Galveston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, the largest city in the state of Texas, and the seat of Galveston County. The city is the center of the Galveston-Houston-Baytown Metropolitan Area, with a city proper population of 2,540,000, and a nearly 5 million combined population of the entire metro area. Galveston's excellent natural harbor has made it a center of commerce throughout Texas and the Gulf states (excluding Cuba). Shellron Oil's corporate headquarters are located just north of the city, in the suburb of Houston, as is NASA's Johnson Space Center.
In August of 1983, the City of Galveston proper was narrowly missed by Hurricane Ana, which tracked directly through Galveston Bay and the Houston Channel, flooding large areas of the city outskirts, and causing a so-called 'glass storm' by destroying many thousands of windows in downtown skyscrapers. This was considerably less damage than what would have occurred had Ana struck Galveston directly, as much of downtown is built on land reclaimed from what was once West Bay, an inlet of Galveston Bay.
History of Galveston[]
Early years (1839-1897)[]
Early 20th century (1900-1946)[]
Postwar era (1946-1965)[]
"Growing Pains" and Decline (1958-1970)[]
Slow Recovery (1970-1985)[]
The Modern Era (1985-present)[]
Geography[]
Climate[]
Demographics[]
Neighborhoods[]
Media[]
The city's main newspaper, the Galveston Daily, was founded in 1842, and is the oldest printed paper in the state, while the primary media outlets are the main television station, CBS affiliate KGUL-TV, on-air since March 1953, and the city's radio station, KGBC (1540 AM), which began broadcasting in May of 1947.
Crime[]
Transportation[]
Bridges[]
Rail[]
Galveston's high-speed rail system services the Greater Galveston area and connects with Conroe to the north, Bay City and Port Lavaca to the southwest, and sees its westernmost extension reach as far as Gonzales County.
Highways[]
The southern terminus of I-45 links the City of Galveston proper with the Interstate system, while SH-87 connects the city with the Bolivar Peninsula to the northeast (crossing over the Bolivar Causeway at the entrance to Galveston Bay), and the locally-named Seawall Boulevard serves as the main link to Brazoria County in the northwest.
Airports[]
Galveston's main airport that serves the majority of the city is Bob Scholes International (GLS), located just east of downtown. Because of both it's dense urban location, Scholes is often known for overcrowding and long wait times. A second airport is being constructed in-between Houston and Galveston which shall be called George H.W Bush International (HGI) and will be completed in 1998.
Government/Economy[]
Sports[]
The AFL's Galveston Stallions call the city home and play from the Texas City Center near the edge of Galveston Bay. The stadium is notable for having flooded as a result of the surge from Hurricane Ana in August 1983. The ABA's Mavericks, the MLB's Astros, and the NCAA's Oilers all play out of the Greater Galveston area as well.