Aransas County

AgriLife Extension Service Office

Vision: Help Texans better their lives
Mission: Through the application of science-based knowledge, we create high-quality, relevant continuing education that encourages lasting and effective change
Capabilities: We provide programs, tools, and resources that teach people how to improve agriculture and food production, advance health practices, protect the environment, strengthen our communities, and enrich youth.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AREAS IN ARANSAS COUNTY
Agriculture/Natural Resources:
Cotton, grain sorghum, rice, corn, soybeans, forage and hay production, beef cattle management, pesticide use and safety, water testing, and alternative agricultural enterprises.

Two brown and white cows with yellow ear tags looking at the camera — Cattle on Tuesday, Apr 15, 2025, in Overton, Texas. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Family and Community Health:
Food and nutrition, food safety, food preservation, diabetes education, elder care, financial management, parenting skills, clothing and textiles, Child Care Provider Education, Food Handlers and Food Protection Management training.

4-H & Youth Development:
A dynamic youth development organization for 3rd – 12th graders with projects in, family & community health, shooting sports, archery, leadership, community service, kayaking, sport fishing, horticulture, livestock and more. 4-H provides a safe environment to grow and develop life skills. It offers learning experiences, hands-on activities, educational club and project meetings, and FUN!

Resources Available in Aransas County

AgriLife Extension offers key programs across the state that are organized and supported at the county level. Click the links below for more information about local programming or contact your county office.

About Aransas County

Aransas County is located on the Coastal Bend portion of the Gulf of Mexico, a short drive to the Northeast of Corpus Christi.

Created out of the coastal portion of Refugio County in 1871, Aransas County is one of the smallest of Texas’ 254 counties. Encompassing only 276 square miles of land, it is composed of numerous peninsulas, islands and bays (click here for map).

However, within it’s small boundaries are three bays, which contain 252 square miles of water, which tie into the larger Aransas Bay: Copano, St. Charles and Mesquite. This area was the site of early Native American inhabitation and Spanish exploration, as well as, Anglo colonization efforts of the 1830’s and 1840’s.

The county population, as of the 2000 census, is 23,139, an increase of 29 percent since 1990. The county seat is located in Rockport but the area is often referred to as Rockport-Fulton because these two distinct communities overlap. Visit the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce website for a listing of upcoming events, local attractions and current local weather conditions.

Aransas County communities are supported by tourism, bird watching, recreational and commercial fishing, offshore oil and gas production and agriculture. The county is home to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, created in 1937 and winter home to the endangered Whooping Crane.