Bay City is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

Matagorda County Matagorda County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,255. Its county seat is Bay City, not to be confused with the larger Baytown in Harris and Chambers Counties. Matagorda County is ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, United States. The population was 17,614 at the 2010 census and 18,061 at the 2020 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

. The current mayor is Robert Nelson.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and 0.12% is covered by water. Bay City was formerly named "Bay Prairie", as the natural ecosystems that surround the town are prairies crisscrossed by creeks that lead into the bay.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Bay City has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 18,061 people, 6,602 households, and 4,086 families residing in the city. As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, 18,667 people, 6,912 households, and 4,769 families resided in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 2,196.0 people per square mile (847.9/km²). There were 8,113 housing units at an average density of 954.4 per square mile (368.5/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 61.62% White, 17.26% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 16.84% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 34.74% of the population. Of the 6,912 households, 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were not families. About 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.25. In the city, the population was distributed as 30.9% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,446, and for a family was $39,281. Males had a median income of $38,202 versus $23,058 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,284. About 18.3% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 27.7% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over. Minorities make up the largest ethnic portion of Bay City, Texas.

Economy

In 2017, Bay City became the site of a new $1.8-billion

Tenaris Tenaris S.A. is a global manufacturer and supplier of steel pipes and related services, primarily for the energy industry with nearly 23,000 employees around the world. It is a majority-owned subsidiary company of the Techint Group, which ha ...

seamless-pipe mill, making tubular goods, such as

drill pipe Drill pipe, is hollow, thin-walled, steel or aluminium alloy piping that is used on drilling rigs. It is hollow to allow drilling fluid to be pumped down the hole through the bit and back up the annulus. It comes in a variety of sizes, strengths ...

and casing, for the oil-drilling industry. Bay City formerly housed the headquarters of Stanley Stores.Staff.
Price-Lo Supermarkets opens two new stores in Houston
." ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...

''. Sunday July 24, 1988. Business 6. Retrieved on November 20, 2011. The chain made several donations to the Bay City Museum.

Attractions

Bay City is home to the Matagorda County Birding Nature Center, a expanse of gardens and wildlife along the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

of Texas. Other attractions include the Matagorda County Museum, ''Market Days'' every 3rd Saturday, and a variety of small shops and boutiques downtown. The Bay City Art League, also located here, has recently undergone major renovations and is currently working to revitalize the art scene in Matagorda County. In addition, the Bay City Community Theatre group (CAST) regularly produces shows at various local venues. File:Bay City TX Airport.jpg, Bay City Regional Airport File:BayCityTexas.JPG, Businesses in Bay City File:Matagorda County Museum in Bay City, TX IMG 1034.JPG, Matagorda County Museum File:Downtown Bay City, TX IMG 1041.JPG, Downtown Bay City

Education

Bay City is served by the

Bay City Independent School District Bay City Independent School District is a 4A public school district based in Bay City, Texas (USA). It is the largest school district in Matagorda county, covering 158 sq mi. BCISD operates five campuses: Bay City High School, Bay City Junior ...

, consisting of elementary, intermediate, junior high, and high schools (including

Bay City High School Bay City High School is a public high school located on Texas State Highway 35 on the western edge of Bay City, Texas, United States. School The school opened a new campus in 2002. During the 2015–16 school year, there were 1,002 students enro ...

). The district previously operated seven schools until grade levels were condensed. It is now operating five schools and is led by superintendent Dr. Marshall Scott III. The designated community college for Bay City ISD is

Wharton County Junior College Wharton County Junior College (WCJC) is a public community college with its main campus in Wharton, Texas. The college also has campuses in Richmond, Sugar Land, and Bay City. WCJC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colle ...

. It has a campus in Bay City, focusing on technical training and nuclear plant operations.

Infrastructure

Health care

Matagorda County is served by the Matagorda Regional Medical Center, and the mission-aligned Matagorda Medical Group. The Matagorda Episcopal Health Outreach Program (MEHOP), the county's only federally qualified health center, offers Family Medical, OB/Gyn, Pediatrics, Behavior Health, and Dentistry services. MEHOP accepts most insurances and assures that no patient will be denied or unable to access health care services due to an individual's inability to pay.

