Aransas Pass area guide
What to do, when to go, a little history and how to get to Aransas Pass.
Last updated
Overview
Aransas Pass is a harbor town across Redfish Bay from Port Aransas. The town lies in parts of Aransas, San Patricio and Nueces counties. It is named for the pass between Mustang Island and St. Joseph Island.
The Handbook of Texas says development in Aransas Pass has centered on the harbor. After World War II, improvements to Conn Brown Harbor helped the shrimping fleet grow, and the Handbook calls that fleet the largest on the Gulf coast.
What to do
On the Water
- Aransas Pass Public Boat Ramp
Free public boat ramp in Aransas Pass with quick access to Redfish Bay.
- Bay Rat Boats
Self-drive boat rentals with an on-site bait shop, run by a husband and wife team who walk you through operating the boat before you leave the dock.
- Best Fishing Charter LLC
Bay fishing trips on a 25-foot boat in the Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi area, for families, friends and serious anglers.
- Chris's Marine
Aransas Pass boat service and parts shop, the call when the motor argues.
- Coastal Bend Kayak
Daytime guided kayak tours through Redfish Bay toward the lighthouse, plus straight rentals and guided kayak fishing.
- GlowRow Port Aransas
The Redfish Bay launch of the LED night kayak tour, running a low-tide lighthouse route.
Fishing & Birding
- Capt. Cady's 1 Bait Shop
Aransas Pass bait shop with live shrimp and tackle before the causeway.
- Captain Joe's Seafood Bait And Tackle
Aransas Pass stop selling bait, tackle, and fresh seafood off the boats.
- Capts' Bait Shack
Aransas Pass bait shack with live shrimp and honest fishing advice before you hit the causeway.
- Fin and Feather Bait
Aransas Pass bait house on the causeway, a longtime first stop for live shrimp before a bay morning.
- Ransom Road Bait and Tackle
Bait and tackle stop on Ransom Road in Aransas Pass, on the way to the flats.
Parks & Trails
The Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce lists its Shrimporee festival at the Shrimporee Festival Grounds.
- Community Park
Aransas Pass park with playgrounds and open field space.
- Conn Brown HarborPoint Park
Harborside park at Conn Brown with green space and water views.
- Hike And Bike Trail Conn Brown Harbor / Redfish Bay
Paved trail along Conn Brown Harbor in Aransas Pass with harbor views and easy birding.
Indoor Fun
- CM Lanes
A well-run bowling alley with no-string pins, a pro shop, a full bar, an outdoor area, and a kitchen that does breakfast, pizza, burgers, soups and nachos.
- Movies Inc Aransas
A WWII bomber-themed independent cinema with comfortable open seating, clean auditoriums, cheap tickets and snacks, and beer and wine.
Arts & History
- Rialto Events Venue
A restored vintage theatre in downtown Aransas Pass with original theatre seating, a bar, and a food truck outside.
- Shrimporee Grounds
Aransas Pass festival grounds, home of the annual Shrimporee and other community events.
- UH-1 Huey Memorial
Restored Huey helicopter memorial honoring Vietnam veterans in Aransas Pass.
Shopping
- Captains' Open Air Market
Aransas Pass open-air market with vendor booths and flea-market finds on market days.
Food & Drink
- Butter Churn
A large all-you-can-eat home-style buffet: fried chicken, gumbo, vegetables, a well-stocked salad bar, and sugar-free desserts.
- Coastal Oven
Pizzeria in the original Pizza Hut building doing hand-tossed and Chicago deep dish, calzones, smash burgers, and hot honey wings.
- Coasters
An open-air waterside restaurant tucked off the main road near boat storage.
- Commercial Street Icehouse
Downtown icehouse with a thin-crust pizza and salad buffet, a soft-serve machine, nightly specials, boiled shrimp and crawfish in season, drink specials, and live music.
- Dorado's Restaurant & Bar
Open-air bar and grill on Conn Brown Harbor where working boats tie up.
- Mickey's Bar and Grill
Marina-side open-air grill with crab hush puppies, blackened fish and shrimp plates, spiced cream corn, and fresh-cut fries.
