Townapedia
HALFMOON REEF LIGHTHOUSE
HALFMOON REEF LIGHTHOUSE · Charles Henry, CC BY 2.0

Port Lavaca, Texas

Port Lavaca is a city of 11,358 people in Calhoun County, Texas.

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Population11,358 -6.5% since 2019
Elevation16 ft 5 m
Land area10.2 sq mi
ZIP code77979
Nearest airportPalacios-R.B Trull Municipal Airport (PSX) 24 mi

Why visit Port Lavaca

Townapedia lists 28 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 31 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse, Twin Dolphins Theatre, Calhoun County Museum and Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church.

August is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 46°F.

About Port Lavaca

Port Lavaca is a city in Calhoun County, located in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 12,248 at the 2010 census and 11,557 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Calhoun County and part of the Port Lavaca, Texas micropolitan statistical area. Port Lavaca is 130 miles (210 km) southwest of Houston.

From the Wikipedia article Port Lavaca, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do4

Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse

Lighthouse · 1.5 mi

Lighthouse in Texas, United States

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Twin Dolphins Theatre

Cinema and theater · 0.8 mi

152 State Highway 35

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Halfmoon Reef Light

Lighthouse · 1.5 mi

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Port Lavaca Main Street Theatre

Cinema and theater

315 East Main Street

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Museums and landmarks28

Calhoun County Museum

Museum · 0.4 mi

301 South Ann Street, Port Lavaca

Tu,We 10:30-16:30; Th,Fr 10:30-17:00; Sa 10:30-15:00; SH off

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Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church

Monument and historic site · Catholic · 0.5 mi

415 West Austin Street, Port Lavaca

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Saint Joseph Baptist Church

Monument and historic site · Baptist · 0.8 mi

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Alice O. Wilkins School

Monument and historic site · 0.7 mi

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Alsatian Immigration Through Lavaca Bay

Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi

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Beach Hotel

Monument and historic site

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Calhoun County Hurricanes

Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi

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Civil War Bombardment of Port Lavaca

Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi

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Civil War Torpedo Works

Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi

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Dr. Edward Fred Knipling

Monument and historic site · 1.8 mi

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First Baptist Church of Port Lavaca

Monument and historic site · 0.5 mi

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16 more on the map.

Parks, trails and playgrounds10

Tilley Park

Park · 0.6 mi

1100 Half League Road, Port Lavaca

Mo-Su 06:00-23:00

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Bayfront Peninsula Park

Park · 0.4 mi

main St, Port Lavaca

Mo-Su 06:00-23:00

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City of Port Lavaca Brookhollow Estates Park

Park · 1.9 mi

Harbor Drive East, Port Lavaca

Mo-Su 06:00-23:00

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Fishing Pier Park

Park · 1.5 mi

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George Adams Park

Park · 0.6 mi

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Lighthouse Beach

Beach · 1.8 mi

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Little Chocolate Bayou Park

Park · 1.7 mi

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Little Chocolate Bayou Playground

Playground · 1.8 mi

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Nautical Landings Marina

Marina and boat launch · 0.4 mi

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Sandcrab Stadium

Sports field and stadium · 0.6 mi

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Restaurants and cafes31

Shellfish Sports Bar & Grille

Bar and pub · 1.7 mi

2615 State Highway 35 North, Port Lavaca

Mo-Su 11:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-361-552-5300

Asian Wok

Restaurant · Chinese · 0.8 mi

145 State Highway 35, Port Lavaca

Tu-Su 10:30-21:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-361-678-9988

