While Corpus Christi is ostensibly laid out in a classic city-block style, the adaptation of that system to the local geography can make navigation a little confusing. Nevertheless, there are several main roads that traverse nearly the entire city, and these can be used to orient yourself if you find yourself lost.
The Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau has some up-to-date visitor information on the area such as maps, bus routes and accommodations as well as activities ranging from attractions, museums and performing arts to nature and outdoors. Visit the website by following this link. (http://www.visitcorpuschr...)
Follow this link to the City of Corpus Christi webpage of maps of Corpus Christi and the surrounding area (http://www.cctexas.com/?f...).
By Public Transit
Corpus Christi has a small trolley service actually buses poorly disguised as trolleys and a citywide bus service. Both are run by the Corpus Christi Regional Transit Authority, and schedules can be found at their website (http://ccrta.org/).
There is no Metro, subway, or any other form of a city rail service.
Car rental services can be found at the airport or along S.P.I.D.
Corpus Christi has a marina, for those few lucky enough to travel by water.
By car
Most visitors and locals travel around Corpus Christi in cars. Most likely, a rental or personal car is the best way for you to see the city.
The main routes one needs to know to get around efficiently in Corpus Christi are I-37, South Padre Island Drive TX-358, the Crosstown Expressway TX-286, and Ocean Drive/Shoreline Boulevard Ocean Drive is an extension of Shoreline Blvd. for about seven miles along Corpus Christi Bay.
I-37 brings you into town from the west and ends on Shoreline Drive downtown on the Bayfront.
Shoreline Blvd. is a section of about four miles in downtown Corpus Christi along the bay. It begins in the area of the Art Museum of South Texas and leads south, becoming Ocean Drive. Following Ocean Drive takes one through the most scenic part of the city and to its end at the Naval Air Station and Texas A&M.
South Padre Island Drive does not go to South Padre Island a frequent mistake made by visitors, but is better thought of as the southern section of Padre Island Drive. It is a section of 358 running from I-37 down the southern side of the city from northwest to southeast and ending on Padre Island at Padre Island National Seashore. Along it is the main shopping and dining area for the city. Locals will invariably refer to South Padre Island Drive as S.P.I.D., with the letters always pronounced separately. Visitors should remember that there will not be signs reading SPID. Instead, many read NAS-CCAD for Naval Air Station and Corpus Christi Army Depot or TX-358.
Connecting the northern end of S.P.I.D. to the downtown area near where I-37 ends is the Crosstown Expressway.
The Harbor Bridge takes drivers over the ship channel from downtown to Corpus Christi Beach, a popular destination for tourists.