Port Arthur is a city in the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States of America, located east of metro

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

. Part of the

Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area The Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan statistical area is a three-county region in Southeast Texas. The metropolitan area shares borders with the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area to the west and the Lake Charles metropoli ...

, the city lies primarily in Jefferson County, with a small extension in Orange County. The largest

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial processes, industrial process Factory, plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refining, refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, Bitumen, asphalt base, ...

in the US, the Motiva Refinery, is located in Port Arthur. The population was 53,818 at the 2010 census, down from 57,755 at the 2000 census. In 2020, its population was 56,039. In the 19th century, initial attempts to settle the area had all failed, mostly. However, in 1895,

Arthur Stilwell Arthur Edward Stilwell (October 21, 1859 – September 26, 1928) was the founder of the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad, predecessor to the Kansas City Southern Railway. He served as KCPG's president from 1897 to 1900. He was also t ...

founded Port Arthur, and the town quickly grew, being incorporated as a city in 1898. It soon developed into a

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manc ...

and, eventually, became the center of a large oil-refinery network. The Rainbow Bridge across the

Neches River The Neches River () begins in Van Zandt County west of Rhine Lake and flows for through the piney woods of east Texas, defining the boundaries of 14 counties on its way to its mouth on Sabine Lake near the Rainbow Bridge. Two major reservoirs ...

connects Port Arthur to Bridge City. Due to its location on the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, Port Arthur is vulnerable to

hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

and other intense tropical weather, as well as extreme

heatwaves A heat wave or heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather generally considered to be at least ''five consecutive days''. A heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and ...

, high

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 (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...

, and

tornadoes A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

. Since its inception, the city has experienced several incidences of extreme weather resulting in significant damages and casualties.

History

Aurora was an early settlement attempt near the mouth of Taylor Bayou on

Sabine Lake Sabine Lake is a bay on the Gulf coasts of Texas and Louisiana, located approximately east of Houston and west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, adjoining the city of Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur. The lake is formed by the confluence ...

, about long and wide. It is a saltwater estuary formed by the confluence of the Neches and

Sabine The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines divided int ...

Rivers. Through its tidal outlet, Sabine Pass, Sabine Lake drains some of Texas and Louisiana into the

. The town was conceived in 1837, and in 1840 promoters led by Almanzon Huston were offering town lots for sale. Some were sold, but Huston's project failed to attract many settlers. The area next was known as "Sparks", after John Sparks, who moved his family to the shores of Sabine Lake near the site of Aurora. The Eastern Texas Railroad, completed between Sabine Pass and

Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, located in Southeast Texas on the Neches River about east of Houston (city ...

, passed west of Sparks. However, the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

soon began, and rail lines were removed. In 1886, a destructive hurricane hit the coast, causing the remaining residents to dismantle their homes and move to Beaumont. By 1895, Aurora had become a

ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

. Arthur Stilwell led the resettling of the area as part of his planned city as the southern terminus of his

Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad The Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad was a railway company that began operations in the 1890s and owned a main-line between Kansas City, Missouri, and Port Arthur, Texas. It was led by Arthur Stilwell before being thrown into receiversh ...

, predecessor to the

Kansas City Southern Railway The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operated in 10 Midwestern United States, Midwestern and Southeastern United States, Southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Ark ...

. Stilwell named the city Port Arthur after himself, not the British Royal Navy Lieutenant who gave his name to

Port Arthur, China The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as st ...

. Pleasure Island now separates the city from the

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is a navigable inland waterway running approximately from Saint Marks, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas. T ...

. The man-made island was created between 1899 and 1908 by the Corps of Engineers to support development of the port. Arthur Stilwell founded the Port Arthur Channel and Dock Company to manage the port facilities. The port officially opened with the arrival of the British steamer ''Saint Oswald'' in 1899. When oil was discovered at

Spindletop Spindletop is an oil field located in the southern portion of Beaumont, Texas, in the United States. The Spindletop dome was derived from the Louann Salt evaporite layer of the Jurassic geologic period. On January 10, 1901, a well at Spindlet ...

, the J.M. Guffey Petroleum Company, later

Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the Seven Sisters (oil companies), Seven Sisters oil companies. ...

