Corpus Christi is a prosperous port town about 160 miles north of the Mexican border. It is a center for the petroleum and petrochemical industry, and a major shipping gateway on the Intracoastal Waterway. There is a military presence with two naval air stations in the vicinity, and a Texas A&M campus in town. The series of long barrier islands, particularly South Padre Island to the south, provide excellent beach, boating and wildlife viewing opportunities for tourists and residents alike.

The local cultural amenities and museums in particular exceed what you might expect to find in such a town. The area has a good economy, low housing costs and cost of living, and a warm humid climate, but also brings some of the high crime rates found in other places along the Gulf.

Corpus Christi is located on Corpus Christi Bay, an inlet off the Gulf of Mexico. The climatic conditions vary between the humid subtropical region to the northeast along the Texas coast and the semiarid region to the west and southwest. Summer days are consistent with highs ranging from the mid-80’s to the mid-90’s with moderating Gulf breezes late in the afternoon. Summer evenings and mornings are warm with lows seldom below 70 degrees. 100-degree temperatures are rare at the coast but common a few miles inland. Winter months have the least rainfall and are quite mild with just a few days below freezing. Severe tropical storms occur about once every 10 years, with lesser storms once every 5 years. Snow falls an average of once every 2 years.