Chambers County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 46,571. The county seat is Anahuac.
Chambers County is one of the nine counties that comprise Greater Houston, the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area.
History
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Luz, a Spanish mission in Texas, was established in 1756 near what is now Wallisville.
Chambers County was founded in 1858. It is named for Thomas Jefferson Chambers, a major general in the Texas Revolution.
In 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591, a cargo flight operating for Amazon Air, crashed in the Trinity Bay, in Chambers County and near Anahuac, while flying from Miami to Houston. All three people onboard were killed.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (31%) are covered by water.
The south and southwestern parts of the county lie in the Galveston Bay Area on the shores of Trinity Bay and East Bay. A small portion of the southeastern area lies on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Adjacent counties
Liberty County (north)
Jefferson County (east)
(Gulf of Mexico (southeast))
Galveston County (southwest)
Harris County (west)
National protected areas
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
Moody National Wildlife Refuge
State and local protected areas
Candy Cain Abshier Wildlife Management Area
Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve
Demographics
2020 census
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, 26,031 people, 9,139 households, and 7,219 families were residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per sq mi (17/km2). The 10,336 housing units averaged 17 per sq mi (7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 81.88% White, 9.77% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 6.02% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. About 10.79% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 9,139 households, 40.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.70% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.00% were not families. About 17.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was 3.20.
In the county, the age distribution was 28.90% under 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.00% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,964, and for a family was $52,986. Males had a median income of $43,351 versus $25,478 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,863. About 8.30% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.30% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Chambers County is governed by a five-member commissioners' court, consisting of the county judge and four county commissioners. The county judge is elected to four-year terms in a countywide election. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms from single-member districts.
Chambers County Commissioners' Court
Elected officials
Constables
United States Congress
Texas Legislature
Texas Senate
Texas House of Representatives
State board of education
Courts
Justices of the peace
District courts
1st Court of Appeals
14th Court of Appeals
Politics
All elected county offices are represented by Republicans as of 2020 with the retirement of the Precinct 5 Constable Cecil. R. "Popeye" Oldham, a Democrat, who was last elected in 2016. Bradley Moon won the Republican primary on March 3, 2020, and had no opponent for the November 3, 2020, general election.
Education
Public school districts
Goose Creek CISD
Barbers Hill ISD
Anahuac ISD
East Chambers ISD
Higher education
Lee College
Public libraries
The Chambers County Library System operates three libraries in the county.
Chambers County Library (main branch) in Anahuac
Juanita Hargraves Memorial Branch in Winnie
Sam and Carmena Goss Memorial Branch in Mont Belvieu
Transportation
Major highways
20px Interstate 10
20px State Highway 61
20px State Highway 65
20px State Highway 99 - Grand Parkway (under construction)
20px State Highway 146
See List of Highways in Chambers County for more roadways in Chambers County.
Airports
The county operates two airports in unincorporated areas:
Chambers County Airport is east of Anahuac.
Chambers County-Winnie Stowell Airport serves Stowell and Winnie.
In addition, RWJ Airpark, a privately owned airport for public use, is located in Beach City.
The Houston Airport System stated that Chambers County is within the primary service area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, an international airport in Houston in Harris County.
Communities
Cities
Anahuac (county seat)
Baytown (mostly in Harris County)
Beach City
Cove
Mont Belvieu (small part in Liberty County)
Old River-Winfree (small part in Liberty County)
Census-designated places
Oak Island
Stowell
Winnie
Unincorporated communities
Double Bayou
Hankamer
Monroe City
Seabreeze
Smith Point
Turtle Bayou
Wallisville
