Gun Barrel City is a town in Henderson County, Texas, situated on the eastern shore of Cedar Creek Lake in East Texas. Its population was 6,190 at the 2020 census, up from 5,672 a decade earlier, reflecting steady growth as a lake-oriented community. Cedar Creek Lake, officially Cedar Creek Reservoir, was completed in 1965 as a water source for Fort Worth and other North Texas communities, and it has since become the centerpiece of the local economy and lifestyle. The town's name is distinctive even by Texas standards, and its identity is inseparable from the reservoir that borders it. Cedar Creek Lake is among the larger lakes in East Texas, supporting a year-round culture of boating, fishing, water sports, and birdwatching. Public boat ramps, local parks, a skateboard park, and a network of marinas give residents and visitors direct access to the water, while the lake's many coves and channels provide quiet fishing grounds for catfish and other species. Gun Barrel City is part of the broader Cedar Creek Lake region, which spans portions of Henderson and Kaufman counties. The nearby city of Athens, the Henderson County seat, provides regional services, shopping, and healthcare, and the area's early history reaches back to the settlement of Centerville, which served as the county seat beginning in 1848. This mix of lake recreation and small-town East Texas character defines the community's rhythm. For homebuyers, Gun Barrel City offers lake living at a more approachable scale than larger Texas reservoir communities. Housing values vary primarily by proximity to the water, with waterfront and lake-access properties commanding the strongest demand, while inland neighborhoods provide more modest options. Students attend schools in the Mabank Independent School District. The town attracts a blend of full-time residents, retirees, and weekend lake-house owners drawn to the relaxed pace and recreational lifestyle of Cedar Creek Lake.