Mathis, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mathis, Texas
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| Motto(s):
Small town. Big lake. Great people.
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Location of Mathis, Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | San Patricio |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.32 sq mi (8.59 km2) |
| • Land | 3.32 sq mi (8.59 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 161 ft (49 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,333 |
| • Density | 1,305.1/sq mi (504.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
78368
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| Area code(s) | 361 |
| FIPS code | 48-47040 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1341072 |
Mathis is a city located in San Patricio County, Texas, in the United States. In 2020, about 4,333 people lived there.
Contents
Exploring the History of Mathis
In 1887, a railroad was being built through San Patricio County. A man named Thomas H. Mathis gave 300 acres (about 1.2 square kilometers) of his land for a new town and a school. Because of his gift, the town was named after him. Thomas and his brother, J. M. Mathis, owned a lot of land, about 37,000 acres (150 square kilometers) in the area.
Thomas Mathis also owned another 60,000 acres (240 square kilometers) around the town. He even built a fence that went all the way around Mathis! As late as 1906, trains had to be let in and out of the fenced town.
Early Growth and Development
Mathis grew partly because people from a nearby town called Lagarto moved closer to the new railroad. The first post office in Mathis opened in 1890. The town's first school started in a private home in 1893. Two years later, a one-room school building was built. In 1913, a second railroad came to Mathis, which helped the town grow even more.
Farmers in Mathis grew cotton and corn, and ranching was also a very important part of the local economy. In the 1930s, people started growing winter vegetables. Both railroads had special sheds to ship these crops. Mathis officially became a city in 1939.
In the early 1950s, about 7,000 acres (28 square kilometers) of land north of town were developed for growing vegetables. This area had irrigation systems and deep water wells. By the 1960s, cotton, corn, and a grain called sorghum became the main crops instead of vegetables.
Lake Mathis and Recent Times
In the 1930s, a dam was built on the Nueces River, which created Lake Mathis. This lake is now called Lake Corpus Christi. In the late 1950s, the Wesley Seale Dam was built, which made the lake even bigger. This made the area popular for people to build weekend homes.
In 1988, Mathis had about 5,910 people. By 2020, the population was 4,333. You might also know Mathis from the video game Madden 18 and 19, where a game mode called "Longshot" is mostly set in Mathis.
Discovering Lake Corpus Christi
Lake Corpus Christi is a large lake, about 21,000 acres (85 square kilometers) in size. It was formed on the Nueces River and is located about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) northwest of Mathis. This lake is a popular place for fun activities in South Texas. You can go swimming, water skiing, boating, and fishing there.
Fishing and Wildlife
The lake is about 27 miles (43 kilometers) long. It has many areas with submerged bushes, which are great places for fish to live. Fishing is generally good, but the lake is especially known for its excellent catfish, including channel, flathead, and blue catfish. The biggest flathead catfish ever caught here weighed 60 pounds (27 kilograms)! You can also find white, black, and striped bass, sunfish, and crappie. The record for the largest largemouth bass was 13.5 pounds (6.1 kilograms).
Recreation and Nature
Many people, especially "winter Texans" from other parts of the state and country, and even Canada, come to the area during the colder months.
The lake has over 200 miles (320 kilometers) of shoreline. Along the shore, you'll find many camps and parks. These places offer campsites, boat ramps, fishing piers, and areas for RVs and mobile homes. A major attraction is Lake Corpus Christi State Park. This park covers 350 acres (1.4 square kilometers) and surrounds a quiet cove. High limestone cliffs protect the cove from the wind, giving visitors a beautiful view of the lake. The nice weather means you can enjoy activities here all year round.
Historical Significance
The area around Lake Corpus Christi is full of history. What were once battlegrounds are now rich farmlands, brush, and grazing areas for cattle. The Nueces River used to be the border between Texas and Mexico. This boundary was often argued about. After the Mexican War, the issue was settled, and the Rio Grande became the official border.
One famous battle between the two countries happened at Old San Patricio. This town was founded by Irish settlers and is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Mathis. The area was once home to the Karankawa and Lipan Apache Native American tribes. Over the years, there were several attempts to settle the area in the 18th and 19th centuries, but they were not always successful.
Geography of Mathis
Mathis is located at coordinates 28.094098 degrees North latitude and -97.827323 degrees West longitude. The city covers a total area of about 2 square miles (5.2 square kilometers), and all of this area is land.
Population Changes in Mathis
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1940 | 1,950 | — | |
| 1950 | 4,050 | 107.7% | |
| 1960 | 6,075 | 50.0% | |
| 1970 | 5,351 | −11.9% | |
| 1980 | 5,667 | 5.9% | |
| 1990 | 5,423 | −4.3% | |
| 2000 | 5,034 | −7.2% | |
| 2010 | 4,942 | −1.8% | |
| 2020 | 4,333 | −12.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Mathis Population in 2020
In 2020, the 2020 United States census counted 4,333 people living in Mathis. There were 1,784 households and 1,164 families in the city.
Education in Mathis
The schools in Mathis are part of the Mathis Independent School District. This district includes several campuses:
- Mathis High School
- Mathis High School for International Studies
- Mathis Middle School
- Mathis Intermediate School
- Mathis Elementary School
For college, Del Mar College is the community college for all of San Patricio County.
Climate in Mathis
The weather in Mathis is known for its hot and humid summers. Winters are generally mild to cool. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Mathis has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm temperatures and plenty of rain throughout the year.
| Climate data for Mathis, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1964–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 92 (33) |
97 (36) |
101 (38) |
105 (41) |
106 (41) |
110 (43) |
106 (41) |
108 (42) |
108 (42) |
102 (39) |
95 (35) |
91 (33) |
110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 65.6 (18.7) |
69.9 (21.1) |
75.4 (24.1) |
81.5 (27.5) |
87.0 (30.6) |
92.3 (33.5) |
94.3 (34.6) |
95.6 (35.3) |
90.2 (32.3) |
84.0 (28.9) |
74.7 (23.7) |
67.4 (19.7) |
81.5 (27.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 55.1 (12.8) |
59.1 (15.1) |
65.1 (18.4) |
70.9 (21.6) |
77.4 (25.2) |
82.4 (28.0) |
83.9 (28.8) |
84.6 (29.2) |
80.4 (26.9) |
73.2 (22.9) |
63.9 (17.7) |
57.0 (13.9) |
71.1 (21.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 44.6 (7.0) |
48.4 (9.1) |
54.7 (12.6) |
60.3 (15.7) |
67.7 (19.8) |
72.6 (22.6) |
73.4 (23.0) |
73.7 (23.2) |
70.6 (21.4) |
62.4 (16.9) |
53.2 (11.8) |
46.6 (8.1) |
60.7 (15.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 18 (−8) |
15 (−9) |
20 (−7) |
35 (2) |
47 (8) |
56 (13) |
62 (17) |
63 (17) |
51 (11) |
33 (1) |
27 (−3) |
11 (−12) |
11 (−12) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.49 (38) |
1.24 (31) |
2.25 (57) |
1.73 (44) |
3.00 (76) |
2.64 (67) |
2.57 (65) |
2.28 (58) |
3.83 (97) |
2.85 (72) |
1.85 (47) |
1.77 (45) |
27.50 (699) |
| 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) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.1 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 9.3 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 7.7 | 82.0 |
| 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 | |||||||||||||
Notable People from Mathis
- Chris Layton – a famous drummer
- Tammie Brown – a well-known drag queen
See also
In Spanish: Mathis (Texas) para niños