, had run pipelines to Port Arthur as a shipping point and a location for an

. In November 1901, the first tanker, the ''Cardium'', departed with Spindletop oil. The refinery was enlarged in 1902, and a pipeline connected to the

Glenn Pool Oil Reserve The discovery of the Glenn Pool Oil Reserve in 1905 brought the first major oil pipelines into Oklahoma, and instigated the first large scale oil boom in the state. Located near what was—at the time—the small town of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the res ...

in Oklahoma. The Texas Company, later

Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Independ ...

, also started building a refinery in 1902. By 1916, the Port Arthur refinery was one of the three largest in the United States.Hunt, Herschiel. ''The History of Port Arthur''. Southern Publishing Concern, 1926. In 1977, a slate of four black candidates (McElroy, Benjamin, Linden, and Strawder) challenged four white city council members, including Mayor Bernis Sadler. The "torrid" election (as the Port Arthur News described it) led to the 1982 Supreme Court voting rights decision i
City of Port Arthur v. United States
In 2015, the city council proposed an ordinance to declare Port Arthur a "film friendly city". In October 2021, Governor Abbott announced that the city had officially been declared a "film friendly city" by the Texas Film Commission.

Geography

Port Arthur is located on the eastern edge of Jefferson County on the west side of Sabine Lake. It is bordered to the northeast by

Orange County, Texas Orange County is a county located in the very southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Texas, sharing a boundary with Louisiana, within the Golden Triangle of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 84,808. The county seat is the ci ...

, and to the southeast, across Sabine Lake, by

Cameron Parish, Louisiana Cameron Parish () is a parish in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,617. The parish seat is Cameron. Although it is the largest parish by area in Louisiana, it has the second-sma ...

. The Port Arthur city limits extend south along the west side of Sabine Pass, the outlet of Sabine Lake, as far as the Gulf of Mexico on the city's southern border. To the north, the city limits extend across the Neches River into Orange County. Port Arthur is bordered to the northwest by the cities of Nederland, Groves, and Port Neches, and to the northeast by Bridge City in Orange County. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 46.61%, are covered by water.

Communities

Communities in Port Arthur include: * El Vista * Griffing Park * Lakeview * Pear Ridge * Port Acres * Sabine Pass * West Side

Tropical cyclones

Hurricane of September 12, 1897

Celebrations in Port Arthur on completion of the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad between Kansas City and Port Arthur occurred Saturday, September 11, 1897. The celebrations brought additional people into town. The next day, a major hurricane hit Port Arthur. Water flowed five feet deep in the streets. People loaded into the unfinished railroad roundhouse seeking shelter; the building promptly collapsed, killing four. In the end, 13 people died, homes were destroyed, and a pleasure pier was severely damaged.

Hurricane Audrey

In June 1957,

Hurricane Audrey Hurricane Audrey was one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history, killing at least 416 people as it devastated the southwestern Louisiana coast in 1957. Along with Hurricane Alex (2010), Hurricane Alex in 2010 Atlantic hurricane season ...

made landfall just east of Port Arthur in

, as a category 3 hurricane. The storm caused extensive wind damage around the city and significant storm surge flooding just east in Southwest Louisiana.

Hurricane Rita

On September 24, 2005,

Hurricane Rita Hurricane Rita was the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Gulf of Mexico, tying with Hurricane Milton in 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, 2024, as well as being the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. Part of the ...

made landfall between

Sabine Pass, Texas Sabine Pass is a neighborhood in Port Arthur, Texas. It had been incorporated in 1861 before being formally annexed by Port Arthur in 1978. However, Sabine Pass retains its own distinct identity with its own school district, post office, and po ...

, and Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, as a category 3 hurricane. A wind gust of was recorded in Port Arthur. The storm caused widespread significant wind damage throughout the city, with power outages lasting several weeks in some locations. Some areas of the city also received flooding due to Rita.

Hurricane Humberto

On September 13, 2007, Hurricane Humberto made landfall west of Port Arthur as a category 1 hurricane. The storm moved northeast across the

Golden Triangle Golden Triangle may refer to: Places Asia * Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia), named for its opium production * Golden Triangle (Yangtze), China, named for its rapid economic development * Golden Triangle (India), comprising the popular tourist sp ...

