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South Padre Island is a resort town in Cameron County, Texas, United States.[5] It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,066 at the 2020 census.[6] The town is located on South Padre Island, a barrier island along the Texas Gulf Coast accessible via the Queen Isabella Causeway from the town of Port Isabel. South Padre Island is named after José Nicolás Ballí (Padre Ballí), a Catholic priest and settler.[7]

South Padre Island, Texas
Town
Location of South Padre Island, Texas
Coordinates: 26°6′43″N 97°10′11″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Cameron
Area [1]
• Total	3.74 sq mi (9.68 km2)
• Land	2.69 sq mi (6.96 km2)
• Water	1.05 sq mi (2.72 km2)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	2,816
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	2,778
• Density	1,033.48/sq mi (399.10/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	78597
Area code	956
FIPS code	48-69140[3]
GNIS feature ID	1376223[4]
Website	myspi.org

Storm damage and structure issues

Storms

• In September 1967, Hurricane Beulah caused extensive damage to much of the town of South Padre Island.[8][9]
• On July 23, 2008, Hurricane Dolly made landfall on the island as a category 1 storm, also causing extensive damage to the town. The Bahia Mar Condominium had extensive damage and had to be gutted due to the damage.
• In September 2008 Hurricane Ike caused moderate damage to the island.
• In July 2010, the island received heavy rains from Hurricane Alex, but the storm left the island generally unscathed.[10]

Ocean Tower demolition

On December 13, 2009, an unfinished 31-story condominium, known locally as Ocean Tower, was brought down by a controlled implosion. Work had begun in 2006 but construction was halted in 2008 due to uneven settlement. As the problem could not be rectified, the incomplete reinforced concrete structure was demolished.

Industry

Subsequent to rebuilding from Hurricane Beulah, the island became a popular spring break destination for college students and a resort destination for families. Many multistory resort hotels and condominiums have been erected along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. The Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark, the second of its kind in Texas, opened in South Padre Island in 2001.[11]

Recreation

The year-round warm weather attracts tourists worldwide allowing them to experience the 34 miles of beach, 300+ days of sunshine, and all forms of entertainment from water sports to live music. With personal water craft rental, parasailing and dolphin watches being the most popular. Other favorites are horseback riding adventures on the beach and ecological tours that explore Laguna Madre Bay and Gulf of Mexico. The official website for South Padre Island's Tourism Page is https://www.sopadre.com/.

Fishing is also popular. Every year, the Texas International Fishing Tournament is held in late summer, with winnings totaling almost a quarter million dollars. Other fishing tournaments include the Ladies Kingfish Tournament, the Ron Hoover Tournament, just to name a few.

In March, the island is a popular spring break destination for college students from around the world. The rest of the year it is a popular family resort destination, with July being the most crowded.

In January 2011, the island hosted the NBA Development League Showcase at the South Padre Island Convention Centre.

On March 27, 2000, WCW Monday Nitro was held at the former Sheraton Hotel (Now Pearl) as part of their yearly Nitro Spring Break editions.

Good views of the nearby SpaceX South Texas launch site at Boca Chica has attracted hundreds of tourists.[12]

Geography

The town of South Padre Island is located at the southern end of South Padre Island, with the town limits extending from the northern edge of Isla Blanca Park in the south to the end of development north of Wharf Street in the north, a distance of 6 miles (10 km). The Queen Isabella Causeway is the only road access to the mainland; it leads 2.5 miles (4.0 km) across Laguna Madre to the city of Port Isabel. Brownsville is 25 miles (40 km) southwest of South Padre Island.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²), of which 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²), or 8.44%, is water.[6]

Climate

South Padre Island
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.9     68 52     1.7     71 55     1.5     76 60     1.5     80 67     2.2     85 73     2.5     89 76     1.9     90 77     1.8     91 77     6.3     88 74     4     84 69     2.3     78 62     1.4     70 53 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     48     20 11     44     22 13     38     24 16     38     27 19     56     29 23     63     32 24     49     32 25     44     33 25     160     31 23     102     29 21     58     26 17     36     21 12 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm

South Padre Island experiences a warm humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), transitioning into a hot semi-arid climate (BSh). The average high in January is 68 °F (20 °C) and the average low is 52 °F (11 °C). The average high in July is 90 °F (32 °C), and the average low is 77 °F (25 °C). The warm season is long, as average high temperatures are 80–89 °F (27–32 °C), and average low temperatures typically around 77 °F (25 °C). The region experiences relatively high dew point values, around 75 °F (24 °C) in the summer time, resulting in higher relative humidity values from June through September. Rainfall tends to be the highest during the summer and autumn months, usually ranging from 2 to 6 inches of rain each month. September has the highest rainfall, averaging 6.3 inches, followed by October, which averages 4 inches of rain. Due to the island being next to the ocean, temperatures above 100 °F (37.8 °C) are not common. South Padre Island went down to at least 25 °F (−4 °C) during the 2021 Texas freeze.

