A reference snapshot of Port Aransas: dated agency facts about conservation, parks, ferry operations, fishing, and seasonal events, alongside clearly labeled unverified legacy climate and travel estimates. This is a source compilation, not an original research study or a complete 2026 statistical census.
Different scopes and periods: these are not comparable annual trend measures. Claim-specific sources and limitations are in section 9.
Port Aransas is on Mustang Island on the Texas Gulf Coast. The Aransas Pass ferry provides a link for travelers on SH-361. The ferry crosses the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, not the Lydia Ann Channel.
Primary-source context: [S3] · [S17]. See source periods and limitations below; checked 2026-10-01.
Water temperature alone cannot establish safe swimming: currents, surf, weather, and local advisories matter. There is no official “swimmable at 75°F” standard asserted in this report. NOAA NHC defines the Atlantic hurricane season as June 1–November 30; this basin-wide calendar is not a local forecast.
Primary-source context: [S12]. See source periods and limitations below; checked 2026-10-01.
Unverified legacy estimates — not NOAA normals. The original monthly figures below are retained for transparency and CSV continuity. Their source station, averaging period, and derivation could not be traced. They are not verified observations, 1991–2020 climate normals, or a forecast; do not cite them as measured climate statistics.
| Month | Est. high °F | Est. low °F | Est. sea °F | Est. rain in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 49° | 60° | 1.5″ |
| February | 67° | 52° | 60° | 1.6″ |
| March | 73° | 58° | 65° | 1.5″ |
| April | 79° | 66° | 72° | 1.9″ |
| May | 84° | 72° | 78° | 3.5″ |
| June | 88° | 77° | 83° | 3.8″ |
| July | 90° | 79° | 85° | 2.4″ |
| August | 91° | 79° | 86° | 3.6″ |
| September | 88° | 76° | 84° | 5.7″ |
| October | 82° | 69° | 78° | 3.5″ |
| November | 73° | 60° | 70° | 1.8″ |
| December | 66° | 51° | 62° | 1.5″ |
Provenance unresolved; the displayed precision does not establish accuracy. The NOAA normals overview explains a baseline but does not support these rows. The located offshore buoy 42020 summary uses a different period and differs from these water values. [S10] [S11] are context/comparison sources only, not verification of this table.
Interpretation limit: This table cannot establish a swimming season, a coast-wide ranking, or a climate trend. No replacement monthly statistics have been synthesized to fill the provenance gap.
Primary-source context: [S4] · [S5] · [S13]. See source periods and limitations below; checked 2026-10-01.
The Texas Legislature designated Port Aransas the “Fishing Capital of Texas” in HCR 117 in 2025. The enrolled text provides for the designation to last until the tenth anniversary of final legislative passage. This is an official designation, not evidence of the largest charter fleet. [S6]
Primary-source context: [S6] · [S7] · [S16]. See source periods and limitations below; checked 2026-10-01.
USFWS estimated around 540 whooping cranes in the Aransas–Wood Buffalo population's primary survey area for winter 2025–2026, centered on Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The agency released this estimate on June 17, 2026. This is an aerial-survey abundance estimate with uncertainty, not an exact head count, a refuge-only count, or a worldwide species total. Birds also use areas outside that survey boundary; this report does not add those observations to make a new total or infer a year-over-year change.
Primary-source context: [S1]. See source periods and limitations below; checked 2026-10-01.
Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA Fisheries gives an April–July nesting season and about 50–60 days of egg incubation. These are biological ranges, not a 2026 population count. [S8]
NPS says Kemp's ridleys nest at Padre Island National Seashore more than at any other US location. Nests are moved to protected areas and hatchlings are released publicly when possible; releases are not guaranteed on any particular date. See NPS for current wildlife-reporting and release guidance. [S9]
Primary-source context: [S8] · [S9]. See source periods and limitations below; checked 2026-10-01.
USFWS describes Aransas NWR as attracting more than 400 species of birds. This is the refuge's overall diversity claim, not a 2026 survey result or a count for Port Aransas city limits. Sightings depend on season, habitat, and conditions.
Primary-source context: [S2]. See source periods and limitations below; checked 2026-10-01.
The tourism bureau's ferry guide suggests watching for dolphins along the ship channel. That visitor guidance does not establish a single year-round resident pod, its size, or guaranteed sightings.
Primary-source context: [S17]. See source periods and limitations below; checked 2026-10-01.
Primary-source context: [S3] · [S17]. See source periods and limitations below; checked 2026-10-01.
These inherited mileage, time, and route estimates have no retained route-query record, departure date, exact endpoints, or guest spot-check evidence. Some routes and distances may be inconsistent. Their minute-level precision is not demonstrated accuracy. Do not cite them as measured travel times or use them as directions; calculate your own current route.
| From | Listed miles* | Listed time* | Listed route* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corpus Christi (CRP airport) | 25 | 35–45 min | JFK Causeway · SH-361 |
| San Antonio | 155 | 2 h 50 min | I-37 South · JFK Causeway |
| Houston | 210 | 3 h 55 min | US-59/I-69 · JFK Causeway |
| Austin | 225 | 3 h 50 min | I-35 · I-37 · JFK Causeway |
| Rio Grande Valley (McAllen) | 165 | 3 h 5 min | US-77 North · JFK Causeway |
| Dallas / Fort Worth | 415 | 6 h 45 min | I-35E · I-37 · JFK Causeway |
*All rows unverified. Retained as estimates for edition transparency, not original analysis or verified Google Maps baselines. No fixed peak-traffic uplift is supported. The CSV carries the same values and limitations.
