South Padre Island is a

resort town A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...

in Cameron County,

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 ...

, United States. It is part of the Brownsville– Harlingen

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 ...

. The population was 2,066 at the 2020 census. The town is located on

South Padre Island South Padre Island is a barrier island in the U.S. state of Texas. The remote landform is located in Cameron County, Willacy County, and accessible by the Queen Isabella Causeway. South Padre Island was formed when the creation of the Port M ...

, a

barrier island Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a fe ...

along the Texas

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Missis ...

accessible via the Queen Isabella Causeway from the town of

Port Isabel Port Isabel may refer to: Places * Port Isabel, Texas, USA; a city in Cameron County *Port Isabel, Sonora, Mexico; a former port (1864-1879) at the mouth of the Colorado River *Port Isabel Independent School District, Cameron County, Texas, USA * P ...

. South Padre Island is named after José Nicolás Ballí (Padre Ballí), a Catholic priest and settler.

Storm damage and structure issues

Storms

* In September 1967,

Hurricane Beulah Hurricane Beulah was the second tropical storm, second hurricane, and only major hurricane during the 1967 Atlantic hurricane season. It tracked through the Caribbean, struck the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico as a major hurricane, and moved west-n ...

caused extensive damage to much of the town of South Padre Island. * On July 23, 2008,

Hurricane Dolly The name Dolly has been used for twelve tropical cyclones worldwide. In the Atlantic Ocean: * Hurricane Dolly (1953) – strong hurricane that weakened rapidly before passing over Bermuda * Hurricane Dolly (1954) – stayed far from land * Hurrica ...

made landfall on the island as a category 1 storm, also causing extensive damage to the town. The Bahia Mar Condominium had extensive damage and had to be gutted due to the damage. * In September 2008 Hurricane Ike caused moderate damage to the island. * In July 2010, the island received heavy rains from Hurricane Alex, but the storm left the island generally unscathed.

Ocean Tower demolition

On December 13, 2009, an unfinished 31-story

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...

, known locally as Ocean Tower, was brought down by a controlled implosion. Work had begun in 2006 but construction was halted in 2008 due to uneven settlement. As the problem could not be rectified, the incomplete reinforced concrete structure was demolished.

Industry

Subsequent to rebuilding from

, the island became a popular spring break destination for college students and a resort destination for families. Many multistory resort hotels and

s have been erected along the coastline 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 S ...

. The

Schlitterbahn Schlitterbahn is an American brand of water parks and resorts owned by Cedar Fair. It was previously a company family-owned-and-operated by the Henry family that was based in New Braunfels, Texas. Schlitterbahn opened its first location, Schlitt ...

Beach

Waterpark A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming, and other bar ...

, the second of its kind in Texas, opened in South Padre Island in 2001.

Recreation

The year-round warm weather attracts tourists allowing them to experience the 34 miles of beach, 300+ days of sunshine, and all forms of entertainment from water sports to live music. With

personal water craft A personal watercraft (PWC), also called water scooter or jet ski, is a recreational watercraft that a rider sits or stands on, not within, as in a boat. PWCs have two style categories, first and most popular being a runabout or "sit down" whe ...

rental, parasailing and dolphin watches being the most popular. Other favorites are horseback riding adventures on the beach and ecological tours that explore Laguna Madre Bay and

. The official website for South Padre Island's Tourism Page is https://www.sopadre.com/. Fishing is also popular. Every year, the Texas International Fishing Tournament is held in late summer, with winnings totaling almost a quarter million dollars. Other fishing tournaments include the Ladies Kingfish Tournament, the Ron Hoover Tournament, just to name a few. In March, the island is a popular spring break destination for college students. The rest of the year it is a popular family resort destination, with July being the most crowded. In January 2011, the island hosted the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...

Showcase at the South Padre Island Convention Centre. On March 27, 2000,

WCW Monday Nitro ''WCW Monday Nitro'', also known as ''WCW Nitro'' or simply ''Nitro'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and broadcast weekly every Monday night on TNT (American TV ...

was held at the former Sheraton Hotel (Now Pearl) as part of their yearly Nitro Spring Break editions. Good views of the nearby SpaceX South Texas launch site at

Boca Chica Boca Chica is a municipality (''municipio'') of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district (''distritos municipal''): La Caleta. As of the 2012 census it had 123,510 inhabitan ...

has attracted hundreds of tourists.

Geography

The town of South Padre Island is located at the southern end of

, with the town limits extending from the northern edge of Isla Blanca Park in the south to the end of development north of Wharf Street in the north, a distance of . The Queen Isabella Causeway is the only road access to the mainland; it leads across Laguna Madre to the city of

. Brownsville is southwest of South Padre Island. According to the

United States 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 8.44%, is water.

Climate

South Padre Island experiences a warm humid subtropical climate ( Köppen ''Cwa''), transitioning into a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-a ...

