Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas

The largest and county capital of Nueces County, Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. It also stretches into the counties of Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio. Southeast of San Antonio, it is 210 kilometers (130 miles) away. Both Corpus Christi Bay and Nueces Bay are included in its political limits. Small land plots or water inlets from three neighboring counties are included in its zoned boundaries.

In 2020, the city had a population of 317,863, making it Texas' eighth-most populated city. The estimated population of the Corpus Christi metropolitan region was 442,600. Additionally, it serves as the central location for the 516,793-person Corpus Christi-Kingsville Combined Statistical Area, which spans six counties. The fifth-largest port in the country is located in Corpus Christi. The Corpus Christi International Airport provides air service to the area.

Ecclesiastical Latin's translation of the city's name, which alludes to the Christian rite of Holy Communion, is "body of Christ." Spanish explorer Alonso lvarez de Pineda, who discovered the lush semitropical bay on the Western Christian holiday of Corpus Christi in 1519, gave the village and the nearby bay their names.

Geography

The location of Corpus Christi is on Holocene–Pleistocene fluvial sediments. The Deweyville Formation of sand, silt, clay, and gravel is locally indurated with calcium carbonate (caliche) deposits, despite the absence of cemented rock at the surface. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey's storm surge eroded through Packery Channel, a man-made pass cut between North Padre and Mustang Islands, to shale bedrock at a depth of about 40 feet. Its current, which resembles a whirlpool, helps to identify this feature from the surface, where game fish congregate there. One of the reasons Corpus Christi is referred to as the "Bird Capital" of North America is due to the huge, shallow harbor, which is a perfect feeding location for birds. Consequently, Corpus Christi has been dubbed "America's birdiest place" by the San Diego Audubon Society.

The total area of Corpus Christi, Texas, is 460.2 square miles (1,192.0 km2), of which 305.6 square miles (791.5 km2) (66.40%) are water and 154.6 square miles (400.5 km2) (33.60%) are land.

Climate

The city has a humid subtropical climate with hot, extremely humid summers and brief, mild winters (Köppen: Cfa). The coldest months of the year are November through February. In March through April, there is a definite warming tendency. June through September are the warmest months of the year, with August marking the height of the summer season. Although still warm, October is not as scorching as the summer in the city.

The city itself, like the Texas Gulf Coast, only has two seasons: a dry winter from November to March and a monsoon summer from April to October. There is a lot of wind in Corpus Christi, with average wind speeds of 25 mph (40 km/h; 11 m/s) and gusts of more than 35 mph (56 km/h; 16 m/s). The hottest month in 2012 was August, with an average temperature of 88.3 °F (31.3 °C), breaking the city's record high temperature of 109 °F (43 °C), set on September 5, 2000.

The coldest month, January, has average nighttime lows of about 50 °F (10 °C), a record low of 11 °F (12 °C) on February 12, 1899, and five instances of the coldest high of 26 °F (3 °C), the most recent of which was on January 30, 1951. Typically, dry seasons include winter and early spring, with September having the highest monthly average precipitation due to the increased risk of hurricanes and other tropical weather systems. The average temperature for the coldest month on record was 45.6 °F (7.6 °C) in February 1905. The city's greatest snowstorm, measuring 4.4 inches, fell on Christmas Eve in December 2004. (11 cm). The day after Christmas, the snow began to melt. Another small snowfall fell on the city on December 8, 2017, which was almost 13 years later.

Corpus Christi received 31.73 in (806 mm) of rain on average between 1981 and 2010; but extended droughts and hurricanes are frequently responsible for daily falls of exceeding 4 in (100 mm). The wettest month on record is September 1967, with 20.33 in (516 mm), including four days with over 3 in. of rainfall. The wettest day on record is July 2, 2007, with 9.86 inches or 250 millimeters (76 mm). There have been eight months with no rain at all, the most recent being May 1998, and 21 with a trace of rain.

The greatest periods of time without measurable rainfall in Corpus Christi were 55 days from June 23 to August 17 (inclusive) in 1895 and from June 1 to July 25 of 1915, respectively. However, 1917 was undoubtedly the driest year on record, with just 5.38 inches of precipitation (137 mm). The two wettest years on record were 1888 and 1991, with 48.16 in (1,223 mm) and 48.07 in (1,221 mm), respectively. However, between August 1967 and July 1968, 59.09 in (1,501 mm) of rain fell, and for the twelve months ending January 1918, only 5.22 in (133 mm).

Hurricanes rarely affected the city, but when they did, they were destructive, like Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and the hurricane that slammed the Florida Keys in 1919. The neighborhood was struck by an F2 tornado on April 29, 1961, demonstrating the city's vulnerability to tornadoes.

Economy

Most people work in the service, wholesale, and retail industries as well as in government. As of July 2019, Corpus Christi's unemployment rate was 4.5%.

Oil and agricultural products are primarily handled by the Port of Corpus Christi, the fifth-largest U.S. port and the deepest inshore port on the Gulf of Mexico. Tourism and the oil and petrochemicals sector both contribute significantly to the local economy. According to cargo tonnage, the port was listed as the 47th largest in the world in 2005.

The main employer in the city, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, is located in Corpus Christi and contributes 6,200 civilian jobs to the local economy. The largest helicopter maintenance facility in the world is Corpus Christi Army Depot, which is situated on NAS Corpus Christi. The United States Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi is also situated on NAS Corpus Christi.

Whataburger, a chain of fast-food restaurants with 650 locations in ten states and Mexico, had its original headquarters in Corpus Christi until moving to San Antonio in 2009. Other significant employers include the Corpus Christi Independent School District with 5,178 local employees, H-E-B with 5,000, Bay Ltd. with 2,100, and CHRISTUS Spohn Health System with 5,400. Stripes Convenience Stores and AEP Texas are two further businesses with headquarters in Corpus Christi.

After a meter reader was mauled by a dog, Corpus Christi became the first big city to give free wi-fi throughout the entire city in April 2005. This allowed remote meter reading. After being acquired by Earthlink for $5.5 million in 2007, the network ceased to be a free service on May 31, 2007.

Sports

Both locals and tourists can enjoy professional sports in Corpus Christi. The Texas League's Houston Astros' AA minor league baseball team, the Corpus Christi Hooks, and the Corpus Christi IceRays of the North American Hockey League both call the city home. Buccaneer Stadium, an 18,000-seat American football stadium, is the largest facility in Corpus Christi.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi hosts year-round NCAA Division I collegiate athletics, with the Islanders participating in 14 men's and women's sports as a part of the Southland Conference.

Every Wednesday at sunset, sailing competitions are held off the T-heads in downtown. Spectators can watch the participating boats. The Corpus Christi Rugby Football Club, a member of the Texas Rugby Union and a partner of the Western Rugby Union and the United States Rugby Football Union, is also based in Corpus Christi.

The United Soccer League established Corpus Christi FC in 2017 as part of its Corpus Christi expansion. The USL League Two's Mid-South Division is where Corpus Christi FC competes.

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