New Boston is located in Bowie County, just west of Texarkana on I-30, and Hwy 8, near Boston and Old Boston.
During World War II the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant and the Red River Army Depot were constructed just southeast of New Boston. The two massive military installations were probably responsible for the town's rapid growth in the 1940s.
The population grew from 1,111 in 1940 to 2,688 in 1950. In 1980 it reached 4,628.
Although a large paper mill and a few smaller factories provided some industrial base for the town, in 1987 New Boston depended heavily on the two military installations for its continued prosperity.
The town had 5,057 residents in 1990.