Monterrey Cafe

Restaurant · Tex-Mex, Mexican · 0.4 mi

723 Broadway Street, Port Lavaca

Mo,Tu,Sa 11:00-15:00; We-Fr 11:00-20:00

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Beijing Buffet

Restaurant · Chinese · 0.7 mi

339 Calhoun Plaza, Port Lavaca

Open in Google Maps · +1-361-553-6862

The Sanity Mug

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.7 mi

Mo-Fr 05:30-18:00; Sa 06:00-14:00

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Bayside Seafood

Restaurant · Seafood · 1.4 mi

2055 State Highway 35, Port Lavaca

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Lighthouse Cafe

Restaurant · 1.2 mi

2090 State Highway 35, Port Lavaca

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Starbucks

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.0 mi

926 State Highway 35, Port Lavaca

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Taiyo Sushi Fushion

Restaurant · Sushi · 1.1 mi

915 State Highway 35, Port Lavaca

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The Tipsy Bean

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.4 mi

206 South Commerce Street, Port Lavaca

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4 Seasons Restaurant and Donuts

Restaurant · Asian · 0.8 mi

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El Mirador

Restaurant · Mexican · 0.9 mi

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19 more on the map.

History

Port Lavaca was originally known as Lavaca. The town quickly grew as a result of the Linnville Raid of 1840, in which the town of Linville was decimated by the Comanche tribe and caused former residents of the town to settle in what is now Port Lavaca. Thomas McConnell purchased a section of land from Isidro Benavides and established the town using this land.

From the History section of Port Lavaca, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay6

Churches and places of worship13

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Shopping3

Gas and EV charging3

Schools, colleges and libraries16

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Healthcare3

Map of Port Lavaca

117 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Climate by month

40°60°80°100°January: 3.1 in of rainFebruary: 1.8 in of rainMarch: 3.2 in of rainApril: 2.6 in of rainMay: 4.2 in of rainJune: 4.8 in of rainJuly: 3.1 in of rainAugust: 3.4 in of rainSeptember: 4.8 in of rainOctober: 3.6 in of rainNovember: 3.6 in of rainDecember: 2.9 in of rainJanuary: 64°FFebruary: 68°FMarch: 73°FApril: 78°FMay: 84°FJune: 89°FJuly: 91°FAugust: 92°FSeptember: 89°FOctober: 83°FNovember: 74°FDecember: 67°FJanuary: 46°FFebruary: 49°FMarch: 56°FApril: 63°FMay: 71°FJune: 76°FJuly: 78°FAugust: 78°FSeptember: 73°FOctober: 64°FNovember: 55°FDecember: 48°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan64°F46°F3.1 in0.0 in
Feb68°F49°F1.8 in0.0 in
Mar73°F56°F3.2 in0.0 in
Apr78°F63°F2.6 in0.0 in
May84°F71°F4.2 in0.0 in
Jun89°F76°F4.8 in0.0 in
Jul91°F78°F3.1 in0.0 in
Aug92°F78°F3.4 in0.0 in
Sep89°F73°F4.8 in0.0 in
Oct83°F64°F3.6 in0.0 in
Nov74°F55°F3.6 in0.0 in
Dec67°F48°F2.9 in0.0 in

U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Pt Comfort (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.

People and cost of living

$70,123median household income
$128,200median home value
$849median monthly rent
35.5median age
19.7%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
70.3%of homes are owner-occupied
18.9 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1823%18 to 3426%35 to 6433%65 and over18%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Calhoun County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.

  • 2024-07-09: Hurricane Beryl (Hurricane)
  • 2024-05-17: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
  • 2021-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
  • 2021-02-14: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
  • 2020-08-24: Tropical Storms Marco And Laura (Hurricane)
  • 2020-07-26: Hurricane Hanna (Hurricane)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

Palacios-R.B Trull Municipal Airport (PSX) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 24 miles away.

  • Point Comfort 6 mi northeast, about 9 min by car
  • Placedo 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
  • Vanderbilt 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
  • Seadrift 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
  • Bloomington 17 mi west, about 27 min by car
  • Port O'Connor 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
  • Inez 20 mi northwest, about 33 min by car
  • Victoria 26 mi northwest, about 42 min by car
  • El Campo 46 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
  • Bay City 48 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.