Port O'Connor is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Calhoun County, Texas, on the mid-Texas coast, situated between Matagorda Bay to the northeast and Espiritu Santo Bay to the south. It lies roughly midway between Galveston and Corpus Christi and is part of the Victoria, Texas metropolitan area. At the 2020 census, the community reported a population of 954, a figure that swells seasonally with anglers, second-home owners, and visitors. The community was laid out in the late 19th century as a fishing settlement, and its fortunes have long been tied to the water. The arrival of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in 1939, followed by completion of the Matagorda Ship Channel and jetties, transformed Port O'Connor into a sport-fishing and recreational destination linking New Orleans with Corpus Christi. Hurricanes have periodically reshaped the town, but it has repeatedly rebuilt, and by the late 20th century it had established itself as a fishing, tourism, and retirement center. Today, Port O'Connor is best known for its world-class fishing — both inshore bay fishing and offshore Gulf trips — along with waterfowl hunting along its coastal marshes and migratory flyways, and birding along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. Matagorda Island, a barrier island of more than 56,000 acres, lies nearby and provides undeveloped beach and wildlife habitat. The community's marinas, bait shops, and guide services form the working waterfront that anchors both its economy and its social life, and the seasonal rhythms of fishing and hunting define the calendar. Port O'Connor appeals to anglers, hunters, birders, and retirees seeking a quiet coastal lifestyle oriented around the outdoors, with a small year-round community and a distinctly unhurried, water-centered way of life.