Beaumont and Port Arthur

An industrial duo of cities located just inland from the Gulf of Mexico on the deepwater Neches River, Beaumont and Port Arthur have been key to the Texas oil industry since the Spindletop Well began gushing nearby in 1901. Today numerous oil refineries dot the area, which is also an important center of shipbuilding and papermaking. The region is also a gateway to the Big Thicket National Preserve.