Alba ( ) is a town located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 69 and Farm To Market Road 17 on the western edge of Wood County, Texas, United States, south of Lake Fork and approximately ten miles west of Quitman. The population was 473 in the 2020 U.S. Census.
History
A gunsmith named Joseph Simpkins was likely the first to settle the area, arriving here with his family from Missouri around 1843. The area was previously alternately known as Albia and Simpkins' Prairie. Theories on how the community got its name differ; one claims it was because the town had been intended for white settlers only while another claims it was named for the son of a railroad official.
The Alba Oilfield was discovered just south of Alba in 1848 by F.R. Jackson.
left|thumb|Alba Town Square
By 1990, the boundaries of Alba had expanded in to nearby Rains County, and the city had a population of 489, which dropped to 430 in 2000.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.9 km), all land.
It is approximately northeast of Dallas.
Demographics
As of the census