Edna has a hospital, convalescent home, library, museum, city park with swimming pool, three banks, two savings and loan associations, a country club with a nine-hole golf course, and Oak Creek Village, a retirement community.

It is the center of a prosperous agricultural area with petroleum and natural gas production and has an active chamber of commerce, oilfield service industries, and two grain elevators.

Edna was laid out on land owned by Mrs. Lucy Flournoy, who conveyed right-of-way and a half interest in the townsite to the railroad, which was promoted and built by Italian Count Joseph Telfener.

The first train arrived on July 4, 1882; the first merchant was Gideon Egg, who moved his general merchandise store from Texana in 1882, and the first child born in the new community was Edna Louise Traylor.

In an election of January 22, 1883, residents voted to make Edna the county seat in place of Texana.

The 1954 Supreme Court case Hernandez v. Texas concerned the racial context of the jury selection for a trial that took place in Edna.

The landmark decision of the case determined that Mexican Americans and all other racial groups in the United States had equal protection under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Edna is located west of the center of Jackson County, in the Gulf Coast region of Texas.

The region is dominated by large live oak trees, heavily wooded areas, and lush farmland.

Lake Texana, an impoundment on the Navidad River, a tributary of the Lavaca, is 6 miles (10 km) east of Edna.