Nueces County, Texas

Nueces County is a county in Texas, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico coast where the Nueces River empties into Nueces Bay. It had a population of 353,178 at the 2020 census and covers 1,166 square miles (3,020 km2) — 838 square miles (2,170 km2) of land and 327 square miles (850 km2) of water — centred near 27°44′N 97°31′W.

Corpus Christi is the county seat, and its postal code is 78401. The county has 6 incorporated cities and towns and roughly 30 more unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs), sits in the Central time zone, and anchors the Corpus Christi metropolitan area.

Towns & Villages in Nueces County

Nueces County lists 38 identifiable places below: 6 incorporated cities and towns, 6 census-designated places, and the rest unincorporated communities and neighborhoods (several inside or adjoining Corpus Christi’s city limits). Aransas Pass is incorporated mostly in neighboring San Patricio County, with only part of the city inside Nueces County.

*Aransas Pass’s total city population; most of the city sits in San Patricio County, with smaller shares crossing into Aransas and Nueces counties. Flour Bluff and Calallen are both long-annexed neighborhoods inside Corpus Christi’s city limits rather than separate municipalities.

ZIP Codes

• 78401 — Corpus Christi (downtown; the city also uses 78402 and 78404–78419 across its neighborhoods, including Flour Bluff and Calallen)
• 78380 — Robstown
• 78373 — Port Aransas
• 78343 — Bishop
• 78335–78336 — Aransas Pass

Smaller unincorporated communities such as Agua Dulce, Driscoll, Petronila, and the CDPs west and south of Corpus Christi share a Corpus Christi or Robstown ZIP code rather than carrying one of their own.

Geography

Nueces County sits on the Texas Coastal Bend, where the Nueces River reaches Nueces Bay just north of Corpus Christi before draining into Corpus Christi Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Mustang Island and North Padre Island, both partly in the county, form a barrier-island strip that shelters the bays and carries Port Aransas and the county’s beach communities. Inland, the terrain flattens into coastal prairie used for cotton and grain sorghum farming.

The county borders San Patricio County to the north, Aransas County across Redfish Bay to the northeast, Kleberg County to the south, and Jim Wells County to the west, with the Gulf of Mexico forming its eastern edge.

Demographics

Nueces County had 353,178 residents at the 2020 census, with a land-area density of roughly 421 people per square mile. Corpus Christi (317,863) is by far the largest community, followed by Robstown (10,143). Median household income in the county runs below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting a workforce concentrated in refining, shipping, and other blue-collar coastal industries rather than the state’s higher-earning metro corridors.

Economy & Local Life

The Port of Corpus Christi, one of the busiest crude-oil export terminals in the United States, anchors the county’s economy alongside a cluster of petrochemical refineries along the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. Naval Air Station Corpus Christi trains military and civilian helicopter pilots and is one of the county’s largest employers, and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and CHRISTUS Spohn’s hospital network add education and healthcare jobs in the city. Tourism runs along the coast, drawing visitors to Port Aransas’s beaches, the Texas State Aquarium, and the USS Lexington museum ship, while Robstown and the county’s western communities remain centered on cotton and grain sorghum farming.

History

Nueces County was organized on April 18, 1846, from part of San Patricio County, taking its name from the Nueces River, which forms much of its northwestern boundary. Corpus Christi grew from a small trading post into a major port after a deepwater ship channel was dredged to the Gulf in 1926, and the discovery of oil and gas in the surrounding coastal plain through the 20th century built the refining industry that still lines the ship channel today.

Getting There

Interstate 37 connects Corpus Christi north to San Antonio, while U.S. Highway 77 runs the length of the county through Robstown, Driscoll, and Bishop toward the Rio Grande Valley. Corpus Christi International Airport offers regional commercial service.

• San Antonio — about 140 miles northwest
• Houston — about 210 miles northeast
• Kingsville — about 35 miles south
• Laredo — about 150 miles southwest

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Nueces County?
It is on the Texas Gulf Coast, in the Coastal Bend region, bordered by San Patricio, Aransas, Kleberg, and Jim Wells counties.

What is the population of Nueces County?
353,178 at the 2020 census, making it one of the largest counties on the Texas coast.

How big is Nueces County?
1,166 square miles (3,020 km2) total, including 327 square miles of bay and Gulf waters.

What is the county seat of Nueces County?
Corpus Christi is the county seat and by far the largest city.

How many towns and communities are in Nueces County?
The county has 6 incorporated cities and towns plus roughly 30 unincorporated communities and CDPs, including Port Aransas, Robstown, and Bishop.

What ZIP codes are in Nueces County?
Major ones include 78401 (Corpus Christi), 78380 (Robstown), 78373 (Port Aransas), 78343 (Bishop), and 78335–78336 (Aransas Pass).

Is Port Aransas in Nueces County?
Yes. Port Aransas sits on Mustang Island in the northeastern part of the county and is a separate incorporated city from Corpus Christi.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.