Refugio County

Refugio County, Texas

Refugio County, Texas

The Refugio County Courthouse is housed in Refugio, the county seat. Photograph by Larry D. Moore.

Refugio County (re-FYOO-ri-o) is on the lower Gulf Coast in the Coastal Prairies region, bounded on the south by San Patricio County, on the west by Bee and Goliad counties, on the north by Victoria and Calhoun counties, and on the east by Aransas County and by Hynes and Copano bays. The county's center lies at 28°19' north latitude and 97°09' west longitude. The town of Refugio, the county's seat of government and largest urban center, is thirty-five miles north of Corpus Christi. The county was named for Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission. Refugio County covers 771 square miles of generally flat land covered with tall prairie grasses and spotted in some areas with mesquite, live oak, prickly pear, and huisache. Elevations range from sea level at the shore to 100 feet in the northwest section. Sandy loam soils are found along the coast; waxy soils predominate in the upper portion of the county. The county is drained by the Aransas River, which forms its southern border, and by the converging Guadalupe and San Antonio rivers, which form its northern boundary. The Mission River, Copano Creek, and Willow Creek also flow through the area. The county has a humid subtropical climate and averages thirty-seven inches of rain annually. Temperatures range from an average low of 45° F in January to an average high of 93° F in July; the growing season lasts 309 days. The county harbors a wide variety of wildlife species, including deer, javelina, bobcat, quail, muskrat, beaver, mink, ring-tailed cat, badger, fox, turkey, duck, geese, jacksnipe, and sandhill crane. The endangered whooping crane nests under the protection of federal law in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. In 1982, 91 percent of the land in the county was being used for farms and ranches; about 18 percent of the farmland was under cultivation. About 54 percent of the area's agricultural income that year derived from livestock, particularly cattle and hogs; crops included sorghum, cotton, corn, wheat, and hay. Watermelons and pecans are also grown in the area. Natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, and industrial sand. In 1982, 56,470,457,000 cubic feet of gas-well gas, 39,920 barrels of condensate, 23,483,771 barrels of crude oil, and 50,934,814,000 cubic feet of casinghead gas were produced in the county. Refugio County is joined to the rest of Texas by U.S. Highway 77, which runs southwesterly across the western part of the county, and by State Highway 35, which runs north to south across the eastern section of the area. The Missouri Pacific Railroad also serves as a major transportation artery.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

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County Map of Texas

Refugio County

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Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Refugio County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

0 ft – 100 ft

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Refugio County by the Numbers

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Population Counts

Refugio County
Pop. Year Source
6,948 2019 United States Census Bureau

Civilian Labor Counts

Refugio County
People Year Source
3,060 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Per Capita Income (USD) Year Source
$42,606 2019 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Property Values

Refugio County
USD ($) Year Source
1,532,707,420 2019 State Property Tax Board

Retail Sales

Refugio County
USD ($) Year Source
84,585,266 2019 State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Wages

Refugio County
USD ($) Year Source
25,387,801 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Unemployment Percentage Year Source
9.4 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Rainfall (inches) Year Source
36.9 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Min. (January Average, °F) Max. (July Average, °F) Year Source
44.3 92.0 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Land Area

Refugio County
Area (square miles) Year Source
770.4 2019 United States Census Bureau

Total Area

Refugio County
Area (square miles) Year Source
818.2 2019 United States Census Bureau