Refugio, the county seat of Refugio County is at the intersection of U.S. highways 183 and 77 and State Highway 202. The discovery of oil in Refugio County in 1928 led to a population boom in the city. By 1941 the town had 120 businesses and a population of 4,077. Also, in 1941 the County Hospital was touted in the local newspaper as having a new "electrocardiograph machine". In 1990 the county remained a center for the area's petroleum industries but its population had dropped to 3,658.