Port Aransas is one of the most popular beach towns in America located on the north end of Mustang Island. The city draws over 7 million visitors a year and 4,000 local citizens. It’s a beautiful destination for vacations, retreats, weddings, and family reunions. The gorgeous coastline appeals to plenty of guests and locals as well as home buyers and investors in the housing market due because of its beautiful coastal homes, condos by the beach, and cost of living.
Getting around Port Aransas, TX doesn’t have to be difficult. In this blog, we will give you the most up-to-date information on driving and transportation in Port Aransas. Whether you’re traveling for work, leisure, or exploring the city to get to know more of your new home, there are many ways to get around this beach town.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- What are the Major Highways in Port Aransas
- What are the Bus Routes in Port Aransas
- Where do I get a beach parking permit in Port Aransas, TX?
- Getting Around Port Aransas by Uber and Lyft
- Getting Around Port Aransas by Taxi Cabs
- Port Aransas Ferry Information
- Navigating Port Aransas By Air
- Unique Ways to Get Around Port Aransas
What are the Major Roads in Port Aransas
Port Aransas is a city on Mustang Island on the Texas coast and offers 18 miles of sandy shores and a one-of-a-kind beach vibe. It’s located only a few minutes west of Corpus Christi and you can get to the island by taking the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway across the bay. One of the major highways to get to Port Aransas is Highway 361.
The highways’ northern terminus is the intersection with SH 35 and Spur 202 at Gregory in San Patricio County. Highway 361 runs southeast through Ingleside and intersects Farm to Market Road 1069 and turns northeast to Aransas Pass.
Are you coming to Port Aransas from Corpus Christi? If you go the Aransas Pass route, you’ll take TX-181 to Highway 361 into Aransas Pass and your trip will require a ride on a car ferry. While from the south, you can go drive through Corpus Christi and enter Port Aransas via Mustang Island.
CORPUS CHRISTI MAP
What are the Bus Routes in Port Aransas?
The Flexi-B Route 90
Operated by the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (CCRTA), the Coastal Bend’s public transit system, The Flexi-B is a small bus that departs for Corpus Christi two times a day from Monday to Thursday and Saturday at 10 am and 1 pm. Return trips are scheduled to depart Southside Station in Corpus Christi at 3:30 pm.
The Flexi-B also departs Port Aransas from 7:30 am for Del Mar College, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, medical, and other appointments every Monday to Thursday and 7:30 am during Saturdays for a shopping trip to Southside Station across from La Palmera Mall, the bayfront, Texas State Aquarium, and USS Lexington Museum On The Bay. The driver will provide departure times from each location before getting off along the bayfront sites.
On Fridays, the Flexi-B departs Port Aransas at 7:30 am for Del Mar College, medical, and other appointments, 10:00 for shopping trips to Southside Station to the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, and a return trip is scheduled to depart Southside Station at 3:30 heading back to Port Aransas.
The Padre Island Connection – Route 65
The Padre Island Connection – Route 65 is another bus route you can take to get to Port Aransas. It operates from Monday to Sunday and that starts and ends in the Southside Transfer Station in Corpus Christi. The route goes all the way to Flour Bluff Waldron, Schlitterbahn, Windward and Leeward, Port Royal, Sandcastle condominiums and goes back all the way to Southside Stations by traveling the same route.
Port Aransas Express – Route 95
Express is a more direct route to your places with a quicker travel time without making local stops along the way. The Port A Express offers daily service that departs from Corpus Christi, Ingleside, or Aransas Pass. The EXPRESS also gets a priority spot on the ferry. Compared to Route 65 and Route 90’s 25 cents a ride, the EXPRESS costs 75 cents with free wi-fi onboard.
Port Aransas Shuttle – Route 94
If you’re traveling within Port Aransas, try the Route 94 Port Aransas Shuttle. The shuttle departs at 10 am from Cinnamon Shore. Its route goes from the departure area, the Pioneer RV Park, Access Roads 1A and Turn Around, Birding Facility, Robert’s Point Marina, UT Marine Science Institute, Horace Caldwell Pier, US Post Office, Mustang Beach Airport, and back to Cinnamon Shore.
More information about Route 94.
To purchase bus passes for these routes, you can get them from the CCRTA website.
Where Do I Get a Beach Parking Permit in Port Aransas, TX?
Port Aransas is known for its 18-miles of sandy beaches and is an ideal destination for families to have their vacation or a couples romantic getaway. Parking at the beach is allowed as long as you have a beach parking permit. Beach parking permits can be obtained at the City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, local grocery, and convenience stores. One beach permit costs $12.00 and allows you to park along the beach from Marker 0 to Marker 62.
There are free parking spots between the Jetties and Horace Caldwell Pier between Markers 52 – 58. Thinking of camping on the beach? RV Camping, tent camping, and other non-self-contained camping are permitted anywhere on the beach. A small fire that is no larger than 3 ft x 3 ft is permitted as well.
Take note that any type of camping is prohibited within 25 feet of either the edge of the driving lane and any location that will impede traffic or create an unsafe condition. It is also prohibited to camp 200 feet of any beach access road and within 50 feet of the water’s edge.
Getting Around Corpus Christi by Uber, Lyft
Another convenient mode of transportation to get around Port Aransas is by technology and app-based network vehicles or rideshare applications such as Uber and Lyft. However, there are hours where it can be difficult to book either a Uber or Lyft ride though taxi cabs are readily available in the area.
Getting Around Corpus Christi by Taxi Cabs
Local taxi services are widely available in Port Aransas. One of the popular taxi and shuttle services in Port A is Gulf Coast Taxi and Shuttle Service and can take you anywhere from Port Aransas to Corpus Christi.
Port Aransas Ferry Information
If you choose to enter Port Aransas from the Aransas Pass route, you will be required to take a ferry. The Port Aransas ferry route runs between two and six ferries a day and connects travelers from SH 361 to Port Aransas on Mustang Island. The quarter-mile route takes less than 10 minutes and takes longer during peak summer hours.
Each ferry can carry up to 20 regular passenger vehicles and operates free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as the weather permits.
Navigating Port Aransas By Air
Managed by the City of Port Aransas, Mustang Beach Airport has a 3,500-foot newly repaved asphalt runway with a part-time Airport Manager. Overnight airplane parking starts at $5 a night for single-engine and $10 a night for twin engines. 100LL Fuel-Self serve costs $5.07 per gallon and they also have a vehicle parking fee of $100 a year.
Unique Ways to Get Around Port Aransas
Port Aransas is a city filled with fun and exciting activities that awaits you and your loved ones to enjoy. There are also a couple of ways to get around Port Aransas in a unique way.
Rent a golf cart at Paradise Cart Rental and cruise around the beach town. Golf carts can accommodate 4 to 6 passengers so you can take your family and friends with you. Jeep rentals are also available from fully loaded 4×4 Jeep Wrangler rides to daily drivers that can be rented hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly. Port A Jeeps also offer a subscription service for their regular renters.
Motor Bikes are also available to rent whether you’re looking for electric bikes, fat-tire bikes, BMX bikes, cruiser bicycles, tricycles, trailers, and custom-built motorized bikes, Island Motor Bikes in Port Aransas has everything you’ll need in a bike.
Enjoy year-round activities, hundreds of days filled with sunshine, and everything you’re looking for when it comes to living the island life, the perfect beach getaway awaits you in Port Aransas.
If you are thinking of moving or investing in Port Aransas, search for homes and condos for sale in Port Aransas or get in touch with one of our specialists!
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