Flat, TX

Flat is a tiny rural community in Central Texas, sitting about ten miles southeast of Gatesville in Coryell County. Home to around 150 people, the area offers wide-open skies and quiet country living along Highway 36. Early settlers originally called the spot Mesquite Flat after the local brush and level prairie, though the name was simplified to Flat when the post office opened in 1897.

The community grew around cotton farming in the early 1900s before shifting in the 1940s, when the expansion of Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood) acquired much of the surrounding farmland. Today, neighbors gather at the local community center, housed in the former schoolhouse. For groceries, schools, and city services, residents make the short drive into Gatesville, giving Flat a relaxed, open-country feel within easy reach of everyday conveniences.