Port Aransas by the Numbers

Location

Northern tip of Mustang Island 30 minutes from Corpus Christi; three hours south of San Antonio, three hours south of Houston and three-and-a-half hours from Austin. 45 minutes from Corpus Christi International Airport, 30 minutes from downtown Corpus Christi and shopping malls.

Population

Port Aransas: 3,370 (2000 census) Registered voters: 3,221

Taxes

ENTITY RATE/ $100 NET ASSESSED VALUE City .........................................$0.276157 ........................$1,410,995,608 County (Only)......... ...............$0.351340 .....................$19,077,308,057 School ....................................$1.058300 .......................$1,940,279,377

Utilities

Natural gas: City of Port Aransas Water & Sewer: Nueces County Water Control & Improvement District No. 4

Solid waste disposal: Privately contracted through the city. Residential curb side recycling.

Industries

Tourism Charter Fishing

Climate

Annual Avg. Temperature: 71.0º, Rainfall: 30.13" Average Elevation: 5-6 feet above sea level Prevailing wind: Southeasterly January: 55.1º October: 73.9º July: 84.1º

Library

Bill Ellis Memorial Public Library: 700 W. Avenue A, east of city hall

Medical Services

Emergency Medical Service (City operated): 3 Paramedics, 3 EMTs Hospitals: Corpus Christi (30 minutes away): Driscoll Children's Hospital, Christus Spohn Hospital-Shoreline, Christus Spohn Hospital-South, Christus Spohn Hospital-Memorial, Corpus Christi Medical Center; Bay Area, Doctor's Regional; Aransas Pass (10 minutes away): North Bay Hospital

Churches

Protestant: 5 Catholic: 1 (See list of churches, worship hours, Page 55 in this guide.)

Education

Port Aransas ISD District 31-1A: Total enrollment: 542 Port Aransas High School: 169 Brundrett Middle School: 130 H.G. Olsen Elementary School: 243 Fifth grade: 32 Eighth grade: 50 Twelfth grade: 41 The University of Texas Marine Science Institute International research facility, graduate program for marine science

Air service

Mustang Beach Airport, SH 361. City-operated, 3,500-foot surfaced, lighted runway, self-service fuel, GPS approach, AWOS, attendant.

Lodging

Hotels/motels, Condominiums, Cottages/courts, RV Parks, Vacation home rental services, Bed & Breakfasts. Rooms available: 3,303; RV spaces available: 1,252

Camping

I.B. Magee Jr. Beach Park on beach in Port Aransas Mustang Island State Park, south tip of island.

Recreational Facilities, Amenities

Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center: Boardwalk, observation towers, Ross Avenue

Port Aransas Wetlands Park: Boardwalk, observation tower, State Hwy. 361 South

Scott & Joan Holt Paradise Pond Birding Habitat: Boardwalk, observation areas, Cut-off Road

Port Aransas Community Park: 6-lane, 25-meter outdoor heated swimming pool, 2 baseball fields, t-ball field, soccer field, 1.1 mile jogging trail/exercise course, playground and picnic area, sand volleyball court, basketball court, putting green, observation tower, skateboard park. Off Ross Avenue.

Roberts Point Park: Pavilion, amphitheatre, observation tower, fishing piers, bulkheading with walkway, rock jetties, basketball and bocce courts, picnic and playground equipment.

Fishing/sight seeing: Horace Caldwell Pier, Ancel Brundrett Pier, J.P. Luby Pier, Charlie's Pasture Pier.

Mustang Island beach: beachcombing, swimming, camping (3-day limit in city limits), boating, surfing, windsurfing

I.B. Magee Jr. Beach Park: Camping, showers, RV spaces, educational wetland area Wetlands Education Center at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute: Walking educational tours; aquariums at institute's visitors center. Port Aransas Nature Preserve at Charlie's Pasture (under construction): Hike and bike trails, birding observation towers.

Boat Launching

City marina: 6 ramps

Deep Sea, Bay Fishing

Head (party) boats: 11; Private charter boats: 45; Charter boat agents: 6

Port Aransas Boatmen, Inc.: Fishing guides dock at city marina available for private charters

Communications

Newspaper: 1 Weekly Television: Local, Cable Channel 20 Telephone: CenturyTel

Government

Home Rule: City Council (six members + mayor) Police department: 12 full time (+ 6 dispatchers) Fire department: 19 volunteers with 9 vehicles Fire insurance key rating: 4 County Constable: 8 full time

Banks

Banks: 2 branches: American Bank, ValueBank Texas,