South Padre Island, Texas
South Padre Island is a town of 2,891 people in Cameron County, Texas.
Why visit South Padre Island
Townapedia lists 7 parks and trails, 34 places to eat, 15 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Queen Isabella Causeway and Island Cinema.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 54°F.
Weather in South Padre Island
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About South Padre Island
South Padre Island is a resort town in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville-Harlingen metropolitan area. The population was 2,066 at the 2020 census. The town is located on South Padre Island, a barrier island with the Laguna Madre situated to the leeward of the island and the Gulf of Mexico on the windward flank, along the Texas Gulf Coast.
From the Wikipedia article South Padre Island, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
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Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes34
Longboard Bar & Grill
Restaurant · Grill · 1.6 mi
Restarant with live music on stage, overlooking Laguna Madre
205 West Palm Street, South Padre Island
Mo-Su 11:00-02:00
The Meatball Cafe
Restaurant · Italian · 1.3 mi
Homemade Pasta, Pizza, Panini, Steaks
2412 Padre Boulevard, South Padre Island
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00; PH off
Rita's Italian Ice
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 0.4 mi
4001 State Park Rd 100, South Padre Island
Mo-Su 15:00-00:00
The Painted Marlin
Restaurant · 1.1 mi
Seafood, American (Traditional)
202 West Whiting Street, South Padre Island
22 more on the map.
Where to stay15
Holiday Inn Express & Suites South Padre Island
Motel and hotel · 1.0 mi
6502 Padre Boulevard, South Padre Island
Ramada & Suites South Padre Island
Motel and hotel · 0.8 mi
6200 South Padre Boulevard, South Padre Island
3 more on the map.
History
The City of South Padre Island was officially incorporated in 1973 to better manage development and tourism. Growth was initially spurred by the construction of the original causeway in the early 1950s, which for the first time provided a permanent vehicular link between the island and the mainland. In 1974, this causeway was replaced by the Queen Isabella Causeway, a higher-capacity bridge that further boosted accessibility and economic development. Governed by a home-rule charter, the City of South Padre Island operates with a council-manager form of government, which outlines local governance rules and administrative procedures. South Padre Island became a popular spring break destination for college students and a resort destination for families. Many multistory resort hotels and condominiums have been erected along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico.
From the History section of South Padre Island, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Healthcare2
Map of South Padre Island
72 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°F | 54°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 71°F | 57°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 74°F | 63°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 79°F | 69°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 84°F | 74°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 78°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 78°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 79°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 77°F | 6.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 85°F | 73°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 78°F | 65°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 72°F | 57°F | 1.4 in | 0.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for S Padre Is (5 mi away), rain and snow from Port Isabel, NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Cameron County has had 24 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2025-05-21: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2024-07-09: Hurricane Beryl (Hurricane)
- 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
Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (BRO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Laureles 20 mi west, about 32 min by car
- Brownsville 21 mi southwest, about 34 min by car
- Rancho Viejo 25 mi west, about 40 min by car
- Rio Hondo 27 mi west, about 43 min by car
- San Benito 29 mi west, about 47 min by car
- La Paloma 30 mi west, about 49 min by car
- Harlingen 33 mi west, about 53 min by car
- Combes 36 mi west, about 57 min by car
- Palm Valley 37 mi west, about 59 min by car
- Mercedes 46 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Entrance to South Padre Island, Shannon247, Public domain
- Hi! From South Padre Island -Texas- - Large Letter Postcard (5670408715), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- South Padre Island beach panorama, Spheroidite, CC BY-SA 4.0
- South Padre Island beach view from condo, Spheroidite, CC BY-SA 4.0
- South Padre Island, TX 78597, USA - panoramio (1), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- South Padre Island, TX 78597, USA - panoramio (5), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- South Padre Island Sunset 2024, 8bit12man, CC BY-SA 4.0
- South Padre Island,Texas.USA. - panoramio, Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Padre Island, TX 78597, USA - panoramio, Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- South Padre Island, TX 78597, USA - panoramio (11), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- South Padre Island, TX 78597, USA - panoramio (7), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- South Padre Island, TX 78597, USA - panoramio (10), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- South Padre Island,Texas.USA. - panoramio (1), Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Padre Island, TX 78597, USA - panoramio (8), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Long Swim - panoramio, Jeffery Roberts, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palafoxia texana, iNaturalist user: johnyochum, CC BY 4.0
- Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, TX, USA - panoramio (5), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, TX, USA - panoramio (3), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, TX, USA - panoramio (4), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- 2026 Pre Event-GC2601a OB N RGB-raw-186485 0118261844001 080 RGB2, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2026 Pre Event-GC2601a OB N RGB-raw-186485 0118261844001 080 RGB1, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2026 Pre Event-GC2601a OB N RGB-raw-186486 0118261844073 080 RGB2, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2026 Pre Event-GC2601a OB N RGB-raw-186486 0118261844073 080 RGB1, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- Trachinotus carolinus 5020366, johnyochum, CC BY 4.0
- 2026 Pre Event-GC2601a OB N RGB-raw-186484 0118261843529 080 RGB1, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2026 Pre Event-GC2601a OB N RGB-raw-186484 0118261843529 080 RGB2, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- Anadara chemnitzii 465220052, Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, CC BY 4.0
- 2026 Pre Event-GC2601a OB N RGB-raw-186487 0118261844145 080 RGB2, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2026 Pre Event-GC2601a OB N RGB-raw-186487 0118261844145 080 RGB1, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- City of spi, palms and skyline, Chenarr, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fire in the sky, spi, Chenarr, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2026 Pre Event-GC2601a OB N RGB-raw-186483 0118261843458 080 RGB1, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2026 Pre Event-GC2601a OB N RGB-raw-186483 0118261843458 080 RGB2, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- Sea Turtle Inc entrance south, Spheroidite, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sea Turtle Inc lagoon, Spheroidite, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sea Turtle Inc dock, Spheroidite, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sea Turtle Inc photo backdrop, Spheroidite, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sea Turtle Inc turtle talk, Spheroidite, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sea Turtle Inc tanks 2, Spheroidite, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sea Turtle Inc tanks 1, Spheroidite, CC BY-SA 4.0
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