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Bridgeport, Texas
Downtown Bridgeport
Downtown Bridgeport
Country United States
State Texas
County Wise
Area
 • Total 7.85 sq mi (20.32 km2)
 • Land 7.84 sq mi (20.31 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
768 ft (234 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 5,923
 • Density 754.5/sq mi (291.49/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
76426
Area code(s) 940
FIPS code 48-10264
GNIS feature ID 2409907

Bridgeport is a city located in Wise County, Texas, United States. In 2020, about 5,923 people lived there. The city is known for its history with stagecoaches. In fact, in 2009, the Texas Legislature officially named Bridgeport the Stagecoach Capital of Texas!

Discovering Bridgeport's Past

Bridgeport's story began in February 1860. A man named William H. Hunt received permission to build a bridge. This bridge would cross the West Fork of the Trinity River. It was built about a mile southwest of where the city is today. You can still see a Texas State Historical Marker there.

The Stagecoach Bridge

This first wooden bridge was very important for a short time. It was part of the Butterfield Overland Mail route. This was a stagecoach route that carried mail and passengers. It was used from August 1860 to March 1861. When the American Civil War started, the mail route stopped. The old wooden bridge was left alone and eventually fell into the river.

How Bridgeport Became a City

In 1873, a new iron bridge was built. A post office was also set up, and that's when Bridgeport officially became a city. Its future looked bright in 1882. A man named Charles Cates found a lot of bituminous coal while looking for water. A company called Wise County Coal Company was formed. It became a major coal producer in Texas. However, by 1929, other fuels like natural gas and oil became popular. This led to the coal mines closing down.

Moving and Growing the Town

In 1893, the Rock Island Railroad built a train line east of the town. So, the whole town of Bridgeport moved about a mile east to its current spot. In 1913, Bridgeport officially became an incorporated town. Before 1917, oil and gas production started to become important industries. By the 1920s, about 1,872 people lived in Bridgeport.

During the 1920s, new businesses started. These included limestone quarries, which dug up rock for roads. A brick factory also opened. In 1931, a dam was built on the West Fork of the Trinity River. This created Lake Bridgeport. The lake quickly became a popular spot for fun and still is today.

In the second half of the 1900s, Bridgeport's industries kept growing. Oil, gas, and limestone continued to be very important. Bridgeport became the second-largest town in Wise County. These industries are still key to the local economy today.

Bridgeport's Location and Weather

Bridgeport is a city with a total area of about 7.9 square miles (20.3 square kilometers). Almost all of this area is land.

Understanding Bridgeport's Climate

The weather in Bridgeport is known for its hot and humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. Bridgeport has a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets a lot of rain, especially in summer.

Climate data for Bridgeport, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1935–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 92
(33)
96
(36)
96
(36)
101
(38)
106
(41)
115
(46)
114
(46)
115
(46)
111
(44)
105
(41)
93
(34)
90
(32)
115
(46)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 56.1
(13.4)
60.0
(15.6)
67.5
(19.7)
75.6
(24.2)
82.8
(28.2)
90.8
(32.7)
95.6
(35.3)
95.9
(35.5)
88.4
(31.3)
78.2
(25.7)
66.5
(19.2)
57.8
(14.3)
76.3
(24.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 43.5
(6.4)
47.3
(8.5)
54.8
(12.7)
63.3
(17.4)
71.8
(22.1)
80.0
(26.7)
83.9
(28.8)
83.5
(28.6)
76.2
(24.6)
65.2
(18.4)
53.9
(12.2)
45.3
(7.4)
64.1
(17.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 30.9
(−0.6)
34.6
(1.4)
42.1
(5.6)
50.9
(10.5)
60.8
(16.0)
69.2
(20.7)
72.1
(22.3)
71.1
(21.7)
63.9
(17.7)
52.1
(11.2)
41.2
(5.1)
32.8
(0.4)
51.8
(11.0)
Record low °F (°C) 1
(−17)
1
(−17)
9
(−13)
24
(−4)
34
(1)
48
(9)
53
(12)
52
(11)
33
(1)
21
(−6)
10
(−12)
−8
(−22)
−8
(−22)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.67
(42)
2.21
(56)
2.84
(72)
3.04
(77)
4.55
(116)
3.73
(95)
2.07
(53)
2.18
(55)
3.04
(77)
3.91
(99)
2.19
(56)
1.91
(49)
33.34
(847)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.6
(1.5)
0.5
(1.3)
0.0
(0.0)
0.2
(0.51)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.3
(0.76)
0.2
(0.51)
1.8
(4.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 4.5 4.8 5.4 5.4 7.8 6.3 4.1 4.5 5.1 5.6 4.4 4.2 62.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.6
Source: NOAA

People of Bridgeport

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 39
1890 498 1,176.9%
1900 900 80.7%
1910 2,000 122.2%
1920 1,872 −6.4%
1930 2,464 31.6%
1940 1,735 −29.6%
1950 2,049 18.1%
1960 3,218 57.1%
1970 3,614 12.3%
1980 3,737 3.4%
1990 3,581 −4.2%
2000 4,309 20.3%
2010 5,976 38.7%
2020 5,923 −0.9%
2023 (est.) 6,514 9.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

The table below shows the different groups of people living in Bridgeport in 2020.

Bridgeport racial composition as of 2020
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 2,750 46.43%
Black or African American (NH) 157 2.65%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 25 0.42%
Asian (NH) 45 0.76%
Some Other Race (NH) 3 0.05%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 192 3.24%
Hispanic or Latino 2,751 46.45%
Total 5,923

In 2020, the 2020 United States census counted 5,923 people living in Bridgeport. These people made up 1,777 households and 1,322 families.

Education in Bridgeport

Students in Bridgeport attend schools run by the Bridgeport Independent School District.

Getting Around Bridgeport

Bridgeport has its own airport, called the Bridgeport Municipal Airport.

Major Roads and Highways

Several important roads pass through or near Bridgeport:

  • US 380
  • SH 129
  • SH 114
  • SH 101
  • FM 920

Fun and Recreation

Lake Bridgeport is just west of the city. It's a great place for boating, watersports, and fishing. You can also visit Bridgeport Falls, located south of the city on the West Fork of the Trinity River.

The city also runs the Northwest OHV Park. This park is 300 acres big and is located north of the city limits. It's a special place where people can ride motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, and Jeeps on different kinds of trails.

Famous People from Bridgeport

  • Kyle Clifton played football in the NFL for the New York Jets. He graduated from Bridgeport High School in 1980.
  • Colin Jones (American football) is an NFL safety who played for the Carolina Panthers.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bridgeport (Texas) para niños

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