, causing widespread wind damage; however, most of the damage was relatively minor. An wind gust was recorded at the

Southeast Texas Regional Airport Jack Brooks Regional Airport , formerly Southeast Texas Regional Airport, is near Port Arthur, Texas, southeast of Beaumont and northeast of Port Arthur. It was Jefferson County Airport, but its name was changed to honor former U.S. Represent ...

just northwest of the city.

Tropical Storm Edouard

On August 5, 2008, Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall just west of Port Arthur. The effects felt in the city were light; however, wind gusts up to were recorded.

Hurricane Ike

On September 13, 2008,

Hurricane Ike Hurricane Ike () was a powerful tropical cyclone that swept through portions of the Greater Antilles and Northern America in September 2008, wreaking havoc on infrastructure and agriculture, particularly in Cuba and Texas. Ike took a sim ...

made landfall on

Galveston Island Galveston Island ( ) is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf Coast in the United States, about southeast of Houston, Texas, Houston. The entire island, with the exception of Jamaica Beach, Texas, Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City ...

as a category 2 hurricane. Due to the storm's unusually large size, effects were widespread and were felt across much of

Southeast Texas Southeast Texas is a cultural and geographic region in the U.S. state of Texas, bordering Southwest Louisiana and its greater Acadiana region to the east. Being a part of East Texas, the region is geographically centered on the Greater Houston a ...

. Port Arthur sustained significant wind damage and many of the city's residents lost power. The Port Arthur seawall protected the city from the major flooding that surrounding cities experienced.

Hurricane Harvey

On August 29, 2017, after Harvey made a second landfall at tropical storm status, 26 inches of rain fell in a single day at the airport near Port Arthur, triggering widespread flash flooding in the city. According to the Port Arthur mayor Derrick Freeman, 20,000 homes were flooded with up to 6 ft of water. On August 30, Freeman posted on

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

, "Our whole city is underwater right now."

Hurricane Laura

On August 25, 2020, with

Hurricane Laura Hurricane Laura was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that is tied with the 1856 Last Island hurricane and 2021's Hurricane Ida as the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the U.S. state of Louisiana, as measured by max ...

expected to make landfall as a major hurricane having Port Arthur in its direct path, Port Arthur was evacuated. However, turning almost due north, Laura ended up making its final landfall near

Cameron, Louisiana Cameron is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the parish seat of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lake Charles Lake Charles metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statisti ...

Climate

Port Arthur is tied with

Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, fifth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the county seat, parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles (Louisiana), Lake Char ...

, and

Astoria, Oregon Astoria is a Port, port city in and the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the ...

, as the most humid city in the

contiguous United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...

. The average relative humidity is 90% in the morning, and 72% in the afternoon.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, 53,818 people, 20,183 households, and 13,191 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 23,577 housing units averaged 284.4 per square mile (109.8/km). At the 2020 census, the population increased to 56,039. The racial makeup of the city was 41.7% African American, 37.9% White, 1.2% Native American, 6.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 15.3% from other races in 2010. Hispanics or Latino Americans of any race were 29.6% of the population. In 2019, the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimated 18.7% of the population was non-Hispanic white, 38.1% Black and African American, 0.2% Native American, 7.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% some other race, and 34.5% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. Of the 20,183 households in 2010, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were not families; 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.31. In the city, the population was distributed as 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males. From 2014 to 2019, the median household income was $36,557; families had a median income of $44,115; married families $56,304; and non-family households $24,280. Among the population, 27.2% lived at or below the poverty line, against the state's 13.6% impoverished population from 2014 to 2019 census estimates. In contrast, the nearby city of Beaumont had a poverty rate of 16.7%, down from 17.6%.

Economy

Home to a large portion of United States

oil refining An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial processes, industrial process Factory, plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refining, refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, Bitumen, asphalt base, ...

capacity, Port Arthur has seen renewed investment in several key installations.

