Broaddus is a small incorporated town in San Augustine County, in the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas. The 2020 census recorded 184 residents, making it one of the county's smallest incorporated communities. The town has roots in the East Texas timber country that shaped the region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and its population peaked in the mid-20th century before settling into the low hundreds. Today Broaddus functions as a quiet rural town whose modern identity is increasingly tied to its proximity to Lake Sam Rayburn, one of the largest reservoirs in Texas. Jackson Hill Park and Marina, located on the lake just outside town along Farm Road 2851, anchors the area's fishing and recreation economy and draws visitors from across East Texas and beyond. The reservoir, surrounded by national forest land, is a major destination for bass fishing, boating, and lakeside camping. State Highway 147 runs through Broaddus, connecting it to the Deep East Texas highway network and to nearby towns in San Augustine and Angelina counties. The town is served by the Broaddus Independent School District, a small district that enrolls a few hundred students from the town and the surrounding countryside, and it remains a focal point for the local community. For residents, Broaddus offers the quiet of the Piney Woods with direct access to a major recreational lake. The surrounding landscape of pine and hardwood forest, combined with Lake Sam Rayburn's fishing, boating, and camping, gives the town an outdoors-oriented character. The Sabine National Forest lies within easy reach to the east, extending the area's outdoor offerings beyond the lake itself, while San Augustine, the county seat, is a short drive north and provides additional services and a link to the region's early Texas history.