Nixon is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, in the south-central part of the state between San Antonio and the Gulf Coast. The town's origins lie with the railroad: it was established in 1906 when a line was built through the ranch of John Nixon, from whom the community took its name, and early settlers relocated from the nearby site that became known as Old Nixon to the new rail townsite. The railroad shaped Nixon's early economy and built form, as evidenced by the historical markers that recall the Southern Pacific Railroad's promotion of the townsite, the first cotton gins, and the Nixon depot and cattle pens. Agriculture and rail shipping anchored the community for decades, until local railroad service was discontinued around 1970. In the years that followed, poultry processing emerged as one of the town's leading industries, and the poultry plants and related agricultural processing joined the cotton and cattle trades in defining the local economy. Today Nixon is a small city of roughly 2,200 residents, with a suburban-rural mix and a high share of owner-occupied homes. Public education is provided by the Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District, based in the city, which also serves the neighboring community of Smiley and reaches into small portions of Guadalupe, Karnes, and Wilson counties. The city offers small-town living within reach of larger regional centers. Seguin lies to the north, Cuero to the south, and San Antonio is within driving distance, placing residents close to employment, shopping, and services while retaining the quiet, agricultural character of south-central Texas. For relocating households, Nixon combines a historic railroad-town identity with the practical advantages of a small South Texas community.