Desserts & Coffee
- Kona Ice San Patricio and Aransas County
The local Kona Ice truck shaving tropical sno-cones at events and parks around the county.
- Little I's Snow Cones & Treats
Aransas Pass snow cone stand shaving flavored ice for the after-beach crowd.
- Sip Happens
A coffee shop and bakery with pastries, pecan tarts, chicken salad sandwiches, a wide range of sugar-free syrups, and merchandise.
Nights Out
- Crow's Nest
Aransas Pass dive bar with cheap drinks and a crowd of regulars.
- JC's Buckhorn Saloon
Aransas Pass saloon with cheap drinks, pool, and a crowd that knows each other.
- Pook's Pub
Small Aransas Pass pub with cheap pours and a friendly regular crowd.
- Rialto Sunday Sessions
Live jazz and blues in a restored vintage theatre, typically Sunday late afternoons and Friday evenings, with a bar inside and a food truck in the lot.
- Shrimp It Up - Bar & Grill
Aransas Pass bar and grill pairing seafood plates with a full bar and a lively room.
- Texas Pride Sports Bar and Grill
Aransas Pass sports bar with burgers, cold beer, and every game on.
When to visit
The Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce runs the Shrimporee, a festival it lists for October at the Shrimporee Festival Grounds. The Chamber numbers it as an annual festival. The Chamber also calls its Shrimporee parade a beloved tradition. Dates change every year, so check the Chamber's page before you plan a trip around it.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to NOAA. Storms sometimes form outside those dates. Check the forecast from the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi and follow local officials.
History
The town's early developers wanted to build a great deepwater port city on the Gulf. The first attempts were made by Pryor Lea, who started a company to link the coast with San Antonio by railroad and turnpike. That plan failed. Before the Civil War, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studied a deepwater port at Aransas Pass harbor in 1853, and in 1879 a group from Rockport raised $10,000 so the work could begin in earnest.
In 1890 two companies were chartered to dig a channel from the Gulf and to build a port city called Harbor City. Visitors came by rail and sea in 1893 to see the new port. Then the panic of 1893 dried up the money, and the channel project failed. In 1899 the Corps of Engineers was authorized to take on the project. By 1907 a second jetty was in place and a deepwater channel reached Harbor Island. The Handbook says deep water had finally arrived after a fifty-year struggle.
Ships began to call regularly, and in September 1912 the town held a week-long celebration with the ocean liner Brinkburn at its center. Aransas Pass was incorporated in April 1910. A hurricane struck in 1916, and repairs took about two months. A second hurricane in September 1919 did tremendous damage to the town and its shipping facilities.
On June 5, 1920, the Corps of Engineers announced that Corpus Christi had been chosen for the deepwater port over Aransas Pass and Rockport. After the 1919 hurricane a seawall was built, and the growing shrimping and fishing fleet brought business to the town. Shrimp canneries opened, and later packing plants were built on the harbor.
Getting around
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) runs a ferry on State Highway 361. It crosses the Corpus Christi Channel between Aransas Pass, on the mainland, and Port Aransas, on Mustang Island.
Getting here
These drive times come from the OSRM routing service, which uses OpenStreetMap data. Each one starts at the center of the city and ends in Aransas Pass. Drive times vary with traffic, so allow extra time on busy days.
- From Houston: about 200 miles and about 4 hours. The route uses I-69, US 59 and US 77.
- From Austin: about 185 miles and about 3 hours 30 minutes. The route uses US 183 and US 77 Alt.
- From San Antonio: about 155 miles and about 2 hours 45 minutes. The route uses I-37, US 281, TX 188 and US 181.
Where to stay
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Plan your tripSources
- Handbook of Texas: Aransas Pass, TX (TSHA)
- Shrimporee (Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce)
- 77th Annual Shrimporee Festival (Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce events calendar)
- Ferry boat schedules, Corpus Christi-Port Aransas (Texas Department of Transportation)
- Tropical cyclone climatology (NOAA National Hurricane Center)
- National Weather Service Corpus Christi
- OpenStreetMap contributors (map and route data)