Chambers County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. As of the
2020 census, its population was 46,571.
The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Anahuac.
Chambers County is one of the nine counties that comprise
Greater Houston
Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...
, the
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
–
The Woodlands–
Sugar Land
Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, located in the southwestern part of the metropolitan area. Located about southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is a populous suburban municipality centered around ...
metropolitan statistical area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
.
History
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Luz, a
Spanish mission in Texas, was established in 1756 near what is now
Wallisville.
Chambers County was founded in 1858. It is named for Thomas Jefferson Chambers, a major general in the Texas Revolution.
In 2019,
Atlas Air Flight 3591
Atlas Air Flight 3591 was a scheduled domestic cargo flight under the Amazon Air banner between Miami International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. On February 23, 2019, the Boeing 767, Boeing 767-375ER(BCF) used fo ...
, a cargo flight operating for
Amazon Air
Amazon Air, operating under the callsign Prime Air, is a cargo airline operating exclusively to transport Amazon packages. In 2017, it changed its name from Amazon Prime Air to Amazon Air to differentiate themselves from their autonomous drone ...
, crashed in the
Trinity Bay, in Chambers County and near Anahuac, while flying from Miami to Houston. All three people onboard were killed.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (31%) are covered by water.
The south and southwestern parts of the county lie in the
Galveston Bay Area
The Galveston Bay Area, also known as ''Bay Area Houston'' or simply the ''Bay Area'', is a region that surrounds the Galveston Bay estuary of Southeast Texas in the United States, within metropolitan area. Normally the term refers to the mai ...
on the shores of Trinity Bay and East Bay. A small portion of the southeastern area lies on the coast of the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
.
Adjacent counties
*
Liberty County (north)
*
Jefferson County (east)
*
Galveston County (southwest)
*
Harris County (west)
National protected areas
*
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a wildlife conservation area along the coast of Texas (USA), west of the town of High Island, Texas. It borders East Bay, part of the Galveston Bay complex, behind Bolivar Peninsula at the Gulf of Mex ...
*
Moody National Wildlife Refuge
State and local protected areas
*
Candy Cain Abshier Wildlife Management Area
Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, in ...
*
Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve
Communities
Cities
*
Anahuac (county seat)
*
Baytown (mostly in Harris County)
*
Beach City
*
Cove
A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. Coves usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are o ...
*
Mont Belvieu (small part in
Liberty County)
*
Old River-Winfree
Old River-Winfree is a city in Chambers and Liberty counties, Texas, United States. The population was 1,315 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Old River-Winfree is located in northwestern Chambers County at (29.877309, –94.821571). A small portio ...
(small part in
Liberty County)
Census-designated places
*
Oak Island
*
Stowell
*
Winnie
Unincorporated communities
*
Double Bayou
*
Hankamer
*
Monroe City
*
Seabreeze
*
Smith Point
*
Turtle Bayou
*
Wallisville
Demographics
''Note: the U.S. Census Bureau treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000,
26,031 people, 9,139 households, and 7,219 families were residing in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 43 people per sq mi (17/km
2). The 10,336 housing units averaged 17 per sq mi (7/km
2). The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the county was 81.88% White, 9.77% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 6.02% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. About 10.79% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 9,139 households, 40.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.70% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.00% were not families. About 17.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was 3.20.
In the county, the age distribution was 28.90% under 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.00% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,964, and for a family was $52,986. Males had a median income of $43,351 versus $25,478 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $19,863. About 8.30% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 13.30% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Chambers County is governed by a five-member commissioners' court, consisting of the county judge and four county commissioners. The county judge is elected to four-year terms in a countywide election. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms from single-member districts.
Chambers County Commissioners' Court
Elected Officials
Constables
United States Congress
Texas Legislature
Texas Senate
Texas House of Representatives
State Board of Education
Courts
Justices of the Peace
District Courts
1st Court of Appeals
14th Court of Appeals
Politics
As with much of the Southern United States, Democrats won locally up into the 21st century, with many local politicians switching party allegiances in the mid 2000s. As of 2020 all elected county offices are represented by Republicans with the retirement of the Precinct 5 Constable Cecil. R. "Popeye" Oldham, a Democrat, who was last elected in 2016.
Education
; Public School Districts
Local Primary and Secondary School Jurisdictions. Each are governed by their own respective school board.
*
Goose Creek CISD
*
Barbers Hill ISD
*
Anahuac ISD
*
East Chambers ISD
*
La Porte ISD (parts of uninhabited Galveston Bay)
; Higher Education
Community Colleges
*
Lee College
Lee College is a public community college in Baytown, Texas. Lee College's main campus occupies near downtown Baytown and extension campuses throughout its service area. The school has an enrollment of over 7,773 total students as of Fall 2018. ...
(for most all of Chambers County)
*
San Jacinto College
San Jacinto College is a public community college in the Greater Houston with its campuses in Pasadena and Houston, Texas. Established in 1961, San Jacinto College originally consisted of the independent school districts (ISD) of Channelview, ...
(parts of uninhabited Galveston Bay)
; Public libraries
The Chambers County Library System operates three libraries in the county.
* Chambers County Library (main branch) in Anahuac
* Juanita Hargraves Memorial Branch in Winnie
* Sam and Carmena Goss Memorial Branch in Mont Belvieu
Transportation
Major highways
*
Interstate 10
*
State Highway 61
*
State Highway 65
*
State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway)
*
State Highway 146
Airports
The county operates two airports in unincorporated areas:
*
Chambers County Airport is east of Anahuac.
*
Chambers County-Winnie Stowell Airport serves Stowell and Winnie.
In addition,
RWJ Airpark, a privately owned airport for public use, is located in
Beach City.
The
Houston Airport System
Houston Airport System (HAS) is a department of the City of Houston, Texas, United States that manages city airports. Its administrative offices are on the property of George Bush Intercontinental Airport.[George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Located about north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 5 ...]
, an international airport in Houston in Harris County.
Master Plan Executive Summary
." ''George Bush Intercontinental Airport Master Plan''. Houston Airport System
Houston Airport System (HAS) is a department of the City of Houston, Texas, United States that manages city airports. Its administrative offices are on the property of George Bush Intercontinental Airport.[List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast
The list of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast encompasses museums defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, s ...]
*
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Chambers County
References
External links
Chambers County government's website
Chambers County in ''Handbook of Texas Online''
from The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
Chambers County, TXGenWeb
Focuses on genealogical research in Chambers County.
{{Coord, 29.70, -94.68, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990
1858 establishments in Texas
Populated places established in 1858
Greater Houston