Chambers County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 29°42′N94°41′W / 29.7°N 94.68°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
Founded | 1858 |
Named for | Thomas Jefferson Chambers |
Seat | Anahuac |
Largest city | Mont Belvieu |
Area | |
• Total | 871 sq mi (2,260 km2) |
• Land | 597 sq mi (1,550 km2) |
• Water | 274 sq mi (710 km2) 31% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 46,571 [1] |
• Density | 78.0/sq mi (30.1/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional districts | 14th, 36th |
Website | www |
Chambers County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 46,571. [2] [3] The county seat is Anahuac. [4]
Chambers County is one of the nine counties that comprise Greater Houston, the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area.
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Luz, a Spanish mission in Texas, was established in 1756 near what is now Wallisville. [5]
Chambers County was founded in 1858. It is named for Thomas Jefferson Chambers, [6] a major general in the Texas Revolution.
In 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591, a cargo flight operating for Amazon Air, crashed in the Trinity Bay, in Chambers County and near Anahuac, while flying from Miami to Houston. All three people on board were killed. [7]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 871 square miles (2,260 km2), of which 597 square miles (1,550 km2) are land and 274 square miles (710 km2) (31%) are covered by water. [8]
The south and southwestern parts of the county lie in the Galveston Bay Area on the shores of Trinity Bay and East Bay. A small portion of the southeastern area lies on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 1,508 | — | |
1870 | 1,503 | −0.3% | |
1880 | 2,187 | 45.5% | |
1890 | 2,241 | 2.5% | |
1900 | 3,046 | 35.9% | |
1910 | 4,234 | 39.0% | |
1920 | 4,162 | −1.7% | |
1930 | 5,710 | 37.2% | |
1940 | 7,511 | 31.5% | |
1950 | 7,871 | 4.8% | |
1960 | 10,379 | 31.9% | |
1970 | 12,187 | 17.4% | |
1980 | 18,538 | 52.1% | |
1990 | 20,088 | 8.4% | |
2000 | 26,031 | 29.6% | |
2010 | 35,096 | 34.8% | |
2020 | 46,571 | 32.7% | |
2023 (est.) | 53,876 | 15.7% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [9] 1850–2010 [10] 2010 [11] 2020 [12] |
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 [11] | Pop 2020 [12] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 24,767 | 29,858 | 70.57% | 64.11% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,817 | 3,148 | 8.03% | 6.76% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 134 | 161 | 0.38% | 0.35% |
Asian alone (NH) | 326 | 622 | 0.93% | 1.34% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 13 | 0 | 0.04% | 0.00% |
Other Race alone (NH) | 25 | 215 | 0.07% | 0.46% |
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH) | 379 | 1,615 | 1.08% | 3.47% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6,635 | 10,952 | 18.91% | 23.52% |
Total | 35,096 | 46,571 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census of 2000, [13] 26,031 people, 9,139 households, and 7,219 families were residing in the county. The population density was 43 people/sq mi (17 people/km2). The 10,336 housing units averaged 17 units per square mile (6.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 81.88% White, 9.77% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 6.02% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. About 10.79% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 9,139 households, 40.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.70% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.00% were not families. About 17.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was 3.20.
In the county, the age distribution was 28.90% under 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.00% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,964, and for a family was $52,986. Males had a median income of $43,351 versus $25,478 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,863. About 8.30% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.30% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.
Chambers County is governed by a five-member commissioners' court, consisting of the county judge and four county commissioners. The county judge is elected to four-year terms in a countywide election. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms from single-member districts.
