only a look into Texas’ unique history, but also a vibrant color with its garden inspired by Harriet Fulton’s love of flowers.

Navasota

Tucked between Houston and College Station, Navasota’s history of heavy influence by cattlemen, sheep ranchers, and, after they arrived, the railroads is typical of many Texas towns both large and small. This underappreciated small town’s own charms are wholly unique because it embraces its historical connections and invites visitors to explore them and see Navasota’s impact on Texan and American history. The prime example of this is the Washington-On-The-Brazos historical site, which commemorates the convention where, in March of 1836, Texan leaders voted to break away from Mexico and sign a Texan Declaration of Independence. Today, the site is the home of several museums and park grounds, making it a perfect family outing.

For those wanting something sweeter to study, Navasota’s BeeWeaver Honey Farm is abuzz with fascinating facts about beekeeping and the opportunity to taste fresh honey straight from the busy bees of the farm, as well as try WildFlyer mead. They even offer lessons and beekeeping gear for those who want a bee farm of their own.

Brownwood

While Texas is best known for its wide rolling plains and coastal counties, its diverse countryside also includes a beautiful and rugged hill country, and Brownwood represents that hill country perfectly. Like the wide and scenic hills of the Lone Star state, Brownwood is less well known to itinerant visitors despite being west of Waco and almost literally in the heart of Texas. However, Brownwood has a thriving and vibrant downtown that offers visitors over a dozen captivating attractions, eateries, and experiences.

The Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum sits just across the street from Brownwood’s historic Santa Fe Depot and, in addition to serving as a visitors center, offers visitors a chance to explore the history of the railroads and their effect on both the region and America overall, as well as a fun ride on a miniature train for travelers both big and small. Once you’ve worked up an appetite on the railroad, you can step into the past even further to have a delicious jalapeno bacon cheeseburger at the Runaway Train Café. This renovated train car offers visitors a chance to experience a meal in an original dining car, which includes an old-fashioned soda counter.

Quanah

Established as a railroad stop in 1884, Quanah, Texas, takes its name from Comanche chief Quanah Parker, who was a frequent visitor to the town and whose mark is an irreplaceable part of the town’s charm and history. Many of Quanah’s historical sites tie into both the Comanche chiefs’ history and that of his tribe, such as the Quanah Parker Memorial located outside the Hardman County Courthouse. This large granite marker tells the story of Parker, the “last chief of the Comanches,” and briefly discusses the history of Parker’s mother, Cynthia Ann Parker, who was an Anglo settler taken and raised among the Comanches. Visitors to Quanah can explore her story in greater detail with a visit to the Copper Banks State Park, which is located just 13 miles south of Quanah. In addition to its many hiking trails and campsites, this gorgeous state park includes an exhibit dedicated to both the Comanches and Cynthia Ann Parker, making it perfect for continuing a deep dive into Quanah’s history.

And when you want to quench your thirst without losing that sense of history, the Old Bank Saloon has you covered. Operating out of a 1900s bank building, the Old Bank Saloon has reportedly seen the patronage not only of Quanah Parker, but also his friend, President Theodore Roosevelt. Today, the Old Bank offers live entertainment, cold draft beer, and a wide variety of home-cooked food.

Fredericksburg

Another hill country charmer, just an hour away from San Antonio, Fredericksburg, Texas, has taken the heritage of its residents, both past and present, and used it to charm countless visitors. This charm extends well beyond its annual Oktoberfest celebration and suffuses the many experiences a visitor to Fredericksburg will find. The second town founded by German immigrants in Texas, Fredericksburg’s Germanic roots have grown since 1846. The easiest way to experience this, and the tastiest, is by visiting one of the many German restaurants in town, such as Friedhelm’s Bavarian Inn. With six bed-and-breakfast suites, Friedhelm’s offers not only incredible steaks but also authentic Bavarian specialties such as Knackwurst.

If you’re brave enough to find out how the sausage is made, you can learn about sausage-making, as well as canning and even sheep shearing at the Saur-Beckman Living History Farm. Located in Lyndon B. Johnson State Park, the Saur-Beckman Farm has been in operation since 1869, and today is staffed by park rangers who, while wearing period-appropriate clothing, show visitors exactly how farming has been done in Fredericksburg for over a century.

