About South Padre Island, Texas

South Padre Island is located about 175 miles south of Corpus Christi, TX on the extreme southeast tip of Texas. Padre Island is divided into North and South Padre Island at the Mansfield Cut about 25 miles north of the the southern tip of the island. North Padre Island and the Padre Island National Seashore is accessed from the north through Corpus Christi.

The current permanent population of South Padre Island was estimated to be just over 5000, although the 2000 census has the population to be near 3000. However, the population of the island fluctuates by the season. The high season on the island is from Memorial Day to Labor day, with peaks the rest of the year during holidays and during Spring Break. During the winter months, there are several thousand visitors who winter-over on the island and surrounding areas. We affectionately refer to our winter guests as 'Winter Texans.' The Winter Texans are largely retired couples and began to arrive around Thanksgiving and leave before the Spring Break season in March. The slowest tourist season on the island begins after Labor Day weekend and extends to the beginning of the Christmas Holidays.

According to Wikipedia, the weather in South Padre Island is similar to that of the Tampa Bay area of Florida but with less precipitation and slightly higher summer maximum temperatures. South Padre Island experiences a humid subtropical climate. The average high in January is 67 °F (19 °C) and the average low is 52 °F (11 °C). The average high in July is 95 °F (35 °C), and the average low is 77 °F (25 °C). The warm season is long, as average high temperatures are 90-99 °F °C (32-37) , and average low temperatures typically around 77 °F (25 °C). The region experiences relatively high dew point values, around 75 °F (24 °C) in the summer time, resulting in higher relative humidity values from June through September.

South Padre Island is cooled by coastal breezes which make the warmer temperatures of summer more pleasant. More often than not, the Island is the coolest place in the Rio Grand Valley during the summer months.

South Padre Island is a barrier island which gives it a unique geography. On the east we have the Gulf of Mexico and excellent beaches. On the west we have the Laguna Madre or the Bay. Between the Gulf and the Bay, we have the opportunity to enjoy every kind of water activity from surfing to water skiing. Boating, fishing, parasailing, waverunners, windsurfing and kiteboarding are very popular, but the number one attraction on the island is the beach. South Padre Island is a very popular beach vacation destination for families. Kids and adults love to play in the surf, sand castle building, as well as swimming and relaxing on the beach.

South Padre Island is served by two international airports, one located in Harlingen, TX and the other in Brownsville, TX.