Office | Name | Political party | First elected | Area(s) represented | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
County Judge | Jimmy Sylvia | Republican | 1996 | Countywide | |
Commissioner, Precinct 1 | Jimmy E. Gore | Republican | 2016 | Anahuac, Double Bayou, Hankamer, Oak Island, Seabreeze, Smith Point, Stowell, Wallisville, Winnie | |
Commissioner, Precinct 2 | Mark Tice | Republican | 2018 | Beach City, Cove, Turtle Bayou, Wallisville | |
Commissioner, Precinct 3 | Tommy Hammond | Republican | 2006 | Mont Belvieu, Old River-Winfree | |
Commissioner, Precinct 4 | Ryan Dagley | Republican | 2018 | Baytown, Beach City |
Office | Name | Political party | |
---|---|---|---|
County Attorney | Ashley Cain Land | Republican | |
County Clerk | Heather H. Hawthorne | Republican | |
County Court Judge | Cindy S. Price | Republican | |
District Attorney | Cheryl Swope Lieck | Republican | |
District Clerk | Patti Henry | Republican | |
Sheriff | Brian Hawthorne | Republican | |
Tax Assessor-Collector | Laurie G. Payton | Republican | |
Treasurer | Nicole Whittington | Republican | |
County Surveyor | Michael W. Chandler |
Office | Name | Political party | Area(s) represented | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Constable, Precinct 1 | Dennis Dugat | Republican | Stowell, Winnie | |
Constable, Precinct 2 | John Mulryan | Republican | Anahuac, Turtle Bayou, Wallisville | |
Constable, Precinct 3 | Donnie Standley | Republican | Double Bayou, Oak Island, Smith Point | |
Constable, Precinct 4 | Ben L. "Butch" Bean | Republican | Mont Belvieu, Old River-Winfree | |
Constable, Precinct 5 | Bradley W. Moon | Republican | Hankamer, Wallisville | |
Constable, Precinct 6 | Kirk W. Ritch | Republican | Baytown, Beach City, Cove |
Senators | Name | Political party | First elected | Level | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Senate Class 2 | John Cornyn | Republican | 2002 | Senior Senator | |
Senate Class 1 | Ted Cruz | Republican | 2012 | Junior Senator | |
Representatives | Name | Political Party | First Elected | Area(s) Represented | |
Texas's 14th District | Randy Weber | Republican | 2012 | A small, unpopulated portion of the county that extends to the Gulf of Mexico, across the Intracoastal Waterway. | |
Texas's 36th District | Brian Babin | Republican | 2014 | All populated areas of the county |
District | Senator | Political party | First elected | Area(s) represented | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | Brandon Creighton | Republican | 2014 | Countywide, district also covers portions of Galveston, Harris, Jefferson, and Montgomery Counties |
District | Representative | Political party | First elected | Area(s) represented | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
23 | Terri Leo-Wilson | Republican | 2022 | Chambers County, Galveston County (part) |
District | Member | Political party | First elected | Area(s) represented | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | Julie Pickren | Republican | 2022 | Countywide, district also covers all of Brazoria, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, and Tyler Counties and most of Fort Bend County |
Office | Name | Political party | |
---|---|---|---|
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1 | Celia Devillier | Republican | |
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 | Michael W. Wheat | Republican | |
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 | Blake D. Sylvia | Republican | |
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5 | David Hatfield | Republican | |
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 6 | Larry Ray Cryer | Republican |
Office | Name | Political party | Area(s) represented | |
---|---|---|---|---|
253rd District Court | Chap B. Cain, III | Republican | Countywide, district also covers Liberty County | |
344th District Court | Randy McDonald | Republican | Countywide |
Name | Political party | First elected | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Chief Justice | Sherry Radack | Republican | 2004, appointed in 2002 | |
Place 2 | Gordon Goodman | Democrat | 2018 | |
Place 3 | Veronica Rivas-Molloy | Democrat | 2020 | |
Place 4 | April Farris | Republican | 2020 (appointed) | |
Place 5 | Amparo Guerra | Democrat | 2020 | |
Place 6 | Sarah Beth Landau | Democrat | 2018 | |
Place 7 | Julie Countiss | Democrat | 2018 | |
Place 8 | Richard Hightower | Democrat | 2018 | |
Place 9 | Peter Kelly | Democrat | 2018 |
Name | Political party | First elected | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Chief Justice | Tracy E. Christopher | Republican | 2020 | |
Place 2 | Kevin Jewell | Republican | 2016 | |
Place 3 | Jerry Zimmerer | Democrat | 2018 | |
Place 4 | Charles A. Spain | Democrat | 2018 | |
Place 5 | Frances Bourliot | Democrat | 2018 | |
Place 6 | Meagan Hassan | Democrat | 2018 | |
Place 7 | Ken Wise | Republican | 2014, Appointed in 2013 | |
Place 8 | Margaret "Meg" Poissant | Democrat | 2018 | |
Place 9 | Randy Wilson | Republican | 2020 (appointed) |
As with much of the Southern United States, Democrats won locally up into the 21st century, with many local politicians switching party allegiances in the mid-2000s. As of 2020 all elected county offices are represented by Republicans with the retirement of the Precinct 5 Constable Cecil. R. "Popeye" Oldham, a Democrat, who was last elected in 2016.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 17,353 | 80.15% | 3,997 | 18.46% | 302 | 1.39% |
2016 | 13,339 | 79.23% | 2,948 | 17.51% | 549 | 3.26% |
2012 | 11,787 | 79.99% | 2,790 | 18.93% | 158 | 1.07% |
2008 | 9,988 | 75.14% | 3,188 | 23.98% | 116 | 0.87% |
2004 | 8,618 | 73.98% | 2,953 | 25.35% | 78 | 0.67% |
2000 | 6,769 | 69.03% | 2,888 | 29.45% | 149 | 1.52% |
1996 | 4,101 | 52.37% | 2,876 | 36.73% | 854 | 10.91% |
1992 | 3,398 | 40.62% | 2,832 | 33.85% | 2,136 | 25.53% |
1988 | 3,694 | 54.48% | 3,035 | 44.76% | 52 | 0.77% |
1984 | 4,322 | 61.84% | 2,632 | 37.66% | 35 | 0.50% |
1980 | 3,140 | 54.08% | 2,517 | 43.35% | 149 | 2.57% |
1976 | 1,835 | 37.82% | 2,927 | 60.33% | 90 | 1.85% |
