Runaway Bay, Texas

Coordinates: 33°10′31″N 97°52′29″W / 33.17528°N 97.87472°W / 33.17528; -97.87472
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Runaway Bay, Texas
Location of Runaway Bay, Texas
Location of Runaway Bay, Texas
Coordinates: 33°10′31″N 97°52′29″W / 33.17528°N 97.87472°W / 33.17528; -97.87472
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyWise
Area
 • Total6.79 sq mi (17.58 km2)
 • Land2.52 sq mi (6.52 km2)
 • Water4.27 sq mi (11.05 km2)
Elevation
912 ft (278 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total1,286
 • Estimate 
(2019)[2]
1,845
 • Density625.89/sq mi (241.61/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
76426
Area code940
FIPS code48-63782[3]
GNIS feature ID1388609[4]
Websiterunawaybaytexas.com

Runaway Bay is a city in Wise County, Texas, lying at the Southern end of Lake Bridgeport. The population was 1,546 in 2020.[5]

Geography[edit]

Runaway Bay is located at 33°10′31″N 97°52′29″W / 33.17528°N 97.87472°W / 33.17528; -97.87472 (33.175379, −97.874794). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.8 square miles (18 km2), of which, 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) of it is land and 4.3 square miles (11 km2) is water.[6]

The city is built around an 18-hole golf course and the city's main water tower resembles a golf ball on a tee.

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1980504
199070038.9%
20001,10457.7%
20101,28616.5%
2019 (est.)1,576[2]22.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
Runaway Bay racial composition as of 2020[5]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a]
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 1,314 84.99%
Black or African American (NH) 13 0.84%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 13 0.84%
Asian (NH) 8 0.52%
Some Other Race (NH) 1 0.06%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 44 2.85%
Hispanic or Latino 153 9.9%
Total 1,546

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,546 people, 734 households, and 501 families residing in the city.

Golf course[edit]

The Club at Runaway Bay is an 18-hole golf course and club house designed by Leon Howard and established in 1969. It is Par 72, length 7032 yards and has a course rating of 73.1. It was featured in the 2008–09 edition of Golf Digest as one of the "Best Places to Play."

Alleged chupacabra sighting[edit]

On January 17, 2010, the golf course was the subject of a chupacabra sighting in which the unidentified dead animal was described as a "brown, earth-colored creature is hairless with oversized canines and elongated padded feet with inch-long toes tapered with sharp, curved claws. The creature also had long hind legs."[10] Upon investigation, a biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department identified the animal as a hairless raccoon.[11]

Education[edit]

The City of Runaway Bay is served by the Bridgeport Independent School District.

Highways[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ a b "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  6. ^ "US Gazetteer Files 2016-Places-Texas". US Census. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  7. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. ^ https://www.census.gov/ [not specific enough to verify]
  9. ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  10. ^ "Alleged chupacabra found in Runaway Bay". Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  11. ^ "Chupacabra Debunked! It's a Hairless Raccoon: Biologist". January 19, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  1. ^ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[8][9]