Grayson County Railroad Town

About Tioga, TX

Welcome to Tioga, a Grayson County town near Ray Roberts Lake known as the boyhood home of singing cowboy Gene Autry.

Tioga is a town in the southwestern corner of Grayson County, Texas, positioned along U.S. Route 377 about six miles north of Pilot Point and roughly thirty miles southwest of Sherman. The community was founded in 1881 at a junction of the Texas and Pacific and Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroads, and grew as a small agricultural trade center for the surrounding countryside. In 1882, the town's first building was a grocery store and its first schoolhouse was a one-room frame structure. At the 2020 census, Tioga had a population of 1,142. The town is best known as the hometown of Gene Autry, the singing cowboy of radio and screen, who was born near Tioga in 1907 and raised in the area; the town proudly claims him among its native sons along with figures such as State Senator Olen R. VanZandt. By the 1930s, Tioga's main street held a full complement of groceries, garages, hotels, cafes, and other businesses serving the farm trade. The surrounding landscape is defined by rolling grassland, ranchland, and scattered farms. Today Tioga sits within the Sherman–Denison metropolitan area, roughly an hour's drive north of Dallas, and near the shores of Ray Roberts Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir whose state park lies just south of town. Its position along U.S. 377 keeps commuters within reach of Pilot Point, Denton, and the Sherman–Denison corridor. The town retains a small-town, rural character while benefiting from its proximity to the lake's recreational resources and the growing communities of the northern Metroplex.

Population 1,142
County Grayson County
Active Listings 81

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is Tioga, Texas in?

Tioga is in the southwestern corner of Grayson County, Texas, along U.S. Route 377 about six miles north of Pilot Point and roughly thirty miles southwest of Sherman. The town sits in northern Texas within the Sherman–Denison metropolitan area.

What is Tioga, Texas known for?

Tioga is known as the hometown of Gene Autry, the singing cowboy of radio and screen, who was born near the town in 1907 and raised in the area. The town also counts State Senator Olen R. VanZandt among its native sons.

What lake is near Tioga, Texas?

Ray Roberts Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir, lies just south of Tioga. Ray Roberts Lake State Park offers boating, fishing, hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing along the lake's shoreline and surrounding woodlands.

What school district serves Tioga, Texas?

Students in Tioga attend the Tioga Independent School District, a small rural district in Grayson County with an Early College High School designation. The district serves the town and the surrounding southwestern Grayson County area.

How far is Tioga, Texas from Dallas?

Tioga sits about thirty miles southwest of Sherman and roughly an hour's drive north of Dallas along U.S. Route 377. Pilot Point is six miles south, and the Sherman–Denison corridor is within commuting distance.

City Guide

About Tioga

Real Estate & Housing

Housing in Tioga is primarily single-family, ranging from older homes in the historic townsite to newer construction and rural acreage on the town's outskirts. The small scale of the community means lots tend to be larger than in suburban subdivisions closer to Dallas, and many properties offer room for gardens, outbuildings, or livestock. Newer residential growth in the area reflects Tioga's position between Pilot Point and the Sherman–Denison corridor and its appeal to buyers seeking a rural setting within reach of the Metroplex. The housing stock remains predominantly owner-occupied.

Neighborhoods

Tioga is organized around its original downtown along the old rail corridor, where the town's earliest commercial buildings and homes stand. Residential streets extend outward from this core, giving way to larger lots, ranchland, and newer homesites along the surrounding county roads. The town does not feature the large master-planned subdivisions common elsewhere in the Dallas–Fort Worth region; instead, its neighborhoods are small and closely tied to the original townsite. Newer development tends to appear as scattered single-family homes and small clusters on the town's edges.

Lifestyle in Tioga

Life in Tioga is centered on small-town community and the outdoors. The town's railroad and ranching heritage, along with its connection to Gene Autry, give it a distinct identity celebrated in local lore. Ray Roberts Lake and its state park lie just south of town, offering boating, fishing, hiking, and camping that draw residents and visitors. Day-to-day needs are met in Pilot Point and the Sherman–Denison area, while the broader amenities of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex are within an hour's drive. The result is a quiet, land-connected lifestyle with access to regional growth.

Schools & Education

Students in Tioga are served by the Tioga Independent School District, a small rural district serving the town and the surrounding southwestern Grayson County area. The district carries an Early College High School designation from the Texas Education Agency, allowing students to earn college credit while completing high school. Its small enrollment supports a close-knit school community, and families drawn to Tioga often value the smaller setting compared with larger districts closer to the Dallas–Fort Worth core.

Getting Around

Tioga sits along U.S. Route 377, which runs north–south through the community and connects it to Pilot Point and the Denton area to the south and to the Sherman–Denison corridor to the north. The town lies roughly an hour's drive north of Dallas, with Interstate 35 accessible via Sanger or Denton for routes toward the Metroplex and Oklahoma. State and county roads serve the surrounding ranchland, and the region's position in northern Texas places both Dallas–Fort Worth and the Red River communities of Grayson County within reach.

Parks & Recreation

Ray Roberts Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir, is the main recreational anchor near Tioga. The lake supports boating, fishing, and water sports, while Ray Roberts Lake State Park offers hiking, camping, equestrian trails, and wildlife viewing along the shoreline and surrounding woodlands. Boat ramps are located within a couple of miles of town along U.S. Route 377. Pilot Point and the Sherman–Denison area provide additional parks, dining, and community recreation a short drive away.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

The Market at a Glance

How homes have been selling here over the last 90 days.

home_work New This Week 3
Went Under Contract 0
trending_down Price Reductions 0
payments Median Sale Price $391,250 +3.2%
square_foot Price per Sq Ft $255
schedule Avg Days on Market 91
sell Homes Sold 8
percent Sale-to-List Ratio 100.0%
inventory_2 Months of Inventory 13.7

Price & Sales History

Market data reflects closed sales over the last 90 days and is provided for informational purposes.

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