Port Isabel, Texas

Port Isabel is a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas. The population was 5,028 at the 2020 census.

The city's name is given to the Port Isabel Detention Center, 12 miles (19 km) to the northwest next to Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport.

Established as a town after the Mexican War of Independence, Port Isabel became an important cotton-exporting port before the American Civil War. The harbor, town and lighthouse all were fought over and exchanged hands during the Civil War.

In September 1967, Hurricane Beulah caused extensive damage to much of the city. On July 23, 2008 Hurricane Dolly, a category 2 storm, also caused extensive damage to the city.

Port Isabel is located in eastern Cameron County at 26°4'25" North, 97°12'48" West (26.073675, –97.213234), on the western side of the south end of Laguna Madre, an estuary of the Gulf of Mexico. The Queen Isabella Causeway crosses Laguna Madre to South Padre Island on the Gulf shore. To the southwest it is 23 miles (37 km) to Brownsville, the Cameron County seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Port Isabel has a total area of 13.7 square miles (35.4 km²), of which 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) is land and 6.9 square miles (18.0 km²), or 50.94%, is water.

As of the 2020 census, Port Isabel had a population of 5,028 and 1,432 families residing in the city. The median age was 39.3 years; 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.0 males age 18 and over.

99.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.5% lived in rural areas.