Clarksville was established by James Clark, who moved to the area in 1833 and laid out a town site.

McKenzie, a Methodist minister, retired from serving as a missionary and moved to a former plantation approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) south-southwest of Clarksville.

Naming his new home Itinerant's Retreat, he soon began offering classes for boys who lived in the surrounding area.

As the enrollment grew, he added three large wooden buildings to serve as dormitories and opened the school to girls and boarding students.

McKenzie's school was the largest institution of higher education in Texas during the 1850s, and trained almost all of the new Methodist ministers in the state.

Once the Red River proved navigable by steamboats, goods could be shipped directly from New Orleans to Rowland's Landing, 15 miles (24 km) north of Clarksville, then hauled overland by wagon.

[5] Economic recovery from the Civil War was stimulated when the Texas and Pacific Railway reached Clarksville in 1872, bringing new settlers and new businesses.

The city could then boast of a new limestone courthouse, five white and two black churches, a Catholic convent, three schools, two banks, two flour mills, and a weekly newspaper, the Clarksville Times.

After that, outside events such as two world wars, the Great Depression, and increased competition from other cities (e.g., Dallas, Paris, Bonham, and Texarkana) had begun to slow Clarksville's growth.

[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2), all land.

[11][e] The facility covers an area of 78 acres (32 ha) and has one runway, designated 18/36 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,000 by 50 feet (914 x 15 m).

FAA statistics for the 12-month period ending November 28, 2024, do not list an annual number of aircraft operations.

[12][13] The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.