[4] It is the easternmost city in Texas, located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, and is 113 miles (182 km) from Houston.

[7] To resolve the frequent post-office confusion with another Texas community called Madisonville, the town was renamed "Orange" in 1858.

The area experienced rapid growth in the late 19th century due to 17 sawmills within the city limits, making Orange the center of the Texas lumber industry.

[8] Orange's growth led to the arrival of many immigrants in the late 19th century, including a moderately sized Jewish population by 1896.

The Great Depression, not surprisingly, affected the city negatively, and the local economy was not boosted again until World War II.

Naval Station was installed and additional housing was provided for thousands of defense workers and servicemen and their families.

The area of the shipyards provided a favorable location, as the Sabine River furnished an abundant supply of fresh water to prevent saltwater corrosion.

The city of Orange sustained a direct hit from Hurricane Rita in 2005, causing damage to the ship.

The city decreed that the ship be moved and a new location was sought, including one in Arkansas and Lake Charles, Louisiana, for a new home.

[16] The mayor of the city said about 375 people, of those who stayed behind during the storm, began to emerge, some needing food, water, and medical care.

[18] Orange once again fell victim to widespread flooding when Hurricane Harvey hit the city on August 29, 2017.

The flood waters were mostly caused by the rising of the nearby Sabine River,[11] which forms the border between Texas and Louisiana, and its many tributaries.

The flooding from Harvey was due to extreme rainfall (50" to 60" in 48 hours) that fell after the storm's landfall, leaving 65% of the county under water.

The Sabine did not rise until three days after the storm, when the flood gates of the Toledo Bend Reservoir were opened.

[27] The W. H. Stark House is a careful restoration of an 1894 Victorian home, typical of a wealthy Southeast Texas family.

The 15-room, three-storied structure with its many gables, galleries, and distinctive windowed turret, shows the influence of several architectural styles.

The Confederate Memorial of the Wind is being built on private land at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Martin Luther King Jr Drive.