Moving to Coastal Bend
Moving into the Coastal Bend means planning around a compact, three-place region connected by a short drive, real and well-documented hurricane history at every member place, and TWIA windstorm-insurance logistics that apply region-wide.
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Learn moreCorpus Christi International Airport and Short Regional Drives
Corpus Christi International Airport serves the whole region, and all three member places sit within roughly a 30-45 minute drive of each other -- Port Aransas reached from the Corpus Christi side via the JFK Causeway/Park Road 22, or via the free, 24/7 Port Aransas Ferry from the mainland town of Aransas Pass across the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. Rockport sits a further drive north up the coast in Aransas County.
Hurricane History Is Real and Specific to Each Member Place
This region carries some of the most direct, documented hurricane-landfall history in this entire Texas dataset. Hurricane Celia struck Corpus Christi directly in 1970 as a Category 4, destroying nearly 9,000 homes. Hurricane Harvey made landfall at peak Category 4 intensity specifically on San Jose Island, about 4 miles east of Rockport, in August 2017 -- over 90% of Rockport's homes sustained damage and roughly 30% were destroyed outright, with the town's own mayor stating at the time that 30%-35% of Rockport would likely never be rebuilt in its prior form. Port Aransas took its own direct Harvey hit the same week, damaging 100% of its businesses and roughly 85% of its homes -- the first direct hurricane hit on the town since Hurricane Celia in 1970. Anyone moving into this region should understand these are specific, documented, relatively recent events tied to specific member places, not a generic regional risk label.
TWIA Windstorm Coverage Applies Region-Wide
Nueces County (Corpus Christi, Port Aransas) and Aransas County (Rockport) are both among the 14 TWIA-eligible coastal counties, meaning every member place in this region requires the same layered insurance approach: a standard homeowners policy, a separate TWIA windstorm/hail policy, and separate NFIP flood coverage where applicable. TWIA's statewide average residential premium runs $2,541/year as of mid-2026, though actual premiums vary by a property's specific distance from the coast and construction -- Rockport and Port Aransas, both directly on or near open Gulf water, should expect to price at or above that average.
Key takeaways
- Corpus Christi International Airport serves the region; all three member places sit within about a 30-45 minute drive of each other, with Port Aransas also reachable via a free, 24/7 TxDOT ferry.
- Each member place carries specific, documented hurricane-landfall history: Corpus Christi (Hurricane Celia, 1970), Rockport (Hurricane Harvey's actual 2017 landfall point), and Port Aransas (also directly hit by Harvey in 2017).
- Every member place requires the same three-part insurance approach -- standard homeowners, TWIA windstorm, and NFIP flood where applicable -- since both Nueces and Aransas counties are TWIA-eligible.
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