1972 | 2,390 | 66.35% | 1,206 | 33.48% | 6 | 0.17% |
1968 | 1,061 | 29.42% | 1,217 | 33.74% | 1,329 | 36.85% |
1964 | 1,023 | 34.61% | 1,921 | 64.99% | 12 | 0.41% |
1960 | 1,260 | 44.74% | 1,524 | 54.12% | 32 | 1.14% |
1956 | 1,520 | 63.52% | 860 | 35.94% | 13 | 0.54% |
1952 | 1,497 | 57.20% | 1,116 | 42.64% | 4 | 0.15% |
1948 | 302 | 21.70% | 787 | 56.54% | 303 | 21.77% |
1944 | 179 | 13.47% | 1,038 | 78.10% | 112 | 8.43% |
1940 | 219 | 14.60% | 1,279 | 85.27% | 2 | 0.13% |
1936 | 134 | 11.95% | 984 | 87.78% | 3 | 0.27% |
1932 | 91 | 9.69% | 843 | 89.78% | 5 | 0.53% |
1928 | 256 | 51.41% | 242 | 48.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 239 | 42.30% | 315 | 55.75% | 11 | 1.95% |
1920 | 278 | 49.38% | 240 | 42.63% | 45 | 7.99% |
1916 | 101 | 26.17% | 239 | 61.92% | 46 | 11.92% |
1912 | 4 | 1.59% | 217 | 86.45% | 30 | 11.95% |
Local Primary and Secondary School Jurisdictions. Each are governed by their own respective school board.
Community Colleges
The Chambers County Library System operates three libraries in the county.
The county operates two airports in unincorporated areas:
In addition, RWJ Airpark, a privately owned airport for public use, is located in Beach City.
The Houston Airport System stated that Chambers County is within the primary service area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, an international airport in Houston in Harris County. [18]
Brazoria County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 372,031. The county seat is Angleton.
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county had a population of 620,443. The county seat is Conroe. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, 1837, and is named for the town of Montgomery. Between 2000 and 2010, its population grew by 55%, the 24th-fastest rate of growth of any county in the United States. Between 2010 and 2020, its population grew by 36%. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population is 711,354 as of July 1, 2023.
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Anahuac is a city in the U.S. state of Texas on the coast of Trinity Bay. The population of the city was 1,980 at the 2020 census. Anahuac is the seat of Chambers County and is situated in Southeast Texas. The Texas Legislature designated the city as the "Alligator Capital of Texas" in 1989. Anahuac hosts an annual alligator festival.
Stowell is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Chambers County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,743 at the 2020 census.
Winnie is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chambers County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,162 at the 2020 census.
Bayou Vista is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,763 at the 2020 census. It received severe damage from Hurricane Ike on September 13, 2008.
Dickinson is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States, within Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. The population was 20,847 at the 2020 census.
Kemah is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, southeast of Houston along west Galveston Bay. The city's population was 1,807 at the 2020 census, down from 2,330 at the 2000 census. Located in Galveston County, Kemah's main industry is shipping. Originally a small fishing town, the city has become a tourist destination for the area's restaurants and attractions, which are contained within the Kemah Entertainment District. In 2012 Kemah was ranked the top tourism spot in the Greater Houston area.
La Marque is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States, south of Houston. The city population in 2020 was 18,030. La Marque experienced considerable growth in the 1950s, during which the city provided a general administrative and trades and crafts workforce helping to support the petrochemical complex in adjoining Texas City. It is the hometown of U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Norman Bulaich.
Crosby is a census-designated place in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,417 at the 2020 census.
Nassau Bay is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, bordering the outermost southeastern edge of the city of Houston. It is located in the Clear Lake Area near Galveston Bay, directly adjacent to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The population was 5,347 at the 2020 census.
Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Harris County. It is part of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 151,950, making it the 23rd most populous city in Texas and the second most populous in Harris County, after Houston. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston, who named the area after Pasadena, California, because of the perceived lush vegetation.
Liberty is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Liberty County. The population was 8,279 at the 2020 census. It serves as the seat of Liberty County.
Baytown is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Harris and Chambers counties. Located in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area, it lies on the northern side of the Galveston Bay complex near the outlets of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou. It is the sixth-largest city within this metropolitan area and seventh largest community. Major highways serving the city include State Highway 99, State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. At the 2020 U.S. census, Baytown had a population of 83,701, and it had an estimated population of 84,324 in 2022.
Mont Belvieu is a city in Chambers County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is just north of Interstate 10 along State Highway 146. The population is currently 11,922 and was 7,654 at the 2020 census, an increase of nearly 100% from 3,835 in 2010. It is the site of the largest underground storage facility for liquefied petroleum gas in the US. The US LPG market pricing indicator is driven primarily by the Mont Belvieu market, and reported daily by the US Energy Administration.
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