Corpus Christi, Texas

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Corpus Christi is a coastal city located in Texas, and since 2004 has become one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. The name means "body of Christ" in Latin. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 277,454. It is the county seat of Nueces County6.

The city is often referred to as "The Sparkling City by The Sea", particularly in literature promoting tourism. Since 2003, the city has earned numerous awards including

  • All-America City 2003
  • Digital City
  • One of the best cities to stretch your paycheck
  • One of the least depressed cities in the nation

Corpus Christi is home to the Days Inn where Tejano star Selena was shot to death. It is also where Marshall Applewhite, leader of the Heaven's Gate cult, grew up. Other notable personages who have either grown up or resided in Corpus Christi include the actors Eva Longoria, Farrah Fawcett, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Dabney Coleman, musician Freddy Fender, NHL player Brian Leetch, NASCAR drivers Terry Labonte and brother Bobby Labonte (the only brothers to each win a Winston Cup title; Labonte Park on the north side of town is named for them), and local newscaster & Guinness record holder Walter Furley. Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale codeveloper Robert Simpson is also from Corpus Christi. In fact, he was nearly killed by a hurricane in Corpus Christi, which sparked his interest in meteorology.

The city is served by Corpus Christi International Airport, on the west side of the city.

Various sections of Corpus Christi maintain distinct senses of identity and community from the city proper, especially the Calallen and Flour Bluff areas, and, less prominently, Clarkwood and Annaville. These areas are sometimes mistakenly believed to be separate municipalities.

Contents

Sites of interest

The city is home to a number of popular destinations for both tourists and residents. The most visited are probably on the North Beach portion of the city, where the Texas State Aquarium and USS Lexington Museum on the Bay are located. Nearby is Corpus Christi's museum district. Located there are the Museum of Asian Cultures, Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, and the South Texas Museum of Art. Heritage Park is also in the museum district, where a number of older restored houses can be found. The downtown area, of which the museum district is a part, is home to skyscrapers, companies, various shops, and a very popular center of marinas. Also in the city is the Corpus Christi Botanical Garden which hosts gardening programs from time to time.

South Padre Island Drive (locally abbreviated as "SPID", with the letters pronounced individually), is the city's main retail corridor, with two shopping malls facing each other and a number of large shopping centers, small strip centers, and scores of restaurants of various kinds.

Directly east of Corpus Christi are Padre Island and Mustang Island, home to various municipal, state, and national parks, most notably Padre Island National Seashore. The city is also near King Ranch, one of the world's largest ranches, upon which the movie Giant was based.

Geography

Location of Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi is located at 27°44'34" North, 97°24'7" West (27.742857, -97.401927)1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,192.0 km² (460.2 mi²). 400.5 km² (154.6 mi²) of it is land and 791.5 km² (305.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 66.40% water.

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there are 277,454 people, 98,791 households, and 70,437 families residing in the city. The population density is 692.7/km² (1,794.2/mi²). There are 107,831 housing units at an average density of 269.2/km² (697.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 71.62% White, 4.67% African American, 0.64% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 18.58% from other races, and 3.13% from two or more races. 54.33% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 98,791 households out of which 36.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% are married couples living together, 15.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% are non-families. 23.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.75 and the average family size is 3.27.

In the city the population is spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $36,414, and the median income for a family is $41,672. Males have a median income of $31,863 versus $22,616 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,419. 17.6% of the population and 14.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 22.9% of those under the age of 18 and 15.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Education

Corpus Christi is home to numerous institutions of higher learning: Del Mar College, a community college, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (formerly Corpus Christi State University (CCSU), but now a component of the Texas A&M University System), Our Lady of Corpus Christi, a private, Catholic university, a branch of the Coastal Bend College education program, and numerous vocational schools including Southern Careers Institute and Vogue Cosmetology School.

Thanks to the growing number of residents, the elementary and secondary school's in Corpus Christi are busting at the seams. New schools are in development and some have been completed in mid-2005, such as the brand new Faye Webb Elementary.

For the 2003-2004 school year, there was a growing number of foreign exchange students who enrolled in Corpus Christi high schools.

Five school districts provide primary and secondary education for area residents: Corpus Christi ISD, Calallen ISD, Flour Bluff ISD, Tuloso-Midway ISD, and West Oso ISD. The Diocese of Corpus Christi provides the primary and secondary education for Catholic schools. Other school districts in the Corpus Christi metroplex include Aransas Pass ISD, Gregory-Portland ISD, Ingleside ISD, Robstown ISD, Rockport-Fulton ISD, Taft ISD, and Woodsboro ISD

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