Nome is a small city that straddles the Jefferson and Liberty county line in Southeast Texas, about 20 miles west of Beaumont at the junction of U.S. Highway 90, State Highway 326, and Farm to Market Road 365. Its position along U.S. 90 places it on a historic east-west corridor through the coastal plain. The settlement began as a stop called Congreve Station on the Texas and New Orleans Railroad in the early 1860s. When oil was discovered in the area in the early 1900s, the resulting influx of people prompted the name Nome in 1903, a reference to the population boom at Nome, Alaska, during the gold rush. Rice farming developed as a mainstay of the local economy, and the discovery of the Nome oilfield in 1936 added oil and natural gas to the area's economic base. The community incorporated as a city in October 1971. Today Nome is a small, rural city of roughly 470 residents, with agriculture — particularly rice growing — remaining central to its identity. The city is served by the Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District, which is based in nearby Sour Lake and also serves China, Bevil Oaks, and surrounding Southeast Texas communities. U.S. Highway 90 carries traffic eastward into Beaumont and westward toward Liberty County, while State Highway 326 and Farm to Market Road 365 tie the city to neighboring farm communities. The railroad heritage that gave Nome its start remains part of the area's story, though the highway corridors now carry most regional travel. Outdoor recreation in the area draws on the surrounding countryside rather than large municipal parks, with fishing, hunting, and boating available across Southeast Texas, and Beaumont and Port Arthur within easy reach for shopping, dining, and cultural attractions.