Winona is a city in Smith County, Texas, in the East Texas Piney Woods region, and it is part of the Tyler metropolitan statistical area. Its population was 623 at the 2020 census. The city sits a short drive north of Tyler, the county's largest city and the anchor of the region's economy and services. The community's history reaches back to its founding in 1870, and the surrounding area has an even longer record of habitation, with Delaware Indians living in the region as early as 1818. Winona developed as a small East Texas town tied to the surrounding forests and agricultural landscape, and it retains that quiet, small-town character today. Winona is served by the Winona Independent School District, a small public district that provides kindergarten through twelfth grade education for the community and the surrounding rural area. The district's compact scale keeps schools closely tied to families and reinforces the close-knit nature of the town. The city functions today as a quiet residential community within commuting distance of Tyler. Residents value the slower pace, the Piney Woods setting, and the access to East Texas's lakes, forests, and outdoor recreation, while Tyler provides employment, shopping, medical care, and services within a short drive. Winona's housing stock reflects its small-town and rural character, with a mix of older homes near the center, newer construction, and rural acreage on the edges. The result is a community that combines East Texas's natural setting and small-town values with practical access to the region's principal city. For those seeking a quiet small-town life within the Tyler area, Winona offers an appealing combination of history, community, and access to the natural landscape of the Piney Woods.