Matagorda County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Gulf Coast southwest of Houston, where the Colorado River empties into Matagorda Bay. It had a population of 36,255 at the 2020 census and covers 1,613 square miles (4,180 km2), of which 1,100 square miles (2,800 km2) are land and 512 square miles (1,330 km2) are water, centred near 28°47′N 96°00′W.
Bay City is the county seat, and its postal code is 77414. The county has 2 incorporated cities, 7 census-designated places and several smaller unincorporated communities. Texas has no civil townships, so places are grouped only by incorporation status. The county sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Matagorda County
Matagorda County has around 20 named places on the map: 2 incorporated cities (one of them the county seat), 7 census-designated places (CDPs — populated but unincorporated, so they show a Census Bureau count but no city government), and a scatter of smaller unincorporated communities that have no separate population count of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay City | City · seat | 17,614 | 77414 |
| Palacios | City | 4,655 | 77465 |
| Blessing | CDP | 886 | 77419 |
| Van Vleck | CDP | 2,135 | 77482 |
| Markham | CDP | 601 | 77456 |
| Matagorda | CDP | 533 | 77457 |
| Midfield | CDP | 489 | 77458 |
| Sargent | CDP | 1,491 | — |
| Wadsworth | CDP | 296 | 77483 |
| Collegeport | Unincorp. | — | 77428 |
| Cedar Lane | Unincorp. | — | 77415 |
| Elmaton | Unincorp. | — | 77440 |
| Pledger | Unincorp. | — | 77468 |
| Allenhurst | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buckeye | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Caney | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hawkinsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Bay City should not be confused with Baytown, a much larger city northeast of the county in Harris and Chambers counties — the two names are unrelated. Sargent is a beach community on the Gulf and shares Bay City’s 77414 ZIP code rather than carrying its own.
ZIP Codes
- 77414 — Bay City (also serves Sargent)
- 77465 — Palacios
- 77419 — Blessing
- 77482 — Van Vleck
- 77456 — Markham
- 77457 — Matagorda
- 77458 — Midfield
- 77483 — Wadsworth
- 77428 — Collegeport
- 77415 — Cedar Lane
- 77440 — Elmaton
- 77468 — Pledger
Allenhurst, Buckeye, Caney, Cedar Lake and Hawkinsville are small unincorporated crossroads with no ZIP code of their own; mail there is addressed to the nearest post office town above.
Geography
Matagorda County is flat coastal prairie cut by the Colorado River, which flows south through the middle of the county to Matagorda Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. About a third of the county’s area is water, including Matagorda Bay itself, East Matagorda Bay, and long stretches of barrier-island beach along the Gulf. Rice fields and cattle pasture cover most of the inland prairie.
Matagorda County borders Wharton County to the north, Brazoria County to the northeast, the Gulf of Mexico to the east and south, Calhoun County to the southwest, and Jackson County to the west.
Demographics
The county had 36,255 residents at the 2020 census, its largest population on record. Bay City and Palacios are the two largest communities, together holding roughly two-thirds of the county’s people. Median household income in the county runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the county’s mix of agricultural and service-sector work outside the Bay City industrial corridor. Population density is about 33 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Rice farming and cattle ranching have anchored the county’s economy since the late 1800s, and Matagorda County remains one of the larger rice-producing counties on the Texas coast. Petrochemical plants near Bay City, including Celanese and LyondellBasell/Equistar facilities, and the South Texas Project nuclear generating station southwest of the city are major employers. Commercial and recreational fishing, shrimping and duck hunting draw visitors to Matagorda, Sargent and Palacios, and the Matagorda Bay Nature Park is a regional destination for birding and beach camping.
History
Matagorda County was one of the original counties created by the Republic of Texas in 1836, and the town of Matagorda was among the earliest Anglo-American settlements on the Texas coast, predating Houston. The county’s name comes from the Spanish word for “thick bush,” describing the dense canebrakes that once lined the coast. Rice irrigation, introduced in the 1900s, transformed the inland prairie from open cattle range into farmland, and offshore oil and gas discoveries in the mid-1900s brought a second wave of growth to Bay City and Palacios.
Getting There
State Highways 35, 60 and 71 are the main routes through the county, connecting Bay City to Wharton, Victoria and the Gulf coast.
- Wharton, TX — 30 miles north
- Victoria, TX — 45 miles southwest
- Houston, TX — 90 miles northeast
- Corpus Christi, TX — 110 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport, roughly 90 miles northeast; Bay City also has a small municipal general-aviation airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Matagorda County?
It is on the Texas Gulf Coast, about 90 miles southwest of Houston, where the Colorado River meets Matagorda Bay.
What is the population of Matagorda County?
36,255 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Matagorda County?
1,613 square miles (4,180 km2) in total, of which about a third is water.
What is the county seat of Matagorda County?
Bay City.
How many towns are in Matagorda County?
2 incorporated cities, 7 census-designated places and a handful of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Matagorda County?
Bay City is 77414; other towns include Palacios 77465, Blessing 77419, Van Vleck 77482, Markham 77456, Matagorda 77457, Midfield 77458 and Wadsworth 77483.
What is Matagorda County known for?
Rice farming, Gulf Coast fishing and hunting, and the South Texas Project nuclear plant near Bay City.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.