Port Lavaca ( ) is a city in Calhoun County, located in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 12,248 at the 2010 census and 11,557 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Calhoun County and part of the Port Lavaca, Texas micropolitan statistical area. Port Lavaca is southwest of Houston.
History
Port Lavaca was originally known as Lavaca. The town would quickly grow as a result of the Linnville Raid of 1840. This raid saw the town of Linville decimated by the Comanche tribe, and caused former residents of the town to settle in what is now Port Lavaca. Thomas McConnell would purchase a section of land from Isidro Benavides, and establish the town using this land
Geography
Port Lavaca is located in northern Calhoun County on the west side of Lavaca Bay, an arm of Matagorda Bay. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 28.04%, is water.
In 2004, Port Lavaca, including the South Texas Area, recorded up to of snowfall.
During Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Port Lavaca was the location of the peak of the storm surge, which was measured at .<!--when? http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/HARVEY.shtml? -->
Port Lavaca also suffered damage in hurricanes in 1942 and 1945.
Tropical Storm Beta also made landfall on Port Lavaca on late September 2020, causing flooding.
Demographics
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Port Lavaca, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>
!Pop 2000
!Pop 2010
!
!% 2000
!% 2010
!
|-
|White alone (NH)
|4,697
|4,014
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,957
|39.03%
|32.77%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |25.59%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|472
|439
|style='background: #ffffe6; |303
|3.92%
|3.58%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.62%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|28
|17
|style='background: #ffffe6; |12
|0.23%
|0.14%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.10%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|469
|743
|style='background: #ffffe6; |974
|3.90%
|6.07%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8.43%
|-
|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|3
|4
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.02%
|0.03%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|13
|8
|style='background: #ffffe6; |20
|0.11%
|0.06%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.17%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|81
|90
|style='background: #ffffe6; |130
|0.67%
|0.73%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.12%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|6,272
|6,933
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7,161
|52.11%
|56.61%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |61.96%
|-
|Total
|12,035
|12,248
|style='background: #ffffe6; |11,557
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Port Lavaca had a population of 11,557, 4,169 households, and 2,914 families residing in the city. The median age was 36.5 years; 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 104.0 males age 18 and over.
97.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.9% lived in rural areas.
There were 4,169 households in Port Lavaca, of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.8% were married-couple households, 22.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. what content?--> has also served the county since 1996.
Victoria College has an extension campus at the former Harrison Elementary School campus. Most of the courses offered there are through distance learning and "ITV" television learning from the VC main campus.
Infrastructure
Healthcare
Memorial Medical Center, which is located in the city of Port Lavaca is a small hospital that serves the city, and county as well.
Transportation
Calhoun County Airport, a general aviation airport, is located in unincorporated Calhoun County northwest of Port Lavaca.
U.S. 87 (Main Street) comes into Port Lavaca from the northwest as a four-lane divided highway, and then narrows down as it runs through Port Lavaca's historic downtown. Via US 87 it is to Victoria. Texas State Highway 35 is the other major road through Port Lavaca, running generally northeast–southwest through the city. To the northeast it crosses Lavaca Bay via the Port Lavaca Causeway and leads to Palacios, while to the southwest it leads to Corpus Christi.
Notable people
- Raymond Butler (born 1956), former NFL wide receiver.
- Hope Dworaczyk (born 1984), Playboy magazine's 2010 Playmate of the Year
- Nelva Gonzales Ramos (born 1965), former Texas State District Court judge, currently serving on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- Steven Saylor (born 1956), writer of historical novels
- Brucene Smith, Miss World USA 1971, Miss USA International 1974, Miss International 1974
References
External links
- City of Port Lavaca official website
- Port Lavaca Chamber of Commerce
- Handbook of Texas Online article