Gonzales

Texas’s take on Lexington and Concord, the very first shots of the Texan fight for independence, were fired in Gonzales, a small town southeast of Austin. Today, this charming small town remains known as the birthplace of Texas Independence, although thankfully, it’s more peaceful these days. Visitors to Gonzales will find that the only soldiers are in the exhibits of the Gonzales Memorial Museum. Built to honor 32 Gonzales residents who died at the Alamo, this ornate museum was built in 1937 from Texas shell-stone, which makes it a beautiful landmark for visitors. Exhibits at the memorial museum include the “Come and Take It” cannon, whose image remains a popular one, as well as rifles, uniforms, and equipment from the revolution.

If you are looking for a more revitalizing place to relax, the Ottine Mineral Springs offers just the thing. A nice, long soak in its 106-degree-Fahrenheit waters has been a recommended treatment for what ails you since the 1930s, when the Gonzales Warm Spring Foundation was established to use the waters to treat children afflicted with polio. At that time, it was notably the only non-segregated polio care facility. Today, the Springs offer a variety of hydrotherapy treatments, as well as a range of massages and dining options.

Jefferson

Jefferson, Texas, shows that you don’t have to go to Louisiana to find bountiful experiences on the bayou. Resting cozily between Lake Caddo and Lake O’ the Pines, Jefferson offers visitors a quirky charm that is rare even among the motley of Texan small towns. For example, no other town in Texas is the “Bigfoot Capital of Texas.” As most reports of the mythological monster occur in East Texas, Jefferson’s location, East of Dallas, places it perfectly in the parts of Texas where Bigfoot is reported, and they’ve embraced the stories, so much so that there is a large statue of him at the Port Jefferson History and Nature Center. This outdoor learning center not only features its own “Bigfoot Alley” but also offers numerous riverfront walking trails and hands-on learning experiences.

Another of Jefferson’s eclectic attractions, which showcases its unique quirks, is Jefferson’s Bicycle Hill. Originally meant to help with safety, this pedal-powered version of Amarillo’s Cadillac Ranch consists of a multitude of LED-lit, vibrantly painted bicycles and has grown steadily over the years. This eccentric taste even extends to Jefferson’s eateries. The KnightLight Theater offers not only a scrumptious menu of hearty favorites from seafood to pasta, but a variety of entertainment, including comedy performances, plays, films, and more.

Clifton

The northern part of the Texas hill country has attracted visitors and settlers from across all eras of history, but only one region has attracted as diverse a range: Clifton, Texas. With a history of visitors ranging from prehistoric pioneers to Norwegian royalty, Cliffton is one of the more colorful small towns in Texas, making it an excellent spot for the itinerant visitor. A natural chronological order to explore Clifton begins with a visit to the Bosque Museum. Built around the collection of an early settler to the area, the Bosque museum’s 8,000 square feet of display space is filled to the brim with permanent exhibits showing the various peoples who lived in the region. The museum pays particular attention to the Norwegian immigrants who arrived in Clifton during the second half of the 19th century. In fact, the museum houses the largest collection of Norwegian artifacts in the Southern part of the US and was even visited by King Olaf V of Norway in 1882, a memorable moment for the small town.

Clifton’s Norwegian heritage is a point of pride for the town, as further evidenced by their Norwegian Historic District. Consisting of roughly forty structures, many of which were built from local limestone, this district has three famous churches and several restored or maintained houses, which are open to tours.

Texas Charm Around Every Corner

Far from a homogenous blur of plains punctuated by large cities and minuscule towns, Texas’s natural beauty is as diverse as its history and the people who have settled it over more than three centuries. Its many small towns vary in size, climate, and terrain, but many have a unique and vibrantly vivacious charm to them, beckoning to the itinerant traveler and pulling them in as many directions as there are bluebonnets along the Lone Star State’s highways, from historical highlights to culinary celebrations and more miscellaneous attractions. Exploring the small towns’ charms could take years, but you’ll never begrudge the time it takes once you’ve explored even a fraction of the smaller stars of Texas.