Calhoun County

Port O'Connor, Calhoun County, Texas

Port O'Connor, Calhoun County, Texas

Port O'Connor is located in Calhoun County, Texas. Image by Aimee Brown from Pixabay.
Calhoun County, Texas

Calhoun County, Texas

Map of Calhoun County, Texas. Image Credit: Robert Plocheck.

Calhoun County is located on the Gulf Coast between Houston and Corpus Christi. Approximately one-fourth of the county's 540-square-mile area is under water. Calhoun County is bordered by Victoria and Jackson counties on the north, Matagorda Island and the Gulf on the south, Refugio County on the west, and Matagorda County on the east. The approximate center of the county is at 33°40' north latitude and 95°06' west longitude, five miles southwest of Port Lavaca, the county seat. The altitude of this Coastal Prairie county ranges from sea level to fifty feet. The terrain is flat, poorly to moderately well drained, and surfaced with loams underlain by cracking, clayey subsoils, including deep black soils and sandy clay. Matagorda Island, on the southern fringe of the county, is chiefly deep shell sand. The climate is mild, the rainfall averages about forty inches annually, and the growing season lasts 305 days a year. The flora includes tall grasses and live oaks with cordgrasses and sedges along the coast, and the animal life includes quail, deer, doves, cottontail rabbits, jackrabbits, armadillos, skunks, opossums, raccoons, and a few coyotes. Between 21 and 30 percent of the land is considered prime farmland. The county is drained by the Guadalupe River, Chocolate Bayou, and several creeks. Green Lake, a large natural lake, is in Calhoun County. Major incorporated communities include Point Comfort, Port Lavaca, and Seadrift. The county is served by the Union Pacific railroad, as well as by U.S. Highway 87 and State highways 35 and 185.

Evidence suggests that Calhoun County was inhabited from prehistoric times. A Clovis point is among examples of Paleo-American projectile points found in the area. Shell middens have been located at Mustang Lake, an arm of San Antonio Bay. Karankawa Indians populated the shoreline and roamed the Coastal Plain until the middle of the nineteenth century, when they were notorious among White settlers. Subgroups of the Karankawas occupied Matagorda Bay and Matagorda Peninsula. Fletching tools, scrapers, and spear and arrow points have been discovered at Lavaca Bay and Six Mile Creek. Tonkawa shelter sites have been found at Cox's Creek, Keller's Creek, and the mouth of the Guadalupe River, as well as on Green Lake, Chocolate Bayou, and Linn's Bayou in Port Lavaca.

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Diana J. Kleiner | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Calhoun County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

0 ft – 56 ft

Size

Land area does not include water surface area, whereas total area does

  • Land Area: 506.8 mi²
  • Total Area: 1,032.7 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 46.5°F
July mean maximum: 89.0°F

Rainfall, 2019

35.9 inches

Population Count, 2019

21,290

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

11,738

Unemployment, 2019

6.4%

Property Values, 2019

$4,015,528,575 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$38,668 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$249,332,009 USD

Wages, 2019

$239,876,483 USD

Calhoun County

Highlighted:
  • Calhoun County
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Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
Town 454 (2021) Yes
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Lake Yes
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Town 51 (2009) Yes
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Town 200 (2009) Yes
Town 25 (2009) Yes
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Town 76 (2009) Yes
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Town 108 (2021) Yes
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Town 215 (2009) Yes
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Town 583 (2021) Yes
Town 45 (2009) Yes
Town 11,259 (2021) Yes
Town 1,084 (2021) Yes
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Town 70 (2009) Yes
Town 999 (2021) Yes
Town 300 (2009) Yes
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Lake Yes

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