San Patricio County
San Patricio County, Texas
San Patricio County, Texas
San Patricio County is on the lower Gulf Coast in the Coastal Prairies region, bordered on the north by Bee County, on the northeast by Refugio County, on the east by Aransas County, on the southeast by Nueces County and Corpus Christi Bay, and on the west by Jim Wells and Live Oak counties. The county's center lies at 29°03' north latitude and 97°33' west longitude. Sinton, the county seat, is just northeast of the center of the county sixteen miles north of Corpus Christi. San Patricio County covers 693 square miles of generally flat land with tall prairie grasses spotted by mesquite and live oak trees. Most of the county lies in the coastal plain, but in the far western area the surface is rolling with some caliche hills; elevations range from sea level to 200 feet. Soils consist of light to dark loam on the surface, with clayey subsoils. The area is drained by the Nueces River on the south and the Aransas River on the north, with Chiltipin Creek draining the north central portions. San Patricio County has a mild, moist climate, with an average annual rainfall of thirty-one inches. Temperatures range from an average low of 46° F in January to an average high of 93° in July. The average growing season lasts 303 days. The area supports a wide variety of wildlife species, including deer, javelina, rabbit, raccoon, and coyote, as well as wild fowl such as duck, geese, crane, and turkey. The Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation and Refuge supports research of native fauna. In 1982, 93 percent of the county's land was in farms and ranches. About 68 percent of agricultural income derived from crops, particularly sorghum grain, cotton, and corn, and lesser acreages of vegetables and feed crops. Livestock, especially cattle and hogs, also contributed to the local economy. Natural resources include industrial sand, caliche, natural gas, and petroleum. In 1982, 37,904,000,000 cubic feet of gas-well gas, 3,648,000 barrels of petroleum, and 4,800,000 cubic feet of casinghead gas were produced in San Patricio; caliche was mined in the western part of the county.
Artifacts such as projectile points associated with the late Paleo-Indian and Early Archaic cultures have been found in the county, suggesting that the area has been inhabited by humans for at least 6,000 years, and perhaps much longer. The Karankawa Indians, linked by anthropologists to an archeological complex called the Rockport Focus, probably moved into the area about A.D. 1400. Hundreds of Indian campsites have been identified in San Patricio County. A number of Spanish and French explorers, including Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, Alonso De León, Jean Béranger, Diego Ortiz Parrilla, and José de Evia traveled through what is now San Patricio County. An expedition led by Pineda explored the bays behind Aransas Pass in 1519, while De León's expeditions of 1689 and 1691 sailed up and down the coast investigating the bays and probably entered Aransas Pass. Béranger's trips into the bays are well chronicled in his own journal. In 1712 and 1718 a party of French came ashore on St. Joseph Island, and later Ortiz Parrilla was instrumental in advancing the knowledge of the area with his explorations in the Nueces River valley. José de Evia made the field notes that turned into the Langara map, which features this area. Mexican sheepherders also camped in what is now San Patricio County before the era of colonization.
Keith Guthrie | © TSHA
Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.
- ✅ Adoption Status:
Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
San Patricio County is classified as a County
Altitude Range
0 ft – 215 ft
Size
Land area does not include water surface area, whereas total area does
- Land Area: 693.5 mi²
- Total Area: 707.9 mi²
Temperature
January mean minimum:
44.2°F
July mean maximum:
93.4°F
Rainfall, 2019
34.3 inches
Population Count, 2019
66,730
Civilian Labor Count, 2019
29,112
Unemployment, 2019
11.1%
Property Values, 2019
$12,529,535,800 USD
Per-Capita Income, 2019
$43,945 USD
Retail Sales, 2019
$973,735,430 USD
Wages, 2019
$232,857,516 USD
County Map of Texas
San Patricio County
- San Patricio County
Places of San Patricio County
Place | Type | Population (Year/Source) | Currently Exists |
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Town | 8,011 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 208 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 256 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 243 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 160 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 285 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 7 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 1,740 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
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Town | 9,898 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 608 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 298 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 458 (2021) | Yes | |
Lake | – | Yes | |
Town | 337 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 347 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 125 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 4,354 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
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Town | 370 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 2,265 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 41 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 20,536 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 324 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 393 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 5,562 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | – | – | |
Town | 1,318 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 2,818 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 1,537 (2021) | Yes | |
Town | 273 (2021) | Yes | |
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Town | 150 (2014) | Yes | |
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Photos Nearby:
Shrimp boats in Aransas Pass
You'll see many shrimping boats in Redfish Bay near Aransas Pass. Photo by Carol M. Highsmith (Public Domain)
Sinton, Texas
The San Patricio County Courthouse is located in the city of Sinton, Texas. Photograph by Larry D. Moore.
A fishing pier on Lake Corpus Christi
Photo by Larry D. Moore, CC 3
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