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)......... .............. $0.355259 .....................$19,364,972,652
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 Higher Education

Climate

Annual Avg. Temperature: 71.0º, RainWinter: 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: 550
Port Aransas High School: 182
Brundrett Middle School: 124
H.G. Olsen Elementary School: 244
Fifth grade: 33 Eighth grade: 43 Twelfth grade: 38
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

Port Aransas Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture: 1,217-acre preserve that parallels the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. Hikers welcome; vehicles prohibited. Dogs OK on leashes. 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.

Boat Launching

City marina: 6 ramps

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,