Victoria College and the University of Houston-Victoria provide some higher education but little in the way of college-town amenities or atmosphere. The city does have a few good-quality arts and cultural assets beyond what’s found in most small Texas towns, including a ballet and symphony. Residents pride themselves on not having to travel to Houston or San Antonio for these experiences.

The city of Victoria is in the south-central Texas Coastal Plain on the Guadalupe River. The landscape is flat with numerous small creeks, waterways, and trees. The climate is humid subtropical. Summers are hot, usually in the 90s, with high humidity and occasional sea breezes. Winter conditions vary between clear, cold, dry periods and cloudy, mild, drizzly days as fronts move in from the north. The area gets fewer freezing days than most other Texas cities. Occasional summer and fall tropical disturbances may produce torrential rains.