Founded in the late 1850s, Kittrell's max population reached 104 people in 1889 but has since dwindled.

Pleasant Williams Kittrell settled in the region designated Kittrell's Cut-Off because it was separated from the remainder of the county by the Trinity River; for many years, the town was only accessible by boat.

In 1914, the Texas Gazetteer reported a general store, a cotton gin, and a seed mill in town operation.

1991 county highway maps listed a general region designated as Kittrell (Trinity) oilfield.

Nearby is the Chalk Creek cemetery, which has served the community since 1865 and has several Civil War gravestones.