This report does not include a lodging inventory, occupancy survey, or community-size ranking. Beached Inn is a vacation rental at Cinnamon Shore and has a commercial interest in travel to the area; its publisher perspective is not an independent lodging-market measurement.
Selected events and biological seasons, not a comprehensive 2026 calendar or a future-year schedule. Dated organizer records and agency context checked 2026-10-01; confirm current event plans with the organizer.
Method: compare the report's claims with the linked agency or event-organizer pages, retain their geographic scope and time period, and remove unsupported comparisons. This is a secondary compilation, not peer-reviewed research, a visitor survey, or a causal analysis. No guest travel logs or underlying original-research spot-checks are available.
The source claims and context listed here were checked on 2026-10-01. That access date is not the observation year or publication date. For undated pages, the access date is all that can be established. S10 and S11 were checked for context only and do not verify the monthly table.
Published June 17, 2026; winter 2025–2026 primary survey area centered on Aransas NWR. Around 540 is an abundance estimate, not a refuge-only census or worldwide total; survey uncertainty applies.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Undated agency page: more than 400 bird species attracted to the refuge. Cumulative diversity, not birds counted in 2026 or guaranteed sightings.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Undated operating guidance: Corpus Christi Channel, typically less than ten minutes, up to 20 regular passenger vehicles per ferry, two to six ferries; 24/7 year-round, weather permitting. Not a wait-time study.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Undated park overview: more than five miles of coastline and 20 miles of paddling trails across three segments. Park facts, not annual visitor statistics.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Park description: 70-mile seashore length, not Port Aransas city beach mileage. Most of the seashore is accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Adopted by the House May 1 and Senate May 9, 2025. Designates Port Aransas Fishing Capital of Texas until the tenth anniversary of final legislative passage; not a 1992 designation or charter-industry ranking.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Organizer's 2026 listing: 90th edition, July 9–12, 2026. Edition number is the organizer's, not elapsed years since a founding date; the page may roll over to future events.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Species profile: ESA endangered; nesting April–July and egg incubation about 50–60 days. Biological ranges, not a 2026 nest count or release timetable.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Updated February 18, 2025: Kemp's ridleys nest at this park more than at any other US location; nests moved to protected areas and public releases when possible.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.1991–2020 normals are a fixed 30-year baseline. This overview does not substantiate the report's monthly table; no matching station export or calculation record was located.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Summary created September 9, 2009; sea-temperature record May 1990–December 2008, in °C. Offshore buoy summary differs from this table and is not a 1991–2020 shoreline normal.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Atlantic basin hurricane season June 1–November 30. Basin-wide seasonality is not a forecast or a probability of a Port Aransas landfall.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Undated city guidance requires a parking permit in designated beach areas and identifies free-parking exceptions. Check current restrictions locally; no daily/annual county-permit claim is made.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.2026 program: February 19–22 in Port Aransas. Used instead of the changing festival landing page; it is not a future-year schedule.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Current page has rolled forward to April 16–18, 2027. Supports event identity only here; no exact 2026 dates, fixed third-weekend rule, or comparative size ranking is asserted.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Current regulations: license and endorsement requirements depend on age, eligibility, location, and exemptions. Consult TPWD before fishing.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.Undated destination guidance: ferry is free and dolphins may be seen along the ship channel. Not evidence of a single resident pod or a population count.
Source/context checked 2026-10-01.How to cite: Cite the specific section, source ID, agency/organizer, observation period, and your access date. Include the uncertainty or “unverified estimate” label when quoting. Prefer the primary source for agency statistics. A citation or backlink may help readers verify a claim; it does not promise search ranking, traffic, or causal SEO benefits.
For separately updated conditions and tides, see /beach-conditions and /tides. These live pages are not evidence for the historical table or guarantees of safe swimming.
Short excerpts and individual data points may be quoted with credit and their source period and limitations. This compilation is not an agency publication; its unverified estimate tables must not be presented as measured statistics.
"Beached Inn at Cinnamon Shore. The State of Port Aransas — 2026 Edition. Published 2026-05-15. Available at https://beachedinn.com/state-of-port-aransas-2026."
Add the section, source ID, observation period, and “accessed [your date]” to this citation. Citation audit: 2026-10-01; original publication date unchanged.
https://beachedinn.com/state-of-port-aransas-2026
Exact values from the report tables, with unverified-status columns. These are retained legacy estimates, not independently validated datasets. The historical climate filename is kept to preserve existing links; it does not certify NOAA normals.
Individual figures, short excerpts, and adapted tables or graphics may be reused with credit to Beached Inn and the relevant primary source, preserving dates, scope, and uncertainty. A link to this edition is appreciated online so readers can inspect context; no ranking or traffic outcome is promised. Full republication or substantial copying of report prose or sections requires written permission. This permission covers Beached Inn's text and compilation, not third-party photographs, logos, or materials; their own terms apply. Do not imply agency endorsement.
For corrections or reuse permission, use the contact / inquiry options on the Beached Inn website. Include the section, source ID, and supporting primary-source link. No unpublished spot-checks or higher-resolution underlying research are offered.
Beached Inn at Cinnamon Shore is a vacation rental property and locally-curated travel-information publisher for Port Aransas, Texas. We publish the annual State of Port Aransas report, a live beach-conditions data feed (cited in this report's Methodology), and an embeddable beach-conditions widget freely available to other Port Aransas-related sites at /embed-beach-conditions-badge.
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