(BSh). The average high in January is and the average low is . The average high in July is , and the average low is . The warm season is long, as average high temperatures are , and average low temperatures typically around . The region experiences relatively high

dew point The dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor, assuming constant air pressure and water content. When cooled below the dew point, moisture capacity is reduced and airborne water vapor will c ...

values, around in the summer time, resulting in higher

relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...

values from June through September. Rainfall tends to be the highest during the summer and autumn months, usually ranging from 2 to 6 inches of rain each month. September has the highest rainfall, averaging 6.3 inches, followed by October, which averages 4 inches of rain. Due to the island being next to the ocean, temperatures above are not common. South Padre Island went down to at least during the

2021 Texas freeze In February 2021, the state of Texas suffered a major Energy crisis, power crisis, which came about during three severe winter storms sweeping across the United States on February 2021 North American ice storm, February 10–11, February 13� ...

. Due to the fact that South Padre Island is surrounded by water, precipitation is a little higher than cities farther inland in the

Rio Grande Valley The Lower Rio Grande Valley ( es, Valle del Río Grande), commonly known as the Rio Grande Valley or locally as the Valley or RGV, is a region spanning the border of Texas and Mexico located in a floodplain of the Rio Grande near its mouth. The ...

. In March, the island is a popular resort area to many tourists. Tens of thousands of tourists come to the island to enjoy the warm temperatures South Padre Island offers. The island even ranked #1 in Best Spring Break Destinations by U.S. News & World Report

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,066 people, 1,477 households, and 892 families residing in the town.

2000 census

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, there were 2,422 people, 1,222 households, and 662 families residing in the town. 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 1,335.9 people per square mile (516.7/km²). There were 4,685 housing units at an average density of 2,584.1 per square mile (999.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.59%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.70%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.45% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 2.77% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. 22.83% of the population is

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 1,211 households, out of which 15.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% were non-families. 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.54. In the town, the population was spread out, with 12.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 34.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.9 males. The

median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

for a household in the town was $45,417, and the median income for a family was $53,250. Males had a median income of $39,250 versus $30,028 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 town was $31,708. About 10.2% of families and 12.0% 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 ...

, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Children living in South Padre Island are zoned to schools in Point Isabel Independent School District. Children go to Garriga Elementary School (prek-5th), Port Isabel Junior High School (6–8), and Port Isabel High School (9–12). All of the schools are in

. In addition, South Padre Island residents may apply to schools in the

South Texas Independent School District South Texas Independent School District (STISD) is a magnet school district headquartered in Mercedes, Texas ( USA). STISD operates magnet schools that draw students from three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy. STISD covers an area of , o ...

. All of Cameron County is in the service area of Texas Southmost College.

Government

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...

operates the South Padre Island Post Office. Coast Guard Station South Padre Island is a

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

search and rescue station on South Padre Island.

Transportation

Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport is east of downtown Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. The Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport serves two airlines, six air taxis and offers three fixed-base operations ...

in Brownsville and Valley International Airport in Harlingen serve the island.

In popular culture

South Padre Island is mentioned by

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, thre ...

's character Cade Yeager in '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'' when he is seen first meeting up with his best friend/business partner Lucas ( T. J. Miller). South Padre Island is the main setting of Season 4 Episode 20 "Conflicted" of ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...

''.Criminal Minds IMDB
" ''Criminal Minds "Conflicted" (2009)'' Loose interpretations of South Padre Island and neighboring

appear in the racing video game '' The Crew''. South Padre Island is home to The MBM-McCarter Families Inc. and headquarters to MBM Corporative Inc. since May 2000, where the family has played a big role on the community.

Escape from Octopus Shores Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...

was filmed June to August 2005 and released on December 7, 2005. South Padre Island was filmed in The Bad Boys Club.

Gallery

Image:South Padre Island Holiday Inn.jpg, A west-facing view from the

Holiday Inn Holiday Inn is an American chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia. and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson, who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee that year. The chain was a divisio ...

SunSpree in South Padre Island Image:Street Scene South Padre Island Texas.JPG, A street in SPI with residences and condominiums Image:SoPadre.JPG, A person taking an early morning walk on the Gulf side of the island Image:Walkway to South Padre beach.jpg, This walkway provides access to the beach from a condo. Image:South Padre Island beach.jpg, A beach in South Padre Island Image:Small Music Venue On Beach.jpg, One of the smaller venues for the

South Padre International Music Festival South Padre International Music Festival (also known as SPI Music Fest) is an annual 3-day music festival held on South Padre Island, Texas. The event features international and national artists, encompassing a wide range of musical genres includi ...

References

External links

City of South Padre Island official website

Convention and Visitors Bureau

Chamber of Commerce

Destination South Padre Island
{{authority control Towns in Cameron County, Texas Towns in Texas Beaches of Texas Populated coastal places in Texas Landforms of Cameron County, Texas