Galveston " class="IPA">/?g?lv?st?n/) is a city in Galveston County located on Galveston Island on the Gulf Coast in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a total population of 57,466. Galveston is accessible by the Galveston Causeway linking Galveston Island to the mainland on the north end of the city, a toll bridge on the western end of the island, and by ferry boat service on the east end of the city. The city was formerly the county seat, however after Hurricane Ike extensively damaged the courthouse and jail in September 2008, the decision was made to temporarily relocate the county seat and offices to League City and Texas City.
Galveston is known for its historic neighborhoods and a 10-mile long, 17-foot high seawall designed to protect the city from floods and hurricane storm surge.
The city houses many tourist attractions, including the Galveston Schlitterbahn waterpark, Moody Gardens botanical park, the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum, the Lone Star Flight Museum, a downtown neighborhood of historic buildings known as The Strand, many historical museums and mansions, and miles of beach front. The Strand plays host to a yearly Mardi Gras festival, Galveston Island Jazz & Blues Festival, Texas Beach Fest, Lone Star Bike Rally, and a Victorian-themed Christmas festival called Dickens on the Strand in early December. Galveston is also home to the Balinese Room, a historic nightclub, formerly a notorious illegal gambling hall, located on a 600-foot pier extending into the Gulf of Mexico.
Galveston is the second-largest city in Galveston County in population after League City; League City surpassed Galveston between 2000 and 2005.
Hurricane Ike made landfall at Galveston, Texas, on September 13, 2008.
History
Exploration and settlement
Galveston island was originally inhabited by members of the Karankawa and Akokisa tribes
