Robstown, Texas
City in Texas, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[6] The population was 10,222 as of the 2023 census.[3][7]
City of Robstown | |
|---|---|
| Nicknames: Pickerland, Robé | |
Location in the state of Texas | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 27°47′33″N 97°40′10″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Nueces |
| Mayor | Mary Ann Saenz[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 12.98 sq mi (33.63 km2) |
| • Land | 12.98 sq mi (33.63 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,143 |
| • Density | 867/sq mi (334.8/km2) |
| [3] | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 78380 |
| Area code | 361 |
| FIPS code | 48-62600[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1345344[5] |
| Website | www |
The Texas State Legislature recognizes Robstown as the birthplace of Texas hold 'em poker.[8] 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. [9]
Geography
Robstown is located at 27°47′33″N 97°40′10″W (27.792615, –97.669386).[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.1 square miles (31 km2), 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.[11] 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.
| Climate data for Robstown, Texas (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1953–2012) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 92 (33) |
95 (35) |
104 (40) |
106 (41) |
104 (40) |
108 (42) |
107 (42) |
113 (45) |
109 (43) |
101 (38) |
98 (37) |
90 (32) |
113 (45) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 67.2 (19.6) |
70.8 (21.6) |
76.9 (24.9) |
82.9 (28.3) |
87.8 (31.0) |
92.7 (33.7) |
94.8 (34.9) |
96.0 (35.6) |
91.7 (33.2) |
85.4 (29.7) |
77.0 (25.0) |
68.9 (20.5) |
82.7 (28.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 56.6 (13.7) |
60.1 (15.6) |
66.3 (19.1) |
72.8 (22.7) |
78.8 (26.0) |
83.3 (28.5) |
85.0 (29.4) |
85.8 (29.9) |
81.7 (27.6) |
74.8 (23.8) |
66.5 (19.2) |
58.1 (14.5) |
72.5 (22.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 46.0 (7.8) |
49.4 (9.7) |
55.7 (13.2) |
62.7 (17.1) |
69.8 (21.0) |
73.9 (23.3) |
75.2 (24.0) |
75.6 (24.2) |
71.8 (22.1) |
64.2 (17.9) |
55.9 (13.3) |
47.2 (8.4) |
62.3 (16.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 16 (−9) |
20 (−7) |
23 (−5) |
37 (3) |
43 (6) |
58 (14) |
63 (17) |
64 (18) |
50 (10) |
32 (0) |
25 (−4) |
12 (−11) |
12 (−11) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.79 (45) |
2.05 (52) |
1.86 (47) |
1.64 (42) |
3.06 (78) |
2.92 (74) |
3.31 (84) |
3.05 (77) |
4.81 (122) |
3.62 (92) |
2.41 (61) |
1.62 (41) |
32.14 (816) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.2 (0.51) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.9 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 5.7 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 5.4 | 8.6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 72.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Source: NOAA[12][13] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Robstown had a population of 10,143.[15] 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.[15] For every 100 females there were 92.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.1 males age 18 and over.[15] There were 3,339 households in Robstown, of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.6% were married-couple households, 17.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15] There were 3,904 housing units, of which 14.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.9%.[15] 94.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.5% lived in rural areas.[16]
| 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% |
| 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.[20] Females were 51.1% of the population and foreign-born persons were 5.3% of the population.[20] Population density was 741.0 persons/sq mi, land area is 15.50 sq mi, and the FIPS code is 4862600.[20] The median income for a household in the city was $29,218, the per capita income was $14,178, and the poverty rate was 41.1%.[20]
Point of interest
The Robstown post office contains a mural, Founding and Subsequent Development of Robstown, Texas, painted in 1941 by Alice Reynolds.[21] 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.[22]
Robstown also has the Robstown Area Historical Museum, first opened in 1999, contains many artifacts and walls dedicated to war veterans.[23]
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.[24]
Del Mar College is the designated community college for all of Nueces County.[25]
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. [26]
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.[27][28] The plant is expected to employ 160 people and produce battery grade lithium hydroxide.[27] Environmental concerns as to the expected water usage by the plant have been raised.[29]
Media
- Robstown Record (1926-1977)[30]
- Nueces County Record Star,[31] weekly, owned by GateHouse Media
Notable people
- Damian Chapa, starred in the famous Mexican American film Blood In, Blood Out
- Eddie Jackson, is the bassist for Seattle progressive metal band Queensrÿche
- Brooks Kieschnick, a former MLB player for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, and Milwaukee Brewers, was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame[32]
- Solomon P. Ortiz, former U.S. Representative for Texas's 27th congressional district[33]
- Gene Upshaw, a 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[34]
- Marvin Upshaw, was a player for the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, and St. Louis Cardinals[35]
