Aransas County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in South Texas and its county seat is Rockport.
As of the 2020 census, its population was 23,830. Aransas County comprises the Rockport, Texas micropolitan statistical area.
History
Spanish conquistador and cartographer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda was likely the first European to encounter this land when he sailed along the Texas coast in the summer of 1519 and charted Aransas Bay. This name is derived from an outpost established during the Viceroyalty of New Spain called "Río de Nuestra Señora de Aránzazu", which was itself named for the Sanctuary of Aránzazu, a Franciscan sanctuary in Oñate, Gipuzkoa, Spain, whose name originates from the Basque language.
In 1871, the Texas Legislature established Aransas County from portions of Refugio County, and it organized the following year.
In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey inflicted tremendous damage on the county.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (52%) are covered by water.
Adjacent counties
- Calhoun County (northeast)
- Gulf of Mexico (east)
- Nueces County (south)
- San Patricio County (southwest)
- Refugio County (northwest)
National protected area
- Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (part)