Government

File:Bay City TX Courthouse.JPG, Courthouse from 6th Street File:Bay City TX City Hall.JPG, The City Hall on 5th Street File:Bay City, TX, Water tower IMG 1037.JPG, Bay City Water Tower

Notable people

* Charles Austin, Olympic gold medalist *

Forrest Bess Forrest Clemenger Bess (October 5, 1911 – November 10, 1977) was an American painter and fisherman. He was discovered and promoted by the art dealer Betty Parsons. He is known for his abstract, symbol-laden paintings based on what he called ...

, artist * Robert Blackmon, professional football player * David Caldwell, professional football player * J. B. Cox, professional baseball player * Joe DeLoach, Olympic gold medalist during the Seoul Olympics * Mark Dennard, professional football player * Alex Dixon, professional soccer player * Hart Lee Dykes, professional football player * Simon Fletcher, professional football player *

Ronnie Heard Ronnie Heard (born October 5, 1976) is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football at Mississippi. Heard also played f ...

, professional football player *

Quentin Jammer Quentin Tremaine Jammer (born June 19, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, and earned All-American honors ...

, professional football player *

Chandi Jones Chandi Jones (born March 25, 1982) is a professional basketball player. Jones is the daughter of Janice and David Jones , a former professional football player who later became a collegiate basketball coach. High school Born in Wharton, Texas, Jo ...

, professional basketball player *

Greg Laughlin Gregory Haines Laughlin (born January 21, 1942) is a politician from Texas. He is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. Early life and education Laughlin was born in Bay City, Texas, and was raised in West Columbia, T ...

, U.S. Representatives from Texas's 14th district *

C. Wallis Ohl, Jr. Charles Wallis Ohl Jr. (born October 21, 1943) was the Provisional Bishop of Fort Worth in The Episcopal Church. Jack Iker had been the Bishop of Fort Worth in the Episcopal Church until a super-majority of the diocese voted to dissolve its union w ...

, retired Provisional Bishop of Fort Worth *

Ricardo Ramírez Ricardo Ramírez may refer to: * Rolando Morán (1929-1998), Ricardo Arnoldo Ramírez de León, Guatemalan communist leader * Ricardo Ramírez (bishop) (born 1936), American Roman Catholic prelate *Richard Ramirez Ricardo "Richard" Leyva Mu ...

, Roman Catholic Bishop *

Tracy Simien Tracy Anthony Simien (born May 21, 1967) is a former professional American football linebacker. He played college football at Texas Christian University. He played eight seasons in the NFL, mainly for the Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chi ...

, professional football player *

Mal Whitfield Malvin Greston Whitfield (October 11, 1924 – November 19, 2015) was an American athlete, goodwill ambassador, and airman. Nicknamed "Marvelous Mal", he was the Olympic champion in the 800 meters at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics, and a memb ...

, Olympic gold medalist *

Cedric Woodard Cedric Darnell Woodard (born September 5, 1977) is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at T ...

, professional football player

In popular culture

Part of the 1965 movie ''

Baby the Rain Must Fall ''Baby the Rain Must Fall'' is a 1965 American drama film directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Lee Remick, Steve McQueen and Don Murray. Dramatist Horton Foote, who wrote the screenplay, based it on his 1954 play ''The Traveling Lady.'' Thi ...

'' was filmed in Bay City.

Terrence Malick Terrence Frederick Malick (born November 30, 1943) is an American filmmaker. His films include '' Days of Heaven'' (1978), '' The Thin Red Line'' (1998), for which he received Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenp ...

's ''

The Tree of Life ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' gathered locals to be extras for filming at Matagorda Beach.

Churches

File:Bay City Texas 1st Baptist Church.JPG, The First Baptist Church of Bay City dates to the 1850s. A hurricane destroyed the sanctuary in 1909. The current structure dates to 1947. File:First United Methodist Church of Bay City, TX IMG 1040.JPG, First United Methodist Church of Bay City dates to 1870. File:First Presbyterian Church (Bay City, Texas).JPG, First Presbyterian Church of Bay City File:Cedarvale Cemetery, Bay City, TX IMG 1046.JPG, Entrance to Cedarvale Bay City Cemetery, which dates to 1896 with the burial of Rufus A. Mathis, an early Bay City pioneer

References

External links

*
Bay City in Handbook of Texas
{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Matagorda County, Texas County seats in Texas Micropolitan areas of Texas