Port Arthur, Texas
Port Arthur is a coastal city in Jefferson County in far Southeast Texas, set on the shore of Sabine Lake near the mouth of the Neches River about 19 miles southeast of Beaumont. It is one of the great refining and petrochemical centers of the Gulf Coast, home to some of the largest oil refineries in the country, and it grew as a deepwater port linked to the Sabine-Neches ship channel. The city is also known as the hometown of singer Janis Joplin, and the surrounding country is a low landscape of coastal marsh, bayous, and industrial waterfront.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 55,804
- Change from 2020 base
- -0.4%
- Land area
- 75.6 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Jefferson County and Orange County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Port Arthur crosses county lines, so the appraisal district and tax office depend on the parcel address. School, city-limit, MUD, PID, and other special-district lines can be different too. Start with the full county list below instead of treating one county as the answer.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
Local character
Start with Port Arthur itself
A few landmarks, stories, and everyday places that help give Port Arthur its shape.
Then zoom out to the surrounding counties
Oil Discovery
Spindletop Changed the World — and Started in Jefferson County
On January 10, 1901, a well drilled on a salt dome south of Beaumont blew in as one of the most powerful gushers ever seen. It launched the modern petroleum industry.
Property Tax Basics
Jefferson County Has Two Separate Property Tax Offices
The Jefferson County Appraisal District sets your property value, while the Tax Assessor-Collector handles billing and payment. These are two different offices with different phone numbers.
Arts and Culture
Orange Is Home to the Stark Museum of Art and Shangri La Gardens
The Stark Museum of Art and Shangri La Botanical Gardens are two cultural institutions in Orange funded by the Nelda C. and H. J. Lutcher Stark Foundation.
Nearby
Places near Port Arthur
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Port Arthur
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