San Patricio, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids San Patricio, Texas
City
Location of San Patricio, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	San Patricio
Area
• Total	3.89 sq mi (10.07 km2)
• Land	3.85 sq mi (9.97 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation	43 ft (13 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	384
• Density	97.45/sq mi (37.63/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	78368
Area code(s)	361
FIPS code	48-65612
GNIS feature ID	1346436

San Patricio is a small city located in San Patricio County, Texas. In 2020, about 384 people lived there.

For a while, part of San Patricio was thought to be in a different county, Nueces County. However, official records from 1990, 2010, and 2020 confirm it is fully within San Patricio County.

Exploring San Patricio's Location

San Patricio is located in the southern part of Texas. It sits at specific geographic coordinates: 27.959196 degrees North and 97.773134 degrees West.

The city covers a total area of about 3.9 square miles (10.0 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 3.8 square miles (9.9 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 0.04 square miles (0.1 square kilometers), is water.

A Look Back at San Patricio's History

Founding the Town

San Patricio was founded in 1829 by two men named James McGloin and John McMullen. They were empresarios, which means they were agents who helped settle land in Texas. The Mexican government gave them permission to bring 200 Irish Catholic families to live on this land.

The town was named San Patricio, which means Saint Patrick in Spanish. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, honoring the Irish settlers. Another empresario, James Power, also helped with the settlement.

The Battle of San Patricio

A significant event in the town's history was the Battle of San Patricio. This battle happened near the town in 1836 during the Texas Revolution. This was a time when Texans were fighting for independence from Mexico.

Texas revolutionaries, including James Grant, Frank W. Johnson, and Robert C. Morris, planned an attack on the Mexican town of Matamoros. They gathered about 300 men and supplies from places like the Alamo and Presidio La Bahia. To prepare for their long journey, they split into groups to capture wild horses.

On February 27, 1836, Mexican General José de Urrea's soldiers found Frank W. Johnson and about 34 Texian fighters. They were camped at an old Irish settlement in San Patricio. The Mexican troops launched a surprise attack early in the morning. About 10 Texians were killed, and 18 were captured. Johnson and four others who were captured managed to escape. They rejoined James Fannin's group at Goliad. One man, Daniel J. Toler, also escaped capture. The Texians who died were buried in the Old Cemetery on the Hill in San Patricio.

Grant and Morris's group was also surprised by Urrea's army at Agua Dulce Creek. On March 2, the Mexicans attacked them, killing both Grant and Morris and twelve others. The survivors were captured and held in Matamoros.

Changes in County Seat

In 1846, San Patricio became the second county seat of San Patricio County. This happened after Nueces County was separated from San Patricio County. Later, in 1893, the county seat was moved to Sinton.

Population Over the Years

Who Lives in San Patricio?

According to the 2020 United States census, 384 people lived in San Patricio. There were 155 households and 116 families living in the city.

Education in San Patricio

Students in the City of San Patricio attend schools that are part of the Mathis Independent School District.

See also

In Spanish: San Patricio (Texas) para niños