Due to the fact that South Padre Island is surrounded by water, precipitation is a little higher than cities farther inland in the Rio Grande Valley. In March, the island is a popular resort area to many tourists. Tens of thousands of tourists come to the island to enjoy the warm temperatures South Padre Island offers. The island even ranked #1 in Best Spring Break Destinations by U.S. News & World Report

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1980	791		—
1990	1,677		112.0%
2000	2,422		44.4%
2010	2,816		16.3%
2019 (est.)	2,778	[2]	−1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

South Padre Island racial composition[14]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[lower-alpha 1]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	1,322	63.99%
Black or African American (NH)	15	0.73%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	7	0.34%
Asian (NH)	64	3.1%
Some Other Race (NH)	5	0.24%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	44	2.13%
Hispanic or Latino	609	29.48%
Total	2,066

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,066 people, 1,477 households, and 892 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 2,422 people, 1,222 households, and 662 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,335.9 people per square mile (516.7/km²). There were 4,685 housing units at an average density of 2,584.1 per square mile (999.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.59% White, 0.70% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.77% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. 22.83% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,211 households, out of which 15.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% were non-families. 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.54.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 12.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 34.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,417, and the median income for a family was $53,250. Males had a median income of $39,250 versus $30,028 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,708. About 10.2% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Children living in South Padre Island are zoned to schools in Point Isabel Independent School District. Children go to Garriga Elementary School (prek-5th), Port Isabel Junior High School (6–8), and Port Isabel High School (9–12). All of the schools are in Port Isabel.[17]

In addition, South Padre Island residents may apply to schools in the South Texas Independent School District.[18]

All of Cameron County is in the service area of Texas Southmost College.[19]

Government

The United States Postal Service operates the South Padre Island Post Office.[20]

Coast Guard Station South Padre Island is a United States Coast Guard search and rescue station on South Padre Island.[21]

Transportation

Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport in Brownsville and Valley International Airport in Harlingen serve the island.[22]

In popular culture

South Padre Island is mentioned by Mark Wahlberg's character Cade Yeager in Transformers: Age of Extinction when he is seen first meeting up with his best friend/business partner Lucas (T. J. Miller).

South Padre Island is the main setting of Season 4 Episode 20 "Conflicted" of Criminal Minds.[23]

Loose interpretations of South Padre Island and neighboring Port Isabel appear in the racing video game The Crew.

South Padre Island is home to The MBM-McCarter Families Inc. and headquarters to MBM Corporative Inc. since May 2000, where the family has played a big role on the community.^{[citation needed]}

Escape from Octopus Shores was filmed June to August 2005 and released on December 7, 2005.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

• 
  A west-facing view from the Holiday Inn SunSpree in South Padre Island
• 
  A street in SPI with residences and condominiums
• 
  A person taking an early morning walk on the Gulf side of the island
• 
  This walkway provides access to the beach from a condo.
• 
  A beach in South Padre Island
• 
  One of the smaller venues for the South Padre International Music Festival

See also

• Queen Isabella Causeway

References

External links

• City of South Padre Island official website
• Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Chamber of Commerce
• Destination South Padre Island

На других языках

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[de] South Padre Island

South Padre Island ist ein Ferienort auf der Insel Padre Island im US-Bundesstaat Texas. Sie liegt im Bezirk Cameron County und hat rund 2500 Einwohner. Stadt und Insel sind ein Touristenziel im Süden von Texas. Beim letzten Zensus 2014 zählte die Stadt 2889 Bewohner.

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- [en] South Padre Island, Texas

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[es] South Padre Island

South Padre Island es un pueblo/ciudad ubicado en el condado de Cameron en el estado estadounidense de Texas. En el Censo de 2010 tenía una población de 2.816 habitantes y una densidad poblacional de 471,08 personas por km².[3]

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