Texas State Highway 56 runs through the center of town, leading east 6 miles (10 km) to Bonham, the county seat, and west 5.5 miles (8.9 km) to Savoy.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.17 square miles (3.04 km2), all land.

The community started in the late 19th century when farmers settled near Caney Creek.

Postal service began in 1886, and it was connected to the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1892, making Ector a shipping point for area farmers.

[7] A $320 million resort and bunker facility called Trident Lakes was under development near Ector in 2017.

James O’Connor was CEO with former Navy SEAL Rob Kaneiss as chief security officer.

By 2018, the owner of Trident Lakes Property Holdings, John Eckerd, was under investigation for money laundering with investors calling the project a scam.