Motiva Enterprises Motiva Enterprises, LLC is an American company that operates as a wholly owned US subsidiary of Saudi Aramco. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva operates as a distributor of Shell and 76 branded gasolines within its operating territory. ...

began undertaking a major addition to its western Port Arthur refinery, expanding capacity to . This $10.0 billion project is the largest U..S refinery expansion to occur in 30 years. Premcor Refining (now Valero) completed a $775 million expansion of its petrochemical plant, and BASF/Fina commenced operations of a new $1.75 billion gasification and cogeneration unit on premises of its current installation, which had just completed its own $1 billion upgrade. These operations are supported by the

Port of Port Arthur The Port of Port Arthur is a seaport in Port Arthur, Texas (United States). 2010 tanker collision On 23 January 2010, an oil tanker and barge collided in the channel leading to Port Arthur, spilling up to 450,000 gallons of oil into the seaway. ...

, one of Texas' leading seaports. The city was the site of an

oil spill An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into th ...

in 2010, when an

oil tanker An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk cargo, bulk transport of petroleum, oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quant ...

and

barge A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...

collided, causing 450,000 gallons of oil to spill into the Sabine/Neches waterway alongside the city.

Central business district disintegration

The commercial center of Port Arthur was at its peak in the early 1900s. Together with the effects of suburbanization, which drew off wealthier residents to new housing away from town, gradually taking businesses with them, from 1960 until 1974, successive waves of economic recession caused much distress in the town. The central business district has many boarded up and vacant locations.

Hotel Sabine

The Hotel Sabine opened at 600 Proctor Street in 1929 and operated as the Vaughn Hotel until the mid-1930s. At 118 feet, 10 stories, and the tallest building in Port Arthur, the building is of

Beaux-Arts architecture Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorporated Renaissance and ...

style, built with steel-reinforced concrete and brick on 640 steel-laced wooden cypress pilings driven 60 ft into the ground. It was overdesigned and overbuilt due to lack of knowledge on the strength of concrete in the 1920's. The hotel closed down in the mid-1980s. The ''Port Arthur News'' reported August 28, 2010, that "DWA (Digital Workforce Academy) Buys Sabine Hotel", By November 2011, the hotel was reported to be slated for demolition. The cost of renovations were estimated at $10–12 million and demolition estimates as $500,000 to $1.2 million. As of April, 2021, Motiva was still considering buying the hotel, but remained uncertain and uncommitted to it.

struck a direct hit on the Proctor Street Seawall, and damaged many downtown businesses and homes. As economic activity picked up in the region, calls for downtown revitalization have been advanced. The true center of commercial activity has gravitated from downtown to other areas. The main shopping center is Central Mall, opened outside the downtown in 1982.

Arts and culture

Port Arthur's Museum of the Gulf Coast is recognized as the area's definitive collection of items and displays for figures from Port Arthur and the surrounding communities.

UGK UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American hip-hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Mitchell "Big Mitch" Queen who would eventually leave the group to pursue a football career and Chad "Pimp C" Butler with Bernard "Bun B" ...

, perhaps Texas's most influential hip-hop group, originated in Port Arthur before relocating to Houston.

Government

The mayor of Port Arthur is Thurman "Bill" Bartie. The county operates the Jefferson County Sub-Courthouse in Port Arthur.

Politics

* Nat R. Strong, 1898–1899 * Charles Eugene Smith, 1899–1902 * Rome H. Woodworth, 1902–1905 * Joseph P. Landes, 1905–1906 * J.H. Drummond, 1906–1908 * P.C. Pfeiffer, 1908–1911 * George N. Bliss, 1911–1915 * R.H. Dunn, 1915–1917 * John W. Tryon, 1917–1921 * James Pinckney Logan, 1921–1929, 1931–1932, 1950–1952 * J.W. O'Neal, 1929–1931 * H.M. Smith, 1932–1933 * H.O. Preston, 1933–1934 * E.R. Winstel, 1934–1935 * Fred L. Bachert, 1935–1936, 1939–1940 * Inman H. Wheless, 1936–1937 * Frank J. Imhoff, 1937–1938 * Neal D. Rader, 1938–1939 * L.C. Heare, 1940–1942 * R.L. Rutan, 1942–1944 * Leland Lacy, 1944–1945 * Walter H. Bailey, 1945–1947 * H.L. Crow, 1947–1948 * James Walter Long, 1948–1950 * Chris F. Petersen, 1952–1953 * Myron J. Babin Jr., 1953–1954 * Nick Norris, 1954 * A.L. Gillman, 1954 * C.R. Eisler, 1954–1957, 1959–1960, 1960–1961 * Zane Q. Johnson, 1957–1958 * M.B. Avila, 1958–1959 * Herman T. Schneider, 1960 * Harvie A. Parker, 1961–1963 * R. B. McCollum, 1963 * Lloyd Hayes, 1963–1969 * Bernis Sadler, 1969–1984 * Malcolm Clark, 1984–1990 * Mary Ellen Summerlin, 1990–1994 * Robert T. Morgan Jr., 1994–1998 * Oscar Ortiz, 1998–2007 * Delores "Bobbi" Prince, 2007–2016 * Derrick Freeman, 2016–2019 * Thurman Bartie, 2019–present The

