Robstown is a city in Nueces County, Texas, of the United States of America, and is a western suburb of Corpus Christi. It was founded in 1907 by a land speculator from Keota, Iowa by the name of George H. Paul. Paul purchased 10,410.43 acres of the Driscoll Ranch located north of the Texas-Mexican Railroad built in 1875. Around the same period, Robert Driscoll Jr. opened a small shop known locally as "Robs Store". The residents soon started referring to the surrounding settlement as "Rob's town", a name that eventually became Robstown. The population was 10,383 as of July 1, 2024.
Robstown has its own city government with the current Mayor, Mary Ann Y. Saenz as of March 18, 2026. There are six council member seats with the current members being John A. Ramon, Council Member Place #1; Victor Moreno, Council Member Place #2; Rene Paredez, Council Member Place #3; Adolfo Lopez, Council Member Place #4; J.C. Carrion, Council Member Place #5; and Lorraine Morales, Council Member #6.
The Texas State Legislature recognizes Robstown as the birthplace of Texas hold 'em poker. Texas hold'em was birthed in the early 1900s, but did not become widely known until 1967 when it was launched in Las Vegas, Nevada. Robstown is also known for its long-standing mascot, the "Cotton Pickers" used by the Robstown Independent school district. The Cotton Picker mascot reflects the city's agricultural heritage, as many families in the city of Robstown worked in the cotton industry. Prior to the cotton industry there were mesquite trees that needed to be cleared in order to grow cotton. The first plow invented to clear the land for agricultural use was the Mrazek Plow” in 1908 by Tom Mrazek.
History
The area that would become Robstown was likely in the range of several different, nearby Native American tribes that were active in the Texas Gulf Coast. This would have included Karankawa, the Lipan-Apache, Tonkawa, and Coahuiltecan peoples. It is not known if the exact area of Robstown was inhabited by Indigenous people.
Robstown was sparsely inhabited until the early 1800s, when rancheros had arrived with cattle. These ranchers soon petitioned the King of Spain for land grants in the Nueces area, and a grant was issued to Vincente Lopez de Herrera. The area included in this grant was occasionally named Barraco Blanco or El Rancho de Diesmos Herrera, which was then shortened to Diesmero. Land ownership changed hands several times and was used entirely for pasture. The construction of the Texas-Mexican Railway would aid in the land's development, as farmers and ranchers moved to the area. One of these ranchers was Robert Driscoll, a former Confederate colonel who would eventually give his land, much of which was the present area of Robstown, to his son Robert Driscoll, Jr. Historian Kalani Banks describes how this sale would give Robstown its name: The need for agricultural labor brought many settlers of Mexican descent.
As Mexican-Americans enrolled in predominantly Anglo-American schools, non-white students began to face discrimination. A Texas law in the 1930s required compulsory school attendance for children ages 8-14, but this law was not enforced well for Mexican children. On April 5, 1972, a walkout was organized by 150-350 students, who felt that the schools were perpetuating discriminatory practices. Student leaders met with Robstown High School principal Hoyt Chapman. Student demands included an end to verbal and physical abuse, for the library to be open after school, new textbooks, an end to grade deductions for students who had not received vaccinations, and for the introduction of a Chicano studies program. A refusal from the principal to meet demands led to a second walkout on April 11, 1972.
Geography
Robstown is located at (27.792615, –97.669386).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate
The climate in Robstown is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Robstown has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps. Robstown enjoys a great amount of sunshine all year round and will mildly see precipitation depending on the climate and influence of the Gulf of Mexico.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Robstown had a population of 10,143.
The median age was 37.4 years, with 26.4% of residents under the age of 18 and 17.0% of residents 65 years of age or older.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 5,233 || 51.6%
|-
| Black or African American || 155 || 1.5%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 66 || 0.7%
|-
| Asian || 32 || 0.3%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 5 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 1,450 || 14.3%
|-
| Two or more races || 3,202 || 31.6%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 9,373 || 92.4%
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Robstown racial composition<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|White (NH)
|562
|5.54%
|-
|Black or African American (NH)
|114
|1.12%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)
|8
|0.08%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|17
|0.17%
|-
|Pacific Islander (NH)
|5
|0.05%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|25
|0.25%
|-
|Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)
|39
|0.38%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|9,373
|92.41%
|-
|Total
|10,143
|
|}
2019
Owner-occupied housing was 58.1% and the average household had 3.06 persons. Median value of housing was $52,900 and median gross rent was $688 per month.
Females were 51.1% of the population and foreign-born persons were 5.3% of the population. Federally commissioned murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department.
Robstown also has the Robstown Area Historical Museum, first opened in 1999, which contains many artifacts and walls dedicated to war veterans.
Neighborhoods
Robstown is divided into several distinct neighborhoods. The Ashburn, Kissling area is located just east of Bluebonnet, next to the Robstown Early College High School. The area locally known as Bluebonnet is located in the northwest area of town, right next to Robstown Early College High School. The area locally known as Casa Blanca is considered to be south of the city and south of the Kansas City Railroad. San Pedro is on the westside, next to San Pedro Elementary School.
Education
Robstown is served by the Robstown Independent School District.
Del Mar College is the designated community college for all of Nueces County.
Robstown ISD schools (As of 2025) include: Robstown Early College High School, Seale Junior High School, Robert Driscoll Jr. STEM Academy, Lotspeich Leadership Academy, and San Pedro Fine Arts Academy.
Industry
Robstown is the site of a 1,200 acre lithium refinement plant owned and operated by Tesla. Ground was broken on the $375 million facility in 2023 and the plant began operation in December 2024. The plant is expected to employ 160 people and produce battery grade lithium hydroxide.
Media
- Robstown Record (1926-1977)
- Nueces County Record Star, weekly, owned by GateHouse Media
Notable people
- Damian Chapa, star of the famous Mexican American film Blood In, Blood Out
- Eddie Jackson, bassist for Seattle progressive metal band Queensrÿche
- Brooks Kieschnick, former MLB player for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, and Milwaukee Brewers, was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame
- Solomon P. Ortiz, former U.S. Representative for
- Gene Upshaw, former NFL player for the Oakland Raiders and executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Marvin Upshaw, player for the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, and St. Louis Cardinals