Gun Barrel City is a town in Henderson County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,190 at the 2020 census, up from 5,672 at the 2010 census.

The town began as an unincorporated community known as the “Old Bethel Community” in the 1960s after completion of Cedar Creek Reservoir. It was incorporated in the late 1960s so it could legally sell beer and wine. The town takes its make known from a former road, Gun Barrel Lane (which is now State Highway 198), as has as its motto, “We Shoot Straight bearing in mind You”, and its symbol—a rifle once two crossed primeval pistols after having to separate Yosemite Sam as its unofficial mascot on its signs along the road at the town limits. Gun Barrel Lane is rumored to have gotten its proclaim during the 1920s and 1930s as soon as Jesse Daniels frequented the area. It was considered a safe backwoods place during Prohibition similar to the likes of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker hung out in the area. The road got its herald for comprehensibly being “straight as a gun barrel” for 2 mi in the company of US Hwy 175 and Texas Hwy 334 to the south. A local resident, Mr. C. L. Wait, lived along the road and was known for sitting at the window of his home with a shotgun sticking out the window. It was his quirk of deterring those he deemed unwelcome on this back-country road.

Despite having a name that evokes images of the Texas frontier, Gun Barrel City is only virtually 52 years old. Not long after Cedar Creek Lake (a reservoir for the Tarrant Regional Water District) completed construction, the fledgling community that sat on its banks took steps to officially become a town.

Gun Barrel City was incorporated on May 26, 1969. Since then, it has grown into a main hub and access narrowing for visitors to Cedar Creek Lake. In addition to the high level of tourism that the community experiences (particularly during the summer boating season), Gun Barrel City and the surrounding communities have experienced a residential building boom over the considering several years. This bump has largely been led by the relocation of retirees from throughout the Dallas region, building lake homes to accept advantage of Gun Barrel City’s lake access.