Location
Northern tip of Mustang Island 30 minutes from Corpus Christi; three hours from the Rio Grande Valley; three hours south of San Antonio, four hours south of Houston and Austin, 45 minutes from Corpus Christi International Airport, 30 minutes from downtown Corpus Christi.

History
The island was first called Wild Horse Island, then Mustang Island because of the wild horses called "Mestenos", brought to the island by the Spaniards in the 1800's.

The first known human occupants of the island were the Karankawas Indians.

Port Aransas, Texas on Mustang Island, is one of the most popular tourist destinations on Gulf Coast. It can be reached from Corpus Christi by a causeway or a free, 24-hour ferry service. English settlers built a ranch house there in 1855 and it was later developed as a fishing village. Summer visitors swell population by thousands. Today it has hotels, motels, resorts, bait and tackle shops, fishing charters, Sea Shell shops, and superb open beaches. It is a shrimp boat port and has a U.S. Coast Guard Station. Port Aransas lies along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail which extends from Brownsville to Orange along the Texas coast. The trail is cosponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Department of Transportation.

Lodging
Condos: 32 Hotels/Motels: 22 Cottages: 11
Bed & Breakfasts: 2 RV Parks : 18

Camping
Nueces County Park on northern tip of island -- 361-749-6117
Mustang Island State Park on southern tip of island -- 361-749-5260
Port Aransas Beach three day limit - beach parking permit required

Population
Port Aransas: 3,370(2000 Census) Registered Voters: 3,221

Climate
Annual Average Temperature: 71.0 degrees
Annual Average Rainfall: 30.13 inches
Prevailing Wind: Southeasterly
Average Elevation: 5-6 feet above sea level
Average Monthly Temperatures:

January: 55.1 degrees
February: 58.8 degrees
March: 63.6 degrees
April: 70.5 degrees
May: 77.6 degrees
June: 82.4 degrees
July: 84.1 degrees
August: 84.1 degrees
September: 81.8 degrees
October: 73.9 degrees
November: 66.4 degrees
December: 58.9 degrees

For more information, contact the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce
at 800-45-COAST or 361-749-5919 or go to their web site at www.portaransas.org