Jasper is situated in the Deep East Texas subregion, about 40 miles (64 km) west of the Texas-Louisiana state line.

Thirty families occupied the settlement as early as 1830, when it was known as "Snow River", after John R. Bevil, a hero of the American Revolution.

Following the war, Union troops led by General George Custer occupied Jasper, camping in the town square.

Educational institutions included the Jasper Male and Female High School, which operated until 1878, when it became the Southeast Texas Male and Female College, and Jasper Collegiate Institute, which operated from 1851 until 1874.

With the arrival of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway early in the 20th century, Jasper grew into a center for the manufacture of timber products.

Lumber from two sawmills, with a daily capacity of 125,000 board feet (295 m3), goods from basket and stave factories, logs, ties, poles, and pulpwood were shipped in 200 cars per month.

Jasper also became the headquarters of the Morgan and Lindsey chain of variety stores (otherwise known as dime-stores), which at one time operated 85 outlets in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Three men—John William King, Lawrence Russell Brewer, and Shawn Berry—were tried and convicted of capital murder.

[12] Jasper was one of the primary locations for the recovery of the Space Shuttle Columbia wreckage in February 2003.

The city suffered considerable damage and was left without power or potable water for about three and a half weeks.

[15] Free of Voting Rights Act preclearance requirements, Jasper is moving to annex largely white suburbs.

[17] On July 8, 2024, the western part of Jasper was struck by a low-end EF2 tornado that was spawned by the outer bands of Hurricane Beryl.

Sandy Creek runs passes just south of the city center, flowing west to the Neches River in B.

Sam Rayburn Reservoir, about 14 miles (23 km) north of Jasper, is visited by thousands of vacationers each year; it is the largest lake wholly within the state of Texas.

The school district partners with Lamar Institute of Technology and Stephen F. Austin State University.

[citation needed] The Texas Legislature designated Jasper ISD as being in the boundary of Angelina College's district.