San Patricio County is located 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 sover ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 68,755. Its

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 Sinton. San Patricio County is part of the Corpus Christi

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 town, incorporate ...

History

In 1828, 200 Irish Catholic families, recruited from Ireland and the Irish population of New York City, contracted with the Mexican government to settle on 80 leagues of land in this area. By 1836, about 500 people lived in the colony on 84 Mexican land grants. During the Texas Revolution, most fled from the colony because of fighting in the area. By 1841, a small number of permanent residents had returned. When Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845, the area was stabilized by the presence of U.S. troops under General

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

. In 1845, the county was formed (San Patricio is Spanish for

Saint Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints be ...

, the primary

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of the colonists' home country of Ireland), and Corpus Christi was designated as the county seat. The following year, the county south of the

Nueces River The Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, about long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande. ''Nueces'' ...

was reorganized as

Nueces County Nueces County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 353,178, making it the 16th-most populous county in the state. The county seat is Corpus Christi. The county was formed in 1846 from portions of S ...

, and San Patricio became its county seat. In 1848, additional counties were formed out of San Patricio, which further reduced its size. The 1850 U.S. Census listed only 200 people in the county, including three slaves. The local economy was based on cattle raising. In the mid-1860s, more settlers moved, drawn by the cheap land. By 1870, 602 people lived in the county, and the agricultural census reported 51 farms and ranches, totaling , in the area, with about described as "improved". Development of the county intensified during the early 20th century, as hundreds of farmers moved in from

North Texas North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort Wor ...

and other states. The population reached 7,307 by 1910, and was 11,386 by 1920; 470 farms were counted in 1910, and 757 farms in 1920. Cattle ranching remained important, but vegetables and cotton also became important. The acres planted in the cotton increased from about in 1910 to by 1930.

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 (2.0%) are covered by water. The

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, 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 ...

forms the eastern border of the county.

Major highways

Interstate 37 Interstate 37 (I-37) is a Interstate Highway located within the southern portion of the US state of Texas. The highway was first designated in 1959 as a route between Corpus Christi and San Antonio. Construction in the urban areas of C ...

* U.S. Highway 77 **

Interstate 69E Interstate 69E (I-69E) is a north–south freeway running through South Texas. Once complete, the freeway will begin in Brownsville and head northward before terminating near Victoria as both I-69W and I-69E merge into I-69 toward Housto ...

is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 77 in most places. * U.S. Highway 181 * State Highway 35 * State Highway 188 * State Highway 359 * State Highway 361 *

Farm to Market Road 136 A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used ...

Adjacent counties

* Bee County (north) * Refugio County (north) * Aransas County (northeast) *

(south) * Jim Wells County (southwest) * Live Oak County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 68,755 people, 23,422 households, and 16,838 families residing in the county. 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 incl ...

of 2000, 67,138 people, 22,093 households, and 17,232 families resided in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 97 people/sq mi (37/km²). The 24,864 housing units averaged 36/sq mi (14/km²). 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 76.76% White, 2.81% African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 15.94% from other races, and 3.05% from two or more races. About 49.42% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 22,093 households, 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were not families. About 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.97, and the average family size was 3.40. In the county, the age distribution was 31.1% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,836, and for a family was $40,002. Males had a median income of $31,132 versus $20,730 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 $15,425. About 14.60% of families and 18.00% 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 23.50% of those under age 18 and 16.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities (multiple counties)

Aransas Pass Aransas Pass is a navigable salt water channel connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Aransas Bay on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States. The pass separates Mustang Island to the south from San José Island to the north, and is protected by j ...

(partly in Aransas and Nueces Counties) * Corpus Christi (mostly in Nueces County, with small parts in Kleberg and Aransas Counties) * Ingleside (small part in Nueces County) *

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

(small part in Nueces County) * San Patricio (small part in Nueces County)

Cities

* Gregory * Ingleside on the Bay * Mathis * Odem * Sinton (county seat) * Taft

Towns

* Lake City * Lakeside

Census-designated places

* Country Acres * Del Sol *

Doyle Doyle is a surname of Irish origin. The name is a back-formation from O'Doyle, which is an Anglicisation of the Irish (), meaning "descendant of ''Dubhghall''". There is another possible etymology: the Anglo-Norman surname ''D'Oyley'' with agglu ...

(former) * Edgewater Estates * Edroy * Falman * La Paloma Addition * Lakeshore Gardens-Hidden Acres * Loma Linda * Morgan Farm * Paisano Park * Rancho Chico *

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

* Taft Southwest *

Tradewinds The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...

Unincorporated community

* Sodville

Education

School districts include: * Aransas Pass Independent School District *

Gregory-Portland Independent School District Gregory-Portland Independent School District is a public school district based in Portland, Texas (USA). In addition to Portland, the district also serves the city of Gregory as well as the unincorporated communities of Doyle, Falman-County Acr ...

Ingleside Independent School District Ingleside Independent School District is a public school district based in Ingleside, Texas, Ingleside, Texas (United States, USA). It is known as the Home of the Fighting Mustangs. In addition to most of Ingleside, the district also serves the c ...

Mathis Independent School District Mathis Independent School District is a public school district based in Mathis, Texas (USA). Located in San Patricio County, small portions of the district extend into Live Oak and Bee counties. Other communities served by the district include ...

Odem-Edroy Independent School District Odem-Edroy Independent School District is a public school district based in Odem, Texas (USA). In addition to Odem, the district serves the community of Edroy. Odem-Edroy ISD has four campuses - Odem High School (Grades 9–12), Odem Junior H ...

Sinton Independent School District Sinton may refer to: * Sinton (surname) *Sinton, Texas, a town named after David Sinton *Sinton (crater) Sinton is a crater in the Ismenius Lacus quadrangle on Mars. Sinton crater lies in the northern hemisphere, south of the very large crater ...

* Taft Independent School District

Del Mar College Del Mar College (DMC) is a public community college in Corpus Christi, Texas. Founded in 1935, DMC encompasses two primary campuses and one campus annex with combined physical assets of more than $99 million. As defined by the Texas Legislature ...

is the designated community college for all of San Patricio County.Texas Education Code Sec. 130.177. DEL MAR COLLEGE-CORPUS CHRISTI JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
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Politics

References

External links

San Patricio County government's website
*
Historic San Patricio County materials
hosted by th
Portal to Texas History.

"San Patricio County Profile" from the Texas Association of Counties
* {{coord, 28.01, -97.52, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990 1836 establishments in the Republic of Texas Populated places established in 1836 Irish-American history and culture in Texas Hurricane Ike