Bay City, Texas
—  City  —
Entrance sign to Bay City
Location of Bay City, Texas
Coordinates: 28°58′51″N 95°57′52″W / 28.98083°N 95.96444°W / 28.98083; -95.96444
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Matagorda
Government
- Type	Democracy
- Mayor	Richard Knapik
Area
- Total	8.5 sq mi (22.0 km2)
- Land	8.5 sq mi (22.0 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	52 ft (16 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	18,667
- Density	2,196.0/sq mi (847.9/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	77404, 77414
Area code(s)	979
FIPS code	48-05984[1]
GNIS feature ID	1351611[2]

Bay City is a city in Matagorda County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,667 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Matagorda County^[3]. The current mayor is Richard Knapik

Geography

Bay City is located at 28°58′51″N 95°57′52″W / 28.98083°N 95.96444°W / 28.98083; -95.96444 (28.980766, -95.964459)^[4]. With different municipalities and unincorporated areas surrounding it on all sides.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.0 km²), of which, 8.5 square miles (22.0 km²) of it is land and 0.12% is water. It used to be named "Bay Prairie", as the natural ecosystems that surround the town are prairies criscrossed by creeks that lead into the bay.

Downtown Bay City

The First Baptist Church of Bay City dates to the 1850s. A hurricane destroyed the sanctuary in 1909. Current structure dates to 1947. Pastor is Mike Zimmerman.

First United Methodist Church of Bay City

Bay City Water Tower

Entrance to Cedarvale Bay City Cemetery, which dates to 1896 with the burial of Rufus A. Mathis, an early Bay City pioneer.

"Come Unto Me", a depiction of Jesus Christ at Cedarvale Bay City Cemetery

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 18,667 people, 6,912 households, and 4,769 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,196.0 people per square mile (847.9/km²). There were 8,113 housing units at an average density of 954.4/sq mi (368.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.62% White, 17.26% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 16.84% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.74% of the population.

There were 6,912 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,446, and the median income for a family was $39,281. Males had a median income of $38,202 versus $23,058 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,284. About 18.3% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.7% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over. Minorities make up the largest ethnic portion of Bay City, Texas.

Education

Bay City is served by the Bay City Independent School District, a district of schools consisting of elementary, intermediate, junior high, and high school (Bay City High School). The district operates seven schools and is lead by superintendent Keith Brown. There is also a community college in Bay City called Wharton County Junior College which is a chain of Junior Colleges in the south-east Texas area.

Medical Community/Hospitals

Matagorda County is served by the Matagorda Regional Medical Center.

Attractions

Bay City is home to the Matagorda County Birding Nature Center, a 35-acre expanse of gardens and wildlife along the Colorado River of Texas.^[5]

Other attractions include the Matagorda County Museum^[6], Market Days every 3rd Saturday^[7], and a variety of small shops and boutiques downtown. The Bay City Art League is also located here which has recently undergone major renovations and is currently working to revitalize the art scene in Matagorda County.

Location from Bay City

Destinations from Bay City

	El Campo via Highway 35	Wharton via Highway 60	West Columbia via Highway 35
	Markham via Highway 35		Lake Jackson via FM 457
		Bay City
	Palacios via Highway 35	Wadsworth, Matagorda via Highway 60	Sargent via Highway 35

References

External links

• City of Bay City
• Bay City in Handbook of Texas

• Bay City, Texas is at coordinates 28°58′51″N 95°57′52″W / 28.980766°N 95.964459°W / 28.980766; -95.964459 (Bay City, Texas)Coordinates: 28°58′51″N 95°57′52″W / 28.980766°N 95.964459°W / 28.980766; -95.964459 (Bay City, Texas)

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