Texas Beach and Bay Access Guide. - Texas General Land Office

Southeast Texas
Saltwater Bays: 113,000 surface acres
Jefferson County
Population: 252,051
Area: 1,112 square miles
Recreation: Gulf beaches, fresh and saltwater fishing, duck
and goose hunting, water activities, wildlife
refuges, historic sites.
Jefferson County, established in 1836 and named after U.S.
President Thomas Jefferson, was one of the original counties
in the Republic of Texas. Beaumont, the county seat, was
incorporated as a town in 1839 and is nestled on the banks of
the Neches River. The area’s economy is based on government
services, petrochemical and other chemical plants, shipbuilding,
port activity, and oil-field supplies. While the county’s
economy consists primarily of petroleum and shipping, it also
has thousands of acres of coastal marshes, home to diverse
fish and wildlife populations. Most of this marshland can be
found in the McFaddin and Texas Point National Wildlife
Refuges, Sea Rim State Park, and the J.D. Murphree State
Wildlife Management Area.
Orange County
Population: 84,966
Area: 379 square miles
Recreation: Fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, water sports,
county park, museums, historical homes.
Orange County was established in 1852 and named for its
early orange groves. The area is bounded by the Sabine and
Neches rivers. The county’s top revenue sources are cattle,
Christmas trees, and rice. It also depends largely on petrochemicals,
shipping, tourism, and lumber processing.
County information obtained from Texas Almanac, 2000-2001 and U.S. Census 2000.
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