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

operates the Port Arthur Post Office, the Port Acres Post Office, and the Sabine Pass Post Office in Sabine Pass.

State and federal representation

In the Texas State Legislation, Port Arthur is in the 4th Senate District, represented by Republican Brandon Creighton, and in the 22nd State House District, represented by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

Christian Manuel while the Sabine Pass portion of Port Arthur is within the 21st State House District, represented by Republican

Dade Phelan Matthew McDade Phelan (born September 18, 1975) is an American real estate developer and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he serves in Texas House of Representatives representing District 21, which includes most of Jefferson and ...

. In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, Port Arthur is in Texas' 14th congressional district, represented by Republican

Randy Weber Randall Keith Weber (born July 2, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who has represented Texas's 14th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2013. He was previously a member of the Texas House of ...

Education

Colleges

Lamar State College-Port Arthur

Located in downtown Port Arthur, celebrated its 100th birthday in 2009. Offering a full variety of basic core curriculum classes in which credits are transferable throughout Texas public universities, Lamar State College is recognized for associate programs in commercial music, nursing, legal assistant, and process technology. The college also fields competitive teams in men's basketball and women's softball.

Galveston College (for Hamshire-Fannett and Sabine Pass ISD areas)

The sections of Port Arthur within the Hamshire-Fannett and Sabine Pass ISDs are assigned to

Galveston College Galveston College (GC) is a public community college in Galveston, Texas. History On November 2, 1935, voters approved the creation of the Galveston Junior College District. However, a subsequent 1936 election to support the new district via ...

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

. State legislation does not specify an assigned community college for the remainder of Jefferson County.

Career and Technical Education Center

It was formerly named Stilwell Technical Center and is the second college in Port Arthur. The Port Arthur Independent School District is now headquartered at its former location on 9th Avenue. In 2012 the school was relocated to a new building built on the same property of Memorial High School at 3501 Sgt Lucian Adams Dr.

Primary and secondary schools

Most of the city is served by the

Port Arthur Independent School District Port Arthur Independent School District is a public school district based in Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur, Texas, United States. The district serves most of Port Arthur and a portion of Groves, Texas, Groves. In 2012, the school district wa ...

. It operates a single high school, Memorial High School, formed in 2002 by the consolidation of three high schools: Stephen F. Austin,

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

, and

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

. The portion around

is served by the

Nederland Independent School District Nederland Independent School District is a public school district based in Nederland, Texas ( USA). Originally organized in 1920, the Nederland Independent School District has served the community for 100 years. The first school was built on ...

. Some parts are served by

Port Neches-Groves Independent School District A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manche ...

. The Sabine Pass community is served by the Sabine Pass Independent School District. There are portions of Port Arthur in Nederland ISD, Beaumont ISD, and Hamshire-Fannett ISD. In Orange County, the portions of Port Arthur are in Bridge City Independent School District. The

Bob Hope Charter School Bob Hope School is a charter school system in Port Arthur, Texas, United States. It has four campuses, Bob Hope Elementary Campus, Bob Hope Middle School, Bob Hope High School and Bob Hope High School in Beaumont, Texas. In November 2007 the Texa ...

is located in Port Arthur. It formerly had a Catholic high school, Bishop Byrne High School, which closed in 1983.

