Port Arthur, Texas
City in the United States in Jefferson County, Orange County
About Port Arthur
Port Arthur is a city in the state of Texas, United States of America, located 90 mi (140 km) east of metropolitan Houston. Part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, the city lies primarily in Jefferson County, with a small extension in Orange County. The second-largest oil refinery in the US, the Motiva Refinery, is located in Port Arthur.
Its population was 53,818 at the 2010 census, down from 57,755 at the 2000 census. In 2020, its population was 56,039. In the 19th century, initial attempts to settle the area had all failed, mostly. However, in 1895, Arthur Stilwell founded Port Arthur, and the town quickly grew, being incorporated as a city in 1898. It soon developed into a seaport and eventually became the center of a large oil-refinery network. The Rainbow Bridge across the Neches River connects Port Arthur to Bridge City.
Due to its location on the Gulf of Mexico, Port Arthur is vulnerable to hurricanes and other intense tropical weather, as well as extreme heatwaves, high humidity, and tornadoes. Since its inception, the city has experienced several incidences of extreme weather resulting in significant damages and casualties.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How Port Arthur is governed
Form of government not yet listed.
1 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Port Arthur
Registered voters elect the officials below.
-
Mayor
Executive
- Thurman "Bill" Bartie per Wikidata
The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
-
City Manager / Administrator
Executive
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
-
Police Chief
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Leads the police department.
-
Fire Chief
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Leads the fire and emergency services department.
-
Public Works Director
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
-
Finance Director
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
-
Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Land use, zoning, building permits.
-
Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Parks, programs, and public facilities.
-
-
City Council
Legislative
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
-
City Clerk
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
-
City Attorney
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
-
Boards & Commissions
Legislative
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
-
-
Municipal Court
Judicial
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
-
Municipal Judge
Judicial
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Presides over the municipal court.
-
- Website
- portarthurtx.gov
Looking for your county, state and federal representatives too? See who represents 77640 or everyone in Texas.
Population over time
From 57,755 in 2000 to 56,039 in 2020 (−3.0%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 56,039 |
| 2010 | 53,818 |
| 2000 | 57,755 |
History
Aurora was an early settlement attempt near the mouth of Taylor Bayou on Sabine Lake, about 14 miles (23 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide. It is a saltwater estuary formed by the confluence of the Neches and Sabine Rivers. Through its tidal outlet, 5-mile-long (8 km) Sabine Pass, Sabine Lake drains some 50,000 sq mi (100,000 km2) of Texas and Louisiana into the Gulf of Mexico. The town was conceived in 1837, and in 1840 promoters led by Almanzon Huston were offering town lots for sale. Some were sold, but Huston's project failed to attract many settlers. The area next was known as "Sparks", after John Sparks, who moved his family to the shores of Sabine Lake near the site of Aurora. The Eastern Texas Railroad, completed between Sabine Pass and Beaumont, Texas, passed 4 miles (6 km) west of Sparks. However, the American Civil War soon began, and rail lines were removed. In 1886, a destructive hurricane hit the coast, causing the remaining residents to dismantle their homes and move to Beaumont. By 1895, Aurora had become a ghost town.
Arthur Stilwell led the resettling of the area as part of his planned city as the southern terminus of his Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad, predecessor to the Kansas City Southern Railway. Stilwell named the city Port Arthur after himself, not the British Royal Navy lieutenant who gave his name to Port Arthur, China.
Pleasure Island now separates the city from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The 18.5-mile (29.8 km) man-made island was created between 1899 and 1908 by the Corps of Engineers to support development of the port.
Arthur Stilwell founded the Port Arthur Channel and Dock Company to manage the port facilities. The port officially opened with the arrival of the British steamer Saint Oswald in 1899.
When oil was discovered at Spindletop, the J.M. Guffey Petroleum Company, later Gulf Oil, had run pipelines to Port Arthur as a shipping point and a location for an oil refinery. In November 1901, the first tanker, the Cardium, departed with Spindletop oil. The refinery was enlarged in 1902, and a pipeline connected to the Glenn Pool Oil Reserve in Oklahoma. The Texas Company, later Texaco, also started building a refinery in 1902. By 1916, the Port Arthur refinery was one of the three largest in the United States.
In 1977, a slate of four candidates (McElroy, Benjamin, Linden, and Strawder) challenged four city council members, including Mayor Bernis Sadler. The "torrid" election led to the voting rights decision in the landmark case of the City of Port Arthur v. United States.
In 2015, the city council proposed an ordinance to declare Port Arthur a "film-friendly city". In October 2021, Governor Abbott announced that the city had officially been declared a "film-friendly city" by the Texas Film Commission.
On December 28, 2024, a large and intense tornado, which was a part of a large and significant tornado outbreak caused significant damage in the city, resulting in one injury.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.