Longview is a city in Gregg and Harrison counties in the U.S. state of Texas. In the 2010 Census, the population was 80,455. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; a small part extends into the western part of neighboring Harrison County. It is located in East Texas, where Interstate 20 and U.S. Highways 80 and 259 converge just north of the Sabine River.Longview is the principal city of the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area, comprising Gregg, Upshur, and Rusk counties (population 217,481). Longview is considered a major hub city for East Texas, as is the nearby city of Tyler. In 2014, Forbes magazine ranked Longview as the sixth fastest-growing small city in the United States.HistoryThe city of Longview was founded in the 1870s by Ossamus Hitch Methvin, Sr. In 1870, Methvin sold 100acre to the Southern Pacific Railroad for one dollar to persuade them to build their line in the direction of land he owned. Later that year, he sold another 100acre for $500 in gold. He hoped the coming of the railroad would increase the value of the rest of his land.