Public libraries

The Port Arthur Public Library, at 4615 9th Avenue at

Texas State Highway 73 State Highway 73 (SH 73) is a Texas state highway that runs from Winnie through Port Arthur to near Orange. In September 2008, Hurricane Ike forced the closure of SH 73. Among other road debris left by the storm were two 20 ...

, serves as the public library system for the city.

Media

Newspapers

The '' Port Arthur News'' is the only daily newspaper serving Port Arthur. Operating since 1897 ''The News'' is one of the oldest continually operated businesses in Port Arthur. It is currently owned and operated by

Boone Newspapers Boone Newspapers, Incorporated (BNI) is the parent company of a publishing business that includes dozens of newspapers as well as magazines, other published materials, and internet properties in the United States. It is a private company and owns ...

. From 1932–1941 Port Arthur had a second newspaper called The Peoples Press.

Television

* KBTV (

Dabl Dabl () is an American digital multicast television network owned by the CBS Media Ventures subsidiary of Paramount Global and operated by Weigel Broadcasting. Dabl launched in September 2019 with a female-targeted lifestyle format. It aired r ...

) channel 4

Radio

Transportation

Air

The Jack Brooks Regional Airport in the northwest part of Port Arthur serves Beaumont and Port Arthur.

Bus

Local bus service is provided by Port Arthur Transit.

Rail

The nearest

inter-city rail Inter-city rail services are Express train, express trains that run services that connect cities over longer distances than Commuter rail, commuter or Regional rail, regional trains. They include rail services that are neither short-distance co ...

station to Port Arthur is Beaumont station in nearby Beaumont, which serves the greater area. The station is served by Amtrak's ''

Sunset Limited The ''Sunset Limited'' is a long-distance passenger train run by Amtrak, operating on a route between New Orleans and Los Angeles. Major stops include Houston, San Antonio and El Paso in Texas, as well as Tucson, Arizona. Opening in 1894 thr ...

'' line, with a train arriving thrice weekly in each direction.

Notable people

* Lucian Adams, recipient of

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

, and

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

* Jonathan Babineaux, former professional football player,

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

Jordan Babineaux Jordan Jude Babineaux (born August 31, 1982) is a former American football safety. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2004 out of Southern Arkansas University. Babineaux is most notable for his game-saving effor ...

, former professional football player,

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

and

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

G.W. Bailey G. W. Bailey (born August 27, 1944) is an American actor. His roles include Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo in ''M*A*S*H'' (TV series 1979–1983), Lieutenant/Captain Thaddeus Harris in the ''Police Academy'' films (1984–1994), and Captain Felix ...

, actor *

Zachary Breaux Zachary Charles Breaux (June 26, 1960 – February 20, 1997)Mark Gilbert: 'Breaux, Zachary', ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy (Accessed November 5, 2007), was an American jazz guitarist who was influenced by George Benson and Wes Montgome ...

, jazz musician * Aaron Brown, professional football player *

J'Covan Brown J'Covan Marquis Brown (born February 14, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He played college basketball for the University of Texas before playing pr ...

(born 1990), basketball player in the

Israel Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

Jamaal Charles Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles (born December 27, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college footb ...

, professional football player * C. J. Chenier, musician * Elroy Chester, racially motivated serial killer executed in 2013 for 5 murders *

Babe Didrikson Zaharias Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (; Didrikson; June 26, 1911 – September 27, 1956) was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball, and track and field. She won two gold medals and a silver in track and field at the ...

, athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball and track and field *

Todd Dodge Todd Russell Dodge (born July 21, 1963) is an American football coach and former player, and current head coach at Lovejoy High School in Lucas, Texas. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin where he played quarterback for the ...

, American football coach *

Ted Dunbar Earl Theodore Dunbar (January 17, 1937 – May 29, 1998) was an American jazz guitarist, composer, and educator. Career Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Dunbar trained as a pharmacist at Texas Southern University, but by the 1970s he only did pharmac ...

, jazz musician * Earl Evans, college and professional basketball player *

Kevin Everett Kevin Everett (born February 5, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Bills in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft. He p ...

, professional football player *

Mitch Gaspard Mitch Gaspard (born May 26, 1965) is an American college baseball coach and former second baseman. He is the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisiana Tech University. Gaspard played college baseball at Louisiana State University fro ...

