Refugio is the county seat of Refugio County, a rural county in the South Texas Coastal Bend. The town sits on U.S. Highway 77 roughly 35 miles north of Corpus Christi, about halfway between Victoria and Corpus Christi, and functions as both a crossroads and, for many residents, a smaller hometown within commuting range of jobs in Victoria, Beeville, and Corpus Christi. The area's recorded history begins with the Spanish mission era. The mission Nuestra Señora del Refugio was established in 1793 and relocated to the Refugio area in 1795 in an effort to serve the Karankawa people, though the settlement did not become permanent until 1828. Irish colonists followed in the 1830s under the empresario grants of the time, and cattle ranching became the dominant way of life across the surrounding prairie. The discovery of oil in 1929 brought a second economic chapter, and the Refugio County Museum in Heritage Park now documents the full arc from Spanish mission through Irish settlement, ranching, and the oil boom. Today Refugio is a compact county seat of about 2,700 people. The courthouse anchors a small downtown, with the museum, schools, churches, and local businesses clustered nearby. Ranching and agriculture still shape the economy and the calendar, and the town serves as the civic and commercial hub for the wider county. Because of its location on U.S. 77, Refugio also works as a bedroom community for families who want small-town living while commuting to Victoria, Beeville, or Corpus Christi. The setting is coastal prairie and ranch land, and the Gulf Coast is close enough for fishing and shoreline outings. Refugio appeals to people who value the slower pace and lower density of rural South Texas, a strong sense of community, and the freedom of acreage and open space, while keeping the larger cities of the Coastal Bend within an easy drive.