South Padre Island, Texas | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag | |
| Nickname: SPI | |
 Location of South Padre Island, Texas | |
| Coordinates: 26°6′43″N 97°10′11″W / 26.11194°N 97.16972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Cameron |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.74 sq mi (9.68 km2) |
| • Land | 2.69 sq mi (6.96 km2) |
| • Water | 1.05 sq mi (2.72 km2) |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 2,066 |
| • Density | 550/sq mi (210/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 78597 |
| Area code | 956 |
| FIPS code | 48-69140[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1376223[3] |
| Website | myspi |
South Padre Island is a resort town in Cameron County, Texas, United States.[4] It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,066 at the 2020 census. The town is located on South Padre Island, a barrier island with the Laguna Madre situated to the leeward of the island and the Gulf of Mexico on the windward flank, along the Texas Gulf Coast. South Padre Island is accessible via the Queen Isabella Causeway from the town of Port Isabel. South Padre Island is named after José Nicolás Ballí (Padre Ballí), a Catholic priest and settler.[5]
The island is only accessible via the Queen Isabella Causeway and has become a popular tourist destination for both the spring, summer and for winter Texans.[6] It features many activities such as fishing, snorkeling, Beach Park at Isla Blanca (formerly Schlitterbahn), parasailing, surfing and horse back riding. SpaceX Starships are launched from the SpaceX Starbase facility and can be observed across the Brazos Santiago Pass in Boca Chica, TX.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online article for South Padre Island Archived February 4, 2019, at the Wayback Machine Accessed May 17, 2007.
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online biography of José Nicolás Ballí Archived July 25, 2020, at the Wayback Machine Accessed May 16, 2007.
- ^ Winter Texans