Chambers County

• County — Chambers County • State — Texas • Founded — 1858 • Seat Wl — Anahuac • Largest City Wl — Baytown • Area Total Sq Mi — 871 • Area Land Sq Mi — 597 • Area Water Sq Mi — 274 • Area Water Percent — 31% • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 46571 • Pop Est As Of — 2025 • Population Est — 57594 • Population Density Sq Mi — auto • Time Zone — Central • Named For — Thomas Jefferson Chambers • District — 14th • District2 — 36th

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 on board were killed.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 871 sqmi, of which 597 sqmi are land and 274 sqmi (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.

• Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge (formerly Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge) • Moody National Wildlife Refuge

• Candy Cain Abshier Wildlife Management Area • Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve

• 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)

• Oak Island • Stowell • Winnie

• Double Bayou • Hankamer • Monroe City • Seabreeze • Smith Point • Turtle Bayou • Wallisville

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 46,571. The median age was 35.8 years. 28.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.1 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 70.0% White, 6.9% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 9.3% from some other race, and 11.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 23.5% of the population. 45.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 54.1% lived in rural areas. There were 15,623 households in the county, of which 43.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 62.2% were married-couple households, 14.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 18.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 16,933 housing units, of which 7.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 85.3% were owner-occupied and 14.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.4%.

As of the 2000 census, 26,031 people, 9,139 households, and 7,219 families were residing in the county. The population density was 43 /mi2. The 10,336 housing units averaged 17 /mi2. 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.

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.

• Office — Name — Political party — First elected — Area(s) represented • — County Judge — Jimmy Sylvia — Republican — 1996 — Countywide • — Commissioner, Precinct 1 — Jimmy E. Gore — Republican — 2016 — Anahuac, Double Bayou, Hankamer, Oak Island, Seabreeze, Smith Point, Stowell, Wallisville, Winnie • — Commissioner, Precinct 2 — Mark Tice — Republican — 2018 — Beach City, Cove, Turtle Bayou, Wallisville • — Commissioner, Precinct 3 — Tommy Hammond — Republican — 2006 — Mont Belvieu, Old River-Winfree • — Commissioner, Precinct 4 — Ryan Dagley — Republican — 2018 — Baytown, Beach City

• Office — Name — Political party • — County Attorney — Ashley Cain Land — Republican • — County Clerk — Heather H. Hawthorne — Republican • County Court Judge — Cindy S. Price — Republican • — District Attorney — Cheryl Swope Lieck — Republican • — District Clerk — Patti Henry — Republican • — Sheriff — Brian Hawthorne — Republican • — Tax Assessor-Collector — Laurie G. Payton — Republican • — Treasurer — Nicole Whittington — Republican • County Surveyor — Michael W. Chandler

• Office — Name — Political party — Area(s) represented • — Constable, Precinct 1 — Dennis Dugat — Republican — Stowell, Winnie • — Constable, Precinct 2 — John Mulryan — Republican — Anahuac, Turtle Bayou, Wallisville • — Constable, Precinct 3 — Donnie Standley — Republican — Double Bayou, Oak Island, Smith Point • — Constable, Precinct 4 — Ben L. "Butch" Bean — Republican — Mont Belvieu, Old River-Winfree • — Constable, Precinct 5 — Bradley W. Moon — Republican — Hankamer, Wallisville • — Constable, Precinct 6 — Kirk W. Ritch — Republican — Baytown, Beach City, Cove

• Senators — Name — Political party — First elected — Level • — Senate Class 2 — John Cornyn — Republican — 2002 — Senior Senator • — Senate Class 1 — Ted Cruz — Republican — 2012 — Junior Senator • Representatives — Name — Political Party — First Elected — Area(s) Represented • — Texas's 14th District — Randy Weber — Republican — 2012 — A small, unpopulated portion of the county that extends to the Gulf of Mexico, across the Intracoastal Waterway. • — Texas's 36th District — Brian Babin — Republican — 2014 — All populated areas of the county

• District — Senator — Political party — First elected — Area(s) represented • — 4 — Brandon Creighton — Republican — 2014 — Countywide, district also covers portions of Galveston, Harris, Jefferson, and Montgomery Counties

• District — Representative — Political party — First elected — Area(s) represented • — 23 — Terri Leo-Wilson — Republican — 2022 — Chambers County, Galveston County (part)

• District — Member — Political party — First elected — Area(s) represented • — 7 — Julie Pickren — Republican — 2022 — Countywide, district also covers all of Brazoria, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, and Tyler Counties and most of Fort Bend County

• Office — Name — Political party • — Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1 — Celia Devillier — Republican • — Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 — Michael W. Wheat — Republican • — Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 — Blake D. Sylvia — Republican • — Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5 — David Hatfield — Republican • — Justice of the Peace, Precinct 6 — Larry Ray Cryer — Republican

• Office — Name — Political party — Area(s) represented • — 253rd District Court — Chap B. Cain, III — Republican — Countywide, district also covers Liberty County • — 344th District Court — Randy McDonald — Republican — Countywide

• Name — Political party — First elected • — Chief Justice — Terry Adams — Republican — 2022 • — Place 2 — Jennifer Caughey — Republican — 2024 • — Place 3 — Veronica Rivas-Molloy — Democrat — 2020 • — Place 4 — David Gunn — Republican — 2024 (appointed) • — Place 5 — Amparo Guerra — Democrat — 2020 • — Place 6 — Andrew Johnson — Republican — 2024 • — Place 7 — Clint Morgan — Republican — 2024 • — Place 8 — Kristin Guiney — Republican — 2024 • — Place 9 — Susanna Dokupil — Republican — 2024

• Name — Political party — First elected • — Chief Justice — Tracy E. Christopher — Republican — 2020 • — Place 2 — Kevin Jewell — Republican — 2016 • — Place 3 — Chad Bridges — Republican — 2024 • — Place 4 — Tonya McLaughlin — Republican — 2024 • — Place 5 — Maritza Antu — Republican — 2024 • — Place 6 — Katy Boatman — Republican — 2024 • — Place 7 — Ken Wise — Republican — 2014, Appointed in 2013 • — Place 8 — Brad Hart — Republican — 2024 • — Place 9 — Randy Wilson — Republican — 2020 (appointed)

As with much of the Southern United States, Democrats won locally up into the 21st century, but the county has now become solidly Republican, with President Donald Trump winning over 80% of the vote in the 2024 United States presidential election. Republican

• Public School Districts Local Primary and Secondary School Jurisdictions. Each are governed by their own respective school board. • Goose Creek CISD • Barbers Hill ISD • Anahuac ISD • East Chambers ISD • La Porte ISD (parts of uninhabited Galveston Bay) • Higher Education Community Colleges • Lee College (Anahuac, Barbers Hill, East Chambers, and Goose Creek ISDs: in other words, for all land areas of Chambers County) • San Jacinto College (La Porte ISD, which here means parts of uninhabited Galveston Bay) • 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

• Interstate 10 • State Highway 61 • State Highway 65 • State Highway 73 • State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway) • State Highway 124 • State Highway 146

The county operates two airports in unincorporated areas: • Chambers County Airport is east of Anahuac. • It was developed in the 1940s, and the county collaborated with the federal government to have it built. In August 1947, the federal government was to pay $23,322. • 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. In the 1970s there had been a proposal to establish another airport in the county, but the Baytown city council objected to the proposal, arguing it was too close to another airport under private ownership. 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.