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Physical Features: Grassy, coastal prairie draining to Aransas River, Nueces River and to bays; sandy loam, clay, black loam soils; Lake Corpus Christi.

Economy: Oil, petrochemicals, agribusiness, manufacturing, tourism, in Corpus Christi metropolitan area.

History: Karankawa area. Mexican sheep herders in the area before colonization. Settled by Irish families in 1830 (name is Spanish for St. Patrick). Created, named for municipality in 1836; organized in 1837, reorganized in 1847.

Race/Ethnicity: (In percent) Anglo, 37.6; Black, 2.1; Hispanic, 58.5; Asian, 1.2; Other, 1.2; Two or more races, 1.5.

Vital Statistics, annual: Births, 1,021; deaths, 642; marriages, 290; divorces, 243.

Recreation: Water activities, hunting, Corpus Christi Bay, Lake Corpus Christi State Park, Welder Wildlife Foundation and Park, birdwatching.

Minerals: Oil, gas, gravel, caliche.

Agriculture: Cotton, grain sorghum, beef cattle, corn. Market value $131.3 million. Fisheries income significant.

SINTON (5,133) county seat; oil, agribusiness, tourism; Go Texan Days in October.

ARANSAS PASS (8,763, part [724] in Aransas County) deepwater port, shrimping, tourism, offshore oil-well servicing, aluminum and chemical plants; hospital; Shrimporee in May.

PORTLAND (22,151) retail center, petrochemicals, commuters to Corpus Christi; Indian Point pier; Windfest in April.

Other towns include: Edroy (310); Gregory (1,920); Ingleside (9,754) offshore well servicing, chemical and manufacturing plants, commuters, birding, Round Up Days in April; Ingleside-on-the-Bay (584); Lake City (514); Lakeside (309); Mathis (4,745); Odem (2,390); St. Paul (639); San Patricio (429); Taft (2,972) agriculture, drug rehabilitation center, commuters, wind farm, blackland museum, barbecue, tamale and hot sauce cook-off in December; Taft Southwest (1,351).

A ship docked at Ingleside. Photo by Robert Plocheck.