Gun Barrel City Maps & Location

Gun Barrel City sits on the eastern shore of Cedar Creek Lake in Henderson County, East Texas, about 55 miles southeast of Dallas. Use the interactive map below to place it, then use the driving distances to plan your trip.

Where Gun Barrel City is

The city occupies about 6.63 square miles at an elevation of roughly 364 feet along Cedar Creek Lake's eastern shore. The lake — a large East Texas reservoir with more than 220 miles of shoreline — wraps the community's western and southern edges, which is why so many neighborhoods here are waterfront or near-water. Two roads carry most traffic: State Highway 198, the original "Gun Barrel Lane," and State Highway 334, the main commercial strip through town.

Driving distances

Gun Barrel City is easy to reach from the Dallas–Fort Worth metro and well connected to the towns around Cedar Creek Lake. Approximate driving distances:

• Dallas — about 55 miles (northwest); the nearest major metro.
• Mabank — a short drive to the neighboring community on the lake; home of the school district that serves Gun Barrel City.
• Athens — about 15 miles to the Henderson County seat.
• Corsicana — a nearby regional town to the south, in neighboring Navarro County.

Nearby communities

Beyond the towns above, Gun Barrel City shares the Cedar Creek Lake area with Seven Points, Payne Springs, and Tool. Kaufman sits to the north toward Dallas. Together these communities form the lake region that Gun Barrel City anchors commercially — the place where residents and visitors across the whole lake come to shop, dine, and stock up.

Orientation: how the area fits together

Gun Barrel City anchors the eastern side of Cedar Creek Lake, and the surrounding towns ring the water like points on a clock. The immediate lake communities include Mabank and Seven Points, with Payne Springs and Tool close by. Because the city is the retail and commercial hub of the region, residents of these smaller towns drive in to shop the strip along State Highway 334 — a role that traces directly back to the town's origins, which you can follow in the city's history. To the east lies Athens, the Henderson County seat, roughly 15 miles away; to the north, toward Dallas, sits Kaufman; and to the south, in neighboring Navarro County, is Corsicana. Holding all of it together is the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex about 55 miles to the northwest, the source of most of the weekend traffic that fills the lake.

The lake at the center

Everything here is oriented around the water. Cedar Creek Lake is a large East Texas reservoir with more than 220 miles of shoreline, and Gun Barrel City sits along its eastern edge at an elevation of about 364 feet. That geography puts marinas, public ramps, and lakeside parks within a short drive of almost any address in town. Visitors who come for the water will find launch points for boating and the marinas, quiet coves for fishing on Cedar Creek Lake, and lake access points and lakeside parks scattered around the shoreline. The reservoir was completed in the mid-1960s and, in effect, created the town — which is why so much of local life still faces the water. In peak season, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, traffic on State Highway 334 and activity at the boat ramps pick up noticeably as the population climbs from about 6,190 to more than 10,000.

Getting your bearings for a longer stay

If you are considering more than a visit, the same central location that makes Gun Barrel City a weekend draw also makes it a practical place to settle. Families here are served by Mabank ISD, and the mild climate, lake recreation, low cost of living, and absence of a city property tax have long attracted people relocating here for retirement. For a fuller picture of the community itself — its identity, size, and character — start with our overview about Gun Barrel City, then use this page to place it geographically. The two together give you both the story and the map.

Distances are approximate and provided for general orientation. For turn-by-turn directions and current travel times, use the interactive map above or a live navigation app.

For exact figures on land area, elevation, and population, see the Facts & Statistics page. To plan a trip, visit Directions and Visit, or explore Cedar Creek Lake itself.