Longview is located in East Texas, where Interstate 20 and U.S. highways 80 and 259 converge just north of the Sabine River.

[8] Longview was established in 1870 in what was at the time southern Upshur County; the town incorporated in 1871.

Companies with significant presence in Longview include Eastman Chemical, Trinity Rail Group, AAON Coil Products, Komatsu Mining, Dollar General and Old Navy/GAP.

Methvin, Sr. sold 100 acres (40 ha) to the Southern Pacific Railroad for one dollar to persuade them to build their line in the direction of land he owned.

[10][9] In 1884, the Mobberly Hotel opened for business servicing railroad travelers and as the center of social gatherings for Longview.

The hotel featured cherrywood furniture with carved bed posts, marble-top washstands, linen tablecloths, electric crystal chandeliers, and a fireplace in every room.

[citation needed] On May 23, 1894, Bill Dalton and three members of his posse robbed the First National Bank of Longview.

Several men died in the resulting gunfight, bandit Jim Wallace along with citizens J. W. McQueen, Charles Learn, and George Buckingham.

After World War II, Longview's population grew from 24,502 to 40,050 in 1960, its growth fueled by migration from rural Gregg County and the annexation of Greggton and Spring Hill.

[27] The 2020 census and 2020 survey reflected nationwide demographic trends of greater diversification among traditional minority populations.

By 2020, the median household income for Longview residents grew to $50,019, and monthly housing costs were $854.

Other large Christian communities for the MSA were Methodists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons.

[32] Longview is one of several cities in East Texas that serve as a center for the "patent troll" industry, due to a perception that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is a favorable venue for patent infringement plaintiffs.

[45] Longview is part of Texas's 1st congressional district, which is currently represented by Republican Nathaniel Moran.

[51] Amtrak passenger rail service is available on the Texas Eagle through a downtown terminal.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Longview station serves the Chicago to Los Angeles trains.

The return train, Los Angeles to Chicago, stops in Longview on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday.

From the station, passengers can connect to Nacogdoches, Lufkin, Houston, and Galveston, as well as Shreveport, Louisiana, by motorcoach.

A proposal is in the works for a high-speed rail system from Dallas/Fort Worth to Shreveport along the I-20 corridor, bringing passenger rail service to that corridor for the first time since the Texas and Pacific's unnamed successor to the Louisiana Eagle in the late 1960s.

[53][54][55] Longview is served by Amtrak, the BNSF Railway, and the Union Pacific Railroad.