Bay City, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Matagorda County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,255. Its county seat is Bay City, not to be confused with the larger
Baytown Baytown may refer to: * Baytown, Texas, a city in the United States near Houston, Texas *Baytown culture, an archaeological culture in the United States *Operation Baytown Operation Baytown was an Allied amphibious landing on the mainland o ...
in Harris and
Chambers Chambers may refer to: Places Canada: * Chambers Township, Ontario United States: * Chambers County, Alabama *Chambers, Arizona, an unincorporated community in Apache County *Chambers, Nebraska * Chambers, West Virginia *Chambers Township, Holt ...
Counties. Matagorda County is named for the canebrakes that once grew along the coast (''matagorda'' is a Spanish word meaning "thick bush"). Matagorda County comprises the Bay City, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Houston- The Woodlands, TX combined statistical area.


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 (32%) are covered by water. The water area includes
Matagorda Bay Matagorda Bay () is a large Gulf of Mexico bay on the Texas coast, lying in Calhoun and Matagorda counties and located approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, east-southeast of San Antonio, south-southwest of Houston, and south-southeast ...
. It borders the Gulf of Mexico.


Major highways

* State Highway 35 * State Highway 60 * State Highway 71 * State Highway 111


Adjacent counties

* Brazoria County (northeast) *
Calhoun County Calhoun County is the name of several counties in the United States of America named after U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun: * Calhoun County, Alabama * Calhoun County, Arkansas * Calhoun County, Florida * Calhoun County, Georgia * Calhoun Count ...
(southwest) * Jackson County (west) *
Wharton County Wharton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 41,570. Its county seat is Wharton. The county was named for brothers William Harris Wharton and John Austin Wharton. Wharton County c ...
(northwest)


National protected areas

* Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge * San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge (part)


Demographics

''Note: the US Census 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 of 2000, 37,957 people, 13,901 households, and 9,925 families were residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile (13/km2). The 18,611 housing units averaged 17 per mi2 (6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 67.83% White, 12.72% African American, 0.67% Native American, 2.38% Asian, 14.02% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. About 31.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. By ancestry, 10.3% were of
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
, 8.2%
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
, 5.4% English, and 5.2% Irish according to Census 2000, and 73.9% spoke English, 24.0% Spanish, and 1.6% Vietnamese as their first language. Of the 13,901 households, 36.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were not families. About 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70, and the average family size was 3.25. In the county, the age distribution was 30.00% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,174, and for a family was $40,586. Males had a median income of $37,733 versus $21,871 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,709. About 14.90% of families and 18.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.00% of those under age 18 and 13.60% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Rice is grown extensively in Matagorda County, as are St. Augustine and other turf grasses. In addition to a wealth of
offshore Offshore may refer to: Science and technology * Offshore (hydrocarbons) * Offshore construction, construction out at sea * Offshore drilling, discovery and development of oil and gas resources which lie underwater through drilling a well * Off ...
oil rigs and
natural gas extraction Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon di ...
facilities all over the county, two petrochemical processing plants (Celanese and Equistar) and the South Texas Project nuclear power plant operate within the county. Matagorda County has secluded, extensive forests, wetlands, prairie, and coastal regions. The Gulf Coast floodplain has several conditions conducive to a variety of ecosystems and recreational activities evident by the highest count of migrating birds in the United States. Fishing (on- and offshore), hunting, and scuba diving are large parts of the recreation industry due to the Colorado River, the forests and Matagorda Bay. The Rio Colorado Golf Course and a birdwatching park are on the Colorado River near the State Highway 35 bridge, and a significant number of wildlife preserves are located around the county, a portion of which is land bought for that purpose by the two major petrochemical refineries and nuclear plant in the county.


Education

School districts serving Matagorda County include: *
Bay City Independent School District Bay City Independent School District is a 4A public school district based in Bay City, Texas (USA). It is the largest school district in Matagorda county, covering 158 sq mi. BCISD operates five campuses: Bay City High School, Bay City Junior ...
*
Boling Independent School District Boling Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Boling, Texas (USA). Located in Wharton County, a small portion of the district extends into Matagorda County. The district operates one high school, Boli ...
(partial) * Matagorda Independent School District * Palacios Independent School District (partial) *
Tidehaven Independent School District Tidehaven Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Elmaton in unincorporated Matagorda County, Texas (USA). In addition to Elmaton, the district also serves the communities of Blessing, Markham, and Midfie ...
* Van Vleck Independent School District


Communities


Cities

* Bay City (county seat) * Palacios


Census-designated places

* Blessing *
Markham Markham may refer to: It may also refer to brand of of clothing which originates from South Africa which saw it's establishment in 1873. Biology * Markham's storm-petrel (''Oceanodroma markhami''), a seabird species found in Chile and Colombia * ...
* Matagorda * Van Vleck


Unincorporated communities

* Allenhurst * Buckeye * Caney * Cedar Lake *
Cedar Lane Cedar Lane may refer to: *Cedar Lane (album), a 1997 studio album by Mindy Jostyn *Cedar Lane, Texas, an unincorporated community in Matagorda County *Cedar Lane (Leggett, North Carolina) or Fountain House, a historic plantation house *Cedar Lane (N ...
* Collegeport * El Maton * Hawkinsville * Midfield * Pledger *
Sargent Sargent or Sargents may refer to: People * Sargent (name), includes a list of people with the name Places *Sargent, California *Sargents, Colorado *Sargent, Georgia * Sargent, Scott County, Missouri * Sargent, Texas County, Missouri *Sargent, Ne ...
*
Wadsworth Wadsworth may refer to: People * Wadsworth (surname) * Wadsworth (given name) Places * Wadsworth, Illinois, United States, a village * Wadsworth, Kansas, United States * Wadsworth, Nevada, United States, a census-designated place * Wadswo ...


Ghost towns

* Hawley


Notable people

*
James Boyd Hawkins Colonel James Boyd Hawkins (1813–1896) was an American planter and rancher. He moved from North Carolina to Texas in the 1840s, and he established the Hawkins Ranch, a working sugarcane plantation, operated by 101 enslaved African Americans by 18 ...
, a planter and rancher, the founder of Hawkins Plantation. * Charlie Siringo *
Hortense Sparks Ward Hortense Sparks Ward (July 21, 1872 – December 5, 1944) was a pioneering Texas lawyer and women's rights activist. Biography Born Hortense Sparks in Matagorda County, Texas, Ward grew up in Edna, Texas and attended Nazareth Academy, a convent ...
* Priscilla Richman, Chief Judge of the
Fifth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is a United States federal court, federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court, district courts in the following United Stat ...
* William Abrams (W.A.) Price, the first black attorney, the first black judge, and the first black man elected county attorney in the state of Texas.


Gallery

Daughters of the Confederacy on the Matagorda County Courthouse.jpg, Monument erected by the
Daughters of the Confederacy The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is an American neo-Confederate hereditary association for female descendants of Confederate Civil War soldiers engaging in the commemoration of these ancestors, the funding of monuments to them, ...
on the Matagorda County Courthouse square in Bay City in 1913 Episcopal Church Palacios TX.jpg, Episcopal Church, Palacios


Politics


See also

* List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast * National Register of Historic Places listings in Matagorda County, Texas * Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Matagorda County


References


External links

* *
"Matagorda County Profile" from the Texas Association of Counties
{{coord, 28.78, -96.00, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990 1836 establishments in the Republic of Texas Populated places established in 1836 Greater Houston Majority-minority counties in Texas