Aransas County is in the south-central part of Texas, on the Gulf Coast. Aransas borders Calhoun county, Refugio county, San Patricio County, and Nueces.

The county is the second least densely populated in Texas, with just six people per square mile. Major cities in Aransas include Aransas Pass, Corpus Christi, and Rockport (the largest).

History of Aransas County

The early inhabitants in the area were the Aransas Indians who later migrated, leaving the area uninhabited for about 100 years.

Around 1400 A.D, the area was home to the Karankwas and Coahuiltecans. These people practiced mainly hunting and gathering. Since they had no political organization, they had to flee after the invasion of the Europeans.

In 1826 James Powers and James Hewetson showed interest in settling in Aransas bay by applying for an empresario grant. Later, many citizens of Ireland origin came and settled in the region as colonialists.

In 1837 Texas became a territory of the United States. Also, laws governing immigration changed in this regard. The implementation of these laws allowed many immigrants to come to the region.

Moreover, the Fisher–Miller Land Grant in 1842 by the Republic of Texas made it possible for many settlers to come to Texas. The land grants gave the citizens and colonists a certain number of acres to start ranching and farming industries.

In 1861 slavery they abolished following the American Civil War. After the end of the war, many freed slaves started settling in Aransas county. They built schools to educate their children on a broader level.

Aransas Attraction and Geographical Features

Although not the largest county in Texas, Aransas County is one of the most diverse counties in the United States. It spans over 326 square miles of coastland, wetlands, bayous, and coastal prairie habitat.

Moreover, Aransas is a great destination for hunting, fishing, water sports, birding, and kayaking. Due to its unique attractions and geographical features, the city hosts events such as the Holiday Craft Show in December, bike ride events in November, and the Shrimporess in December.

Here are some of Aransas county’s most notable geographical features and attractions:

San Patricio County Marina park: Located on Ransom Road, this park boasts of two boat parking lots, double boat ramps, an uncovered boat, and two boat shelters. It’s a great recreational site and has over 30 spaces and hookups. Additionally, you can enjoy watching wildlife birds, fishing, and even playing with your kids at the children’s playground.

Live Oak Peninsula: The Live Oak Peninsula is a long, low, sandy spit of land projecting from Aransas County into Corpus Christi Bay. It is one of the most notable geographical features in the county.

Lamar peninsula: The Lamar peninsula is the easternmost point of land on the eastern side of St. Charles Bay. It is mainly composed of sand dunes and a saltmarsh habitat home to more than 200 species of plants and animals.

Community Park: Community Park has electronic scoreboards, bleachers, dugouts, a concession stand, grills, and more. The park is along Johnson Avenue at Arch Street and has playground features such as monkey bars, merry-go-rounds, rocking riding toys, digging toys, and a two-story wooden structure.

Blackjack peninsula: The Blackjack Peninsula was established in 1937 as a wintering ground for the Grus americana (Whooping Cranes) breeding population. This peninsula is about 60 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Whooping Crane is one of the endangered species in the area. Other species include Northern Aplomado Falcon, Southern Bald Eagle, and the Brown Pelican.

The Aransas Wildlife Refuge gets over 70,000 visitors every year. Most of the visitors come to see the many bird species.

Aransas Population

As of July 1, 2019, about 23,510 people lived in Aransas county with a median household income of about $45,137.

Most people in the counties are over 65 years, with females being slightly more than men. The majority of these people are white, contributing to over 65% of the entire population. Latino or Hispanic follows closely with a percentage of 27.9.

Between 2015 and 2019, there were approximately 9,548 households in Aransas. The average number of people per household was 2.52.

Aransas Health Sector

Most of the population in Aransas has access to various kinds of healthcare facilities. The average life expectancy of people within the county is about 77.9 years.

The median rate of smokers in the county is 19.6, while those without health insurance are 24.1. This is a large number compared to the national median of people without insurance, which is 10.6.

The county also has an Environmental Health Department responsible for all health programs in various communities. Some of its duties include ensuring food safety by educating the public and carrying out food service inspections.

Aransas County Offices

There are several offices in Aransas. These include the office of the County Judge, County Treasurer, County Clerk, County Attorney, County commissioners, and more.

The county judge is C.H. “Burt” Mills Jr. You may reach him by phone at (361) 790-0100 or Fax (361) 727-2043. In the commissioner’s court, there are 4 precinct commissioners: Jack Chaney is in charge of precinct number one. Leslie “Bubba” Casterline, Pat Rousseau, and Wendy Laubach head precinct numbers two, three, and four, respectively.

Carrie Arrington is the Aransas county clerk. The treasurer of the county is Alma Cartwright while the current tax collector/assessor is Anna Marshall.

William “Bill” Mills is the current county sheriff of the county. You can reach his department via phone at (361) 729-2222 or Fax (361) 790-0164.