Chambers County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 46,571. The county seat is Anahuac. Chambers County is one of the nine counties that comprise Greater Houston, the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area.
History
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Luz, a Spanish mission in Texas, was established in 1756 near what is now Wallisville.
Chambers County was founded in 1858. It is named for Thomas Jefferson Chambers, a major general in the Texas Revolution.
In 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591, a cargo flight operating for Amazon Air, crashed in the Trinity Bay, in Chambers County and near Anahuac, while flying from Miami to Houston. All three people on board were killed.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 871 square miles (2,260 km2), of which 597 square miles (1,550 km2) are land and 274 square miles (710 km2) (31%) are covered by water.
The south and southwestern parts of the county lie in the Galveston Bay Area on the shores of Trinity Bay and East Bay. A small portion of the southeastern area lies on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Adjacent counties
- Liberty County (north)
- Jefferson County (east)
- Galveston County (southwest)
- Harris County (west)
National protected areas
- Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge (formerly Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge)
- Moody National Wildlife Refuge
State and local protected areas
- Candy Cain Abshier Wildlife Management Area
- Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve
Communities
Cities
Census-designated places
- Oak Island
- Stowell
- Winnie
Unincorporated communities
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, 26,031 people, 9,139 households, and 7,219 families were residing in the county. The population density was 43 people/sq mi (17 people/km2). The 10,336 housing units averaged 17 units per square mile (6.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 81.88% White, 9.77% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 6.02% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. About 10.79% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 9,139 households, 40.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.70% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.00% were not families. About 17.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was 3.20.
In the county, the age distribution was 28.90% under 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.00% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,964, and for a family was $52,986. Males had a median income of $43,351 versus $25,478 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,863. About 8.30% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.30% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Chambers County is governed by a five-member commissioners' court, consisting of the county judge and four county commissioners. The county judge is elected to four-year terms in a countywide election. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms from single-member districts.
Chambers County Commissioners' Court
Elected Officials
Constables
United States Congress
Texas Legislature
Texas Senate
Texas House of Representatives
State Board of Education
Courts
Justices of the Peace
District Courts
1st Court of Appeals
14th Court of Appeals
Politics
As with much of the Southern United States, Democrats won locally up into the 21st century, with many local politicians switching party allegiances in the mid-2000s. As of 2020 all elected county offices are represented by Republicans with the retirement of the Precinct 5 Constable Cecil. R. "Popeye" Oldham, a Democrat, who was last elected in 2016.
Education
- Public School Districts
Local Primary and Secondary School Jurisdictions. Each are governed by their own respective school board.
- Goose Creek CISD
- Barbers Hill ISD
- Anahuac ISD
- East Chambers ISD
- La Porte ISD (parts of uninhabited Galveston Bay)
- Higher Education
Community Colleges
- Lee College (Anahuac, Barbers Hill, East Chambers, and Goose Creek ISDs: in other words, for all land areas of Chambers County)
- San Jacinto College (La Porte ISD, which here means parts of uninhabited Galveston Bay)
- Public libraries
The Chambers County Library System operates three libraries in the county.
- Chambers County Library (main branch) in Anahuac
- Juanita Hargraves Memorial Branch in Winnie
- Sam and Carmena Goss Memorial Branch in Mont Belvieu
Transportation
Major highways
- Interstate 10
- State Highway 61
- State Highway 65
- State Highway 73
- State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway)
- State Highway 124
- State Highway 146
Airports
The county operates two airports in unincorporated areas:
- Chambers County Airport is east of Anahuac.
- It was developed in the 1940s, and the county collaborated with the federal government to have it built. In August 1947, the federal government was to pay $23,322.
- Chambers County-Winnie Stowell Airport serves Stowell and Winnie.
In addition, RWJ Airpark, a privately owned airport for public use, is located in Beach City.
In the 1970s there had been a proposal to establish another airport in the county, but the Baytown city council objected to the proposal, arguing it was too close to another airport under private ownership.
The Houston Airport System stated that Chambers County is within the primary service area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, an international airport in Houston in Harris County.
See also
- List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Chambers County, Texas
- Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Chambers County
References
External links
- Chambers County government's website
- Chambers County in Handbook of Texas Online from The University of Texas at Austin
- Chambers County, TXGenWeb Focuses on genealogical research in Chambers County.