, college baseball coach *

John Warne Gates John Warne Gates (May 18, 1855 – August 9, 1911), also known as "Bet-a-Million" Gates, was an American Gilded Age industrialist and gambler. He was a pioneer promoter of barbed wire. He was born and raised in what is now West Chicago, Illinoi ...

, wire and steel magnate, railroad and oil financier * Danny Gorrer, professional football player *

Jason Halbert Jason Halbert (born June 3, 1974) is an American producer, music director, musician, engineer and songwriter. He has been Kelly Clarkson's music director since 2003, shortly after her ''American Idol'' win. He has also served as music director for ...

, musical director for

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...

* Kree Harrison, runner-up on ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

'', 12th season *

Lee Hazlewood Barton Lee Hazlewood (July 9, 1929 – August 4, 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s ...

, musician, was raised in Port Arthur. *

Tom Hicks Thomas Ollis Hicks Sr. (born February 7, 1946), is an American private equity investor and sports team owner living in Dallas, Texas. ''Forbes'' magazine estimated Hicks' wealth at $1 billion in 2009, but it dropped to $700 million in 2010 ...

, former owner of Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, Liverpool FC, and Dr Pepper/7-UP *

Jim Hurtubise James Ernest Hurtubise (December 5, 1932 – January 6, 1989) was an American racing driver who competed in American Championship Car Racing, Championship Cars, Sprint car racing, sprint cars and stock cars. Hurtubise enjoyed much success in spri ...

, race car driver, moved to Port Arthur as an adult. *

Stephen Jackson Stephen Jesse Jackson (born April 5, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Mi ...

, former professional basketball player, who played in the NBA for 14 seasons * Jimmy Johnson, football broadcaster, player, coach, and executive *

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...

, singer/songwriter *

Evelyn Keyes Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''. Early life Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar Do ...

, film actress * Bobby Leopold, professional football player * Kenneth Lofton Jr., college and FIBA U-19 Team USA player *

Inika McPherson Inika McPherson (born September 29, 1986, in Port Arthur, Texas) is an American track and field athlete specializing in the high jump. She was the 2013 US Indoor champion. During her career, McPherson has been issued with two, separate anti-dop ...

, track and field athlete * Donald Narcisse, player in Canadian Football League *

Pimp C Chad Lamont Butler (December 29, 1973 – December 4, 2007), better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK). ...

Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the Southern rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work wi ...

, rappers *

Johnny Preston John Preston Courville (August 18, 1939 – March 4, 2011), known professionally as Johnny Preston, was an American rock and roll singer, best known for his 1959 international number one hit " Running Bear". Life and career Born in Port Arthur ...

, pop singer *

Robert Rauschenberg Milton Ernest "Robert" or "Bob" Rauschenberg (October 22, 1925 – May 12, 2008) was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works anticipated the Pop art movement. Rauschenberg is well known for his Combine painting, Combines (1954� ...

, painter and graphic artist * Leah Rhodes, Hollywood costume designer * J.P. Richardson aka "The Big Bopper", singer and songwriter born in the Port Arthur neighborhood of Sabine Pass * Elandon Roberts, professional football player * Amber Chardae Robinson, actress * Raymond Strother, political consultant * Tad Tadlock, choreographer * Joe Washington, college and professional football player * Ken Webster, actor and director

Notes

References

External links

City of Port Arthur official website
* *

{{authority control Port Arthur, Texas, 1899 establishments in Texas Cities in Jefferson County, Texas Cities in Texas Cities in the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area Port cities and towns in Texas Ports of the Gulf of Mexico Populated coastal places in Texas Railway towns in Texas

History

Geography

Communities

Tropical cyclones

Hurricane of September 12, 1897

Hurricane Audrey

Hurricane Rita

Hurricane Humberto

Tropical Storm Edouard

Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Laura

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Central business district disintegration

Hotel Sabine

Arts and culture

Government

Politics

State and federal representation

Education

Colleges

Lamar State College-Port Arthur

Galveston College (for Hamshire-Fannett and Sabine Pass ISD areas)

Career and Technical Education Center

Primary and secondary schools

Public libraries

Media

Newspapers

Television

Radio

Transportation

Air

Bus

Rail

Notable